Emblem 1

Emblem 1

Two-faced Janus holding a sceptre with a radiant sun in his left and a large key in his right hand

Pour viure en paix & tranquilité.

To live in peace and tranquillity.AI-generated

Description of the woodcutAI-generated

A woodcut in a rectangular frame showing a bearded two-faced figure (Janus) standing full-length in an open landscape; one face looks left, the other right, and a radiant sunburst of rays surrounds the right-hand head. He wears a long robe with a mantle and a tall crown or mitre-like headdress, and holds a long staff or sceptre in each hand, the arms spread outward. At the left stands a leafy tree and rocky ground; at the right, on a rise, are buildings and a walled town or fortress; low rocks and tufted ground fill the foreground, with hatched sky above.

Subscriptio

Facsimile page of emblem 1 — Facsimile of the page (Herzog August Bibliothek); click to enlarge.

TranscriptionAI-generated

LE Dieu Ianus iadis à deux uisaiges,Noz anciens ont pourtraict & trassé:Pour demonstrer que l'aduis des gens saiges,Vise au futur, aussi bien qu'au passé.Tout temps doibt estre (en effect) compassé,Et du passé auoir la souuenance:Pour au futur preueoir en prouidence,Suyuant Vertu en toure qualité.Qui le fera uerra par euidence,Qu'il pourra viure en grand tranquilité.

TranslationAI-generated

The god Janus of old, with two faces, our ancients portrayed and drew, in order to show that the judgement of wise people aims at the future just as much as at the past. All time must (in effect) be measured out, and one must keep remembrance of the past so as to foresee the future with providence, following Virtue in every quality. Whoever does so will see by evidence that he will be able to live in great tranquillity.

Iconclass

86(POUR VIVRE EN PAIX & TRANQUILITÉ) proverbs, sayings, etc. (POUR VIVRE EN PAIX & TRANQUILITÉ)

96A12 (story of) Janus

24A6 sun represented as face, wheel, etc.

44B192 sceptre, staff (symbol of sovereignty)

41A3281 key

25G3 trees

25I9 landscape with ruins

52A51 Wisdom; 'Sapienza', 'Sapienza humana', 'Sapienza vera' (Ripa)

52A3 Memory; 'Memoria' (Ripa)

52A2 Forethought, Deliberation; 'Previdenza', 'Providenza' (Ripa)

56D3 Confidence, Security, Tranquillity; 'Confidenza', 'Sicurezza e Tranquillità', 'Sicurtà', 'Sicurtà o Sicurezza', 'Tranquillità' (Ripa)

Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated

Additional codes proposed for this emblem, not (yet) part of the indexing.

96A12 (story of) Janushigh

The central figure is the Roman god Janus, matching '(story of) Janus'.

96A128(JANUS' HEAD) Janus' head, two-faced headhigh

The bearded figure is explicitly two-faced, one face looking left and the other right, which is exactly 'Janus' head, two-faced head'.

96A128 attributes of Janusmedium

Janus is shown with his characteristic attributes (key/staff and sceptre), fitting 'attributes of Janus'.

41A3281 keymedium

He holds a long key in his right hand, matching the generic object 'key'.

44B192 sceptre, staff (symbol of sovereignty)low

The short sceptre or rod in his left hand corresponds to 'sceptre, staff (symbol of sovereignty)', though its role here is as a divine attribute.

Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated

Suggested relationships between this emblem and adages in Erasmus’ Adagia.

IV ii 93 Alter Ianus – thematic inventiohigh

The emblem's entire invention is the two-faced Janus ('Le Dieu Ianus iadis à deux uisaiges'), which Erasmus explains as suited 'in providum ac circumspectum' — the prudent, circumspect man, exactly the moral drawn in the subscriptio (foresight plus remembrance).

III viii 79 A fronte simul et occipitio – thematic inventiohigh

Erasmus glosses this adage as describing 'singularis prudentia, quae constat non praesentium modo scientia, sed et memoria praeteritorum, et futurorum prospicientia' — precisely the emblem's claim that wisdom keeps 'souuenance' of the past so as to 'preueoir en prouidence' the future.

III i 53 A fronte atque a tergo – thematic inventiomedium

The adage denotes careful inspection 'comparing past with present and future,' looking both forward and backward at once — the exact visual logic of the two-faced Janus whose heads look left and right in the woodcut.