Alciato's Book of Emblems

Emblem 159

The inheritance of a rich man

On one side, the Trojans seize Patroclus in his borrowed armour; on the other, his allies and the whole Pelasgian host oppose the action. Hector gets possession of his arms, the Greeks his body. This drama is played out whenever a rich man dies. A grand dispute arises, but at length the heir settles the matter, allowing something to the ravens and the vultures.