Terminus, Part 3: Difference
As alluded to in the last part, this one would be dedicated primarily to my own interpretations, or at least those which I arrived at that aren’t really mentioned in any of the literature I read concerning this particular emblem. With this in mind, we left the last discussion wondering whether to address the static versus active (Terminus versus Jupiter) idea or go into the fundamentally philosophical importance of what limits entail. The later issue, believe it or not is more interesting, but the former might act as a good lead, so we’ll look at both.
With his firmly rooted stand atop “an unshakable cube”, Terminus clearly has, as part of his nature, the aspect of stillness and inaction. Jupiter, on the other hand, gallivanting and orchestrating the pleroma of the Roman pantheon, epitomizes action and movement. Though not typically reduced to such basic ideas, it’s not a stretch to see this dynamic between the two gods. Going back once again to Ovid’s wonderful story of Terminus not yielding to Jupiter, we are given a clue to Terminus being on par with Jupiter and, despite not being in the limelight, his equal. Considering the equality of these modes of being (inactive and active) reflected in the equality of their status in the Roman divine hierarchy, is enough to demonstrate there is more symbolism to these gods than we might realize and viewed in other allegorical terms, Terminus might not only be Jupiter’s equal but his better.
Behind those curly locks and the blank stony stare is a deep wisdom. Like many such pearls gracing creation, working in silence and surrounding us in every moment of our existence, here is one of the most important. It is the principle of difference…difference is great wisdom, you ask? It sure is, and one of the deepest. We’ll often find the greatest wisdom to be so obvious and ubiquitous we don’t realize it’s even there mainly because it is so fundamental. Wisdom may be a topic for a future emblem where we will investigate whether true wisdom is secret and hidden—gnostic—or more readily available like sunlight that illuminates the world though difficult to grasp and view directly.
Difference is our concern now however, and it is initially important to see the connection that difference, the fact that one thing is not like another thing, is what allows us to make distinctions and definitions. Imagine if everything was exactly the same; if there were no differences in appearance, position, or time in all the objects around you. If your pencil had no differences from your coffee cup, they would essentially be the same thing, and if that thing had no differences from any of the other things around you, then everything would be the same undefinable, unexplainable stuff. The only reason we can distinguish things, give them names, labels, and identities is because we identify the differences existing between one thing and the other. Basically, difference is a fundamental aspect—maybe even the fundamental aspect—of Creation which allows there to be anything at all. Without difference everything is only one thing, and that one thing becomes incomprehensible due to lack of anything to compare it to.
Terminus, Alciato’s Emblemata of Leidon, 1591.
Artists are taught early on the importance of lines. Lines are ways to distinguish forms and for the artist, in terms of creating some kind of representational image, a line separates one thing from another. They are quick indicators to the viewer that what is on one side of the line is different from what is on the other side of the line. A simple pencil line creating a circle could suddenly create a sun and sky. Another term interchangeable with line is boundary. A boundary, just like a line, is something that demarcates where one thing ends and another begins—one side in some way is not like the other. From here it shouldn’t be a stretch to see now how Terminus fits into the equation.
The practical side to being aware that difference creates definition and a line or boundary is necessary to signify difference comes up all over the place. From the last part we seen how crucial it is to establishing property rights. In order to resolve or prevent conflict over land disputes we recognize the difference (in this case the difference is ownership) and then demarcate it with a boundary. It all sounds kind of basic, but there will be many occasions when things are confusing; there might be an argument or seeming contradiction. These conflicts, like the land disputes, come about because a lot of the time boundaries are undefined or someone has violated them. When this happens, remind yourself of Terminus, think about the matter at hand and consider where and how things differ and where the boundaries might be set. It’s an indispensable tool for gaining greater understanding of the world around you.
Terminus is the physical embodiment of boundary, the line, or at the most fundamental level, that which signifies difference. He is a god because this principle of difference is so crucial to how we experience and know the world, it demands respect. I like to think of the mythical gods like this; they are these principalities, powers, and ideas which have very real existence in the world as such and for all intents and purposes should be acknowledged for what they are, not the personified deities in the stories, but the important principles undergirding creation.
Terminus, Alciato’s Emblematum Liber, 1st edition of 1531.
I hope you enjoyed this analysis of the Terminus emblem from Alciato’s Emblemata. There’s such a wealth of wonder and wisdom in these little pictures and strange texts you may have insights I never realized or touched upon. If you do have any additional thoughts or comments, as always, I’d love to hear them. Please leave a comment with whatever might be on your mind regarding this or any other topic related to this blog. Also, if you like what you read here or think you may know someone else who would find it interesting, don’t hesitate to share it wherever you desire. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next installment to the Emblemata blog.