Obscuris vera involvens
Encyclopedia
The phrase Obscuris vera involvens means Truth is enveloped by obscurity. It is from Virgil
's Aeneid
.
It is also found on an engraving on the title page of Francis Bacon's Wisdom of the Ancients (1641 French edition).
The phrase is inscribed on Athena
's shield and explains the imagery there: the sun (truth) enveloped in clouds (obscurity), but shining through.
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
's Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
.
It is also found on an engraving on the title page of Francis Bacon's Wisdom of the Ancients (1641 French edition).
The phrase is inscribed on Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
's shield and explains the imagery there: the sun (truth) enveloped in clouds (obscurity), but shining through.