Pan, a warrior and a triton

Engraving, part of a set of 12 mythological scenes, created by Etienne Delaune in Strasbourg in 1573. Each scene is presented inside an oval frame made up of two thin ovals, which contains an inscription for the scene. In the center of the frame is a satyr, a knee on the ground, playing a horn; to his right a sitting warrior, blowing a trumpet, and to his left, in the sea (seen in the background), a triton blowing a seashell. On the first plane of the scene, in front of the three characters, are a ram and a goat, a sheep herd, and a sleeping dog.



The inscription surrounding the illustration consists of a sort of eulogy to courage and tenacity, which overcome difficulties, symbolizing the triumph of virtue over vice. The image, however, is not as easily interpreted: the three characters might illustrate three different forms of human 'energy': the warrior symbolizing human forces, the satyre symbolizing the terrestrial forces, and the triton symbolizing the marine forces. When reconciled, these three forms of energy celebrate virtue. The sheep herd could represent peace, the goat and ram audacity, and the dog vigilance.