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The Momus development in 15th century
- provisional notebook

Hesiod

"And Nyx (Night) bare hateful Moros (Doom) and black Ker (Violent Death) and Thanatos (Death), and she bare Hypnos (Sleep) and the tribe of Oneiroi (Dreams). And again the goddess murky Nyx, though she lay with none, bare Momos (Blame) and painful Oizys (Misery), and the Hesperides ... Also she bare the Moirai (Fates) and the ruthless avenging Keres (Death-Fates) ... Also deadly Nyx bare Nemesis (Envy) to afflict mortal men, and after her, Apate (Deceit) and Philotes (Friendship) and hateful Geras (Old Age) and hard-hearted Eris (Strife)." (Hesiod, Theogony 211, translated by Evelyn-White).

According to Hesiod Momos seems to have been paired with Oizys (misery), at least this is the mythological figure mentioned nearest to him.

Lucian's dialog /Aesop's fable

Dialog between Lycinus and Hermotimus
"Lycinos: .... You have probably heard of Momus's indictment of Hephaestus; if not, you shall have it now. According to the myth, Athene, Posidon, and Hephaestus had a match in inventiveness. Posidon made a bull, Athene planned a house, Hephaestus constructed a man; when they came before Momus, who was to judge, he examined their productions; I need not trouble you with his criticisms of the other two; but his objection to the man, and the fault he found with Hephaestus, was this: he should have made a window in his chest, so that, when it was opened, his thoughts and designs, his truth or falsehood, might have been apparent. Momus must have been blear-eyed, to have such ideas about men; but you have sharper eyes than Lynceus, and pierce through the chest to what is inside; all is patent to you, not merely any man's wishes and sentiments, but the comparative merits of any pair."

A similar story is given as from Aesop (translated by George Fyler Townsend)
"According to an ancient legend, the first man was made by Jupiter, the first bull by Neptune, and the first house by Minerva. On the completion of their labors, a dispute arose as to which had made the most perfect work. They agreed to appoint Momus as judge, and to abide by his decision. Momus, however, being very envious of the handicraft of each, found fault with all. He first blamed the work of Neptune because he had not made the horns of the bull below his eyes, so he might better see where to strike. He then condemned the work of Jupiter, because he had not placed the heart of man on the outside, that everyone might read the thoughts of the evil disposed and take precautions against the intended mischief. And, lastly, he inveighed against Minerva because she had not contrived iron wheels in the foundation of her house, so its inhabitants might more easily remove if a neighbor proved unpleasant. Jupiter, indignant at such inveterate faultfinding, drove him from his office of judge, and expelled him from the mansions of Olympus."

Lucian: De calumnia (translations in 15th century)

The famous episode was known throughout antiquity. The dialog already existed in 1435 at least in three translations prior to 1435.>(More details: Rudolph Altrocchi, 'The Calumny of Apelles in the Literature of the Quattrocento'. PMLA, 36 [1921], pp. 454-91. Further: Erwin Panofsky, Studies in Iconology [New York, 1939], p. 158, note 100).

Lucian: De Calumnia (Source)
Lucian: On the right sits a man with long ears almost of the Midas pattern, stretching out a hand to Slander, who is still some way off, but coming. About him are two females whom I take for Ignorance and Assumption. Slander, approaching from the left, is an extraordinarily beautiful woman, but with a heated, excitable air that suggests delusion and impulsiveness; in her left hand is a lighted torch, and with her right she is haling a youth by the hair; he holds up hands to heaven and calls the Gods to witness his innocence. Showing Slander the way is a man with piercing eyes, but pale, deformed, and shrunken as from long illness; one may easily guess him to be Envy. Two female attendants encourage Slander, acting as tire-women, and adding touches to her beauty; according to the cicerone, one of these is Malice, and the other Deceit. Following behind in mourning guise, black-robed and with torn hair, comes (I think he named her) Repentance. She looks tearfully behind her, awaiting shame-faced the approach of Truth. That was how Apelles translated his peril into paint."

Alberti: De Pictura (1435) (Source)
"For their own enjoyment artists should associate with poets and orators who have many embellishments in common with painters and who have a broad knowledge of many things whose greatest praise consists in the invention. A beautiful invention has such force, as will be seen, that even without painting it is pleasing in itself alone. Invention is praised when one reads the description of Calumny which Lucian recounts was painted by Apelles. I do not think it alien to our subject. I will narrate it here in order to point out to painters where they ought to be most aware and careful in their inventions. In this painting there was a man with very large ears. Near him, on either side, stood two women, one called Ignorance, the other Suspicion. Farther, on the other side, came Calumny, a woman who appeared most beautiful but seemed too rafty in the face. In her right hand she held a lighted torch, with the other hand she dragged by the hair a young man who held up his arms to heaven. There was also a man, pale, ugly, all filthy and with an iniquitous aspect, who could be compared to one who has become thin and feverish with long fatigues on the fields of battle; he was the guide of Calumny and was called Hatred. And there were two other women, serving women of Calumy who arranged her ornaments and robes. They were called Envy and Fraud. Behind these was Penitence, a woman dressed in funeral robes, who stood as if completely dejected. Behind her followed a young girl, shameful and modest, called Truth. If this story pleased as it was being told, think how much pleasure and delight there must have been in seeing it painted by the hand of Apelles.
I should like to see those three sisters to whom Hesiod gave the names of Alglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia, who were painted laughing and taking each other by the hand, with their clothes girdled and very clean. This symbolizes liberality, since one of these sisters gives, the other receives, the third returns the benefit; these degrees ought to be in all perfect liberality. How much praise similar inventions give to the artist should be clear. Therefore I advise that each painter should make himself familiar with poets, rhetoricians and others equally well learned in letters."

Alberti's Momus (description Sarah Knight)

Leon Battista Alberti wrote between 1443 - 1450 a very interesting book to Momus, a hardcore-satire of his time, based upon Lucian-motifs (which he likely learnt about in Ferrara- circle (where short before the first Tarot decks are noted) . The book didn't spread very far, as far we can judge it, only insiders did knew about it. Alberti wrote two other texts based on the Lucianic style, it's not too much to say, that Alberti was fond of Lucianic reading. When in 1470 Sweynheim and Pannartz in Rome made the first small Lucian edition, Alberti was in Rome and short before the end of his life (died 1472). It's likely, that Alberti gave some commentaries to this and talked about his early work, Rome was not a vey big city in comparition to modern dimensions, and likely the persons in the creative cycles knew each other. Contemporary to this are reports, which state, that Pope Paul II. (1464-1471) observed Trionfi-like carnival activities in Rome from the windows of his Palazzo (Momus was quickly connected to carnival, although we don't have a clear statement, that the figure "Momus" belonged to the customs in Rome).

[from the description of Alberti's 2nd book .. "After some adventures on earth Momus is back on Olymp and dining with Zeus] "Momus continues to recount his terrestrials adventures. Listing the different mortal jobs he tried - craftsman, soldier, king - he explains that nothing satisfied him until he discovered the career of the beggar. Momus argues that beggar have no business concerns, no troublesome political or social affilations , and no need for possessions; they lack all responsibility and can travel freely. Momus' ironic wit earns Jupiter's favor and as a result the other gods also start to cultivate Momus' friendship."

Compare: Alberti

Momus Iconography

In general Iconography it is stated, that the Momus iconography jumped between an old beggar-like representation and "young-fool-show". The second type "young fool" likely developed from his general involvement in carnival.