Book Title: D. Nicolao Simonellio picturae omniumq[ue] bonarum artium cultori eximio : genio tuo obsequor, gratiam quaero, Nicolae praestantissime eruditis oculis tuis admiranda Raphaelis Vrbinatis monumenta subijcio, tuoque nomini dico : dum enim ipsa, meis typis, eduntur, tu, qui pictorem principem, summo studio, prosequeris, dignus profecto es, qui eius quoque gloriae comes prodeas, et eniteas / deditissimus seruus Io. Iacobus de Rubeis ; Raphael Sanctio Vrbin. inu. ; Petrus Sanctus Bartol. dil. et sc.

Author: Raphael, 1483-1520

Image Title: Constantine

Description: The image on the left depicts Emperor Constantine, Pope Sylvester I and the apocryphal Donation of Constantine, an event refereed to first in the forged document "Constitutum domini Constantini imperatoris" supposedly giving the pope control of the imperial palace in Rome along with all the regions of the Western Empire. Likely from the 8th centuary, the documents authenticity had been called into question since 1001, it was proven to be false by Lorenzo Valla, an Italian Catholic priest and Renaissance humanist, in 1439-1440. The image on the right shows Constantine on his throne surrounded by people. The text below it gives reference to Zaleucas who in the opinion of Bartholomew(Ptolemy) of Lucca, in Aquinas' "Of the Government of Rulers", was both merciful and just. By Pietro Santi Bartoli (1635-1700) after Raphael (1483-1520), published by Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi (1627-1691). The text on the left reads "Donation of Constantine". The text on the right is a summation of a story about Zaleucas, a Greek lawgiver of Epizephyrian Locri, in Italy, who is said to have created the first written Greek law code, the Locrian Code. According to legends, he punished adultery with the forfeiture of sight. When his own son was condemned of this, he refused to exonerate him, instead submitting to the loss of one of his own eyes instead of exacting the full penalty of the culprit. This incident is recounted in Book 6, Chapter 5 of Memorable Deeds and Sayings by Valerius Maximus.

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