The Death of Marcus Aurelius

The Death of Marcus Aurelius

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Delphic Maxims 17


Φρόνησιν ἄσκει 
Exercise prudence 

IMAGE: Anonymous Dutch, Prudentia (c. 1790) 



3 comments:

  1. I'm struggling with the symbolism here. What is prudent about holding a snake while looking in a mirror? I'm guessing the mirror can be for self reflection, but the snake is really throwing me.

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    Replies
    1. The mirror is certainly an allegory of self-reflection.

      What does a snake usually represent, at least in Western art?

      Put that together with the fact that Prudence has "tamed" or "controlled" the snake, and you have your answer ;-)

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    2. Control rather than collusion. That makes sense.

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