The Decameron

The Decameron

by

Giovanni Boccaccio

In Panfilo’s fifth tale (V, 1), Cimon is the son of Aristippus. Despite his noble birth, he’s uneducated, rude, and barely articulate. But, when he catches sight of the beautiful Iphigenia, he demonstrates the ennobling power of love and suddenly mends his ways, becoming an elegant, refined, and well-educated gentleman. Like a true fin’amors lover, his love inspires him to make himself into a better person, demonstrates his courage to Lysimachus, and gives him the strength and bravery to fight against Pasimondas to win Iphigenia as his bride, becoming an example of a happy lover.

Cimon Quotes in The Decameron

The The Decameron quotes below are all either spoken by Cimon or refer to Cimon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Love and Sex Theme Icon
).
Day 5: First Tale Quotes

On catching sight of this vision, Cimon stopped dead in his tracks, and […] began to stare at her, rapt in silent admiration, as though he had never before set eyes upon the female form. And deep within his uncouth breast, which despite a thousand promptings had remained closed to every vestige of refined sentiment, he sensed the awakening of a certain feeling which told his crude, uncultured mind that this girl was the loveliest object that any mortal being had ever seen […] Having suddenly been transformed from a country bumpkin into a connoisseur of beauty, he longed to be able to see her eyes, but they were closed in heavy slumber.

Related Characters: Panfilo (speaker), Cimon, Iphigenia
Page Number: 358
Explanation and Analysis:

Leaving the house full of blood, tumult, tears, and sadness, they made their way unimpeded to the ship, keeping close together and carrying their spoils before them. Having handed the ladies aboard, Cimon and Lysimachus followed with their comrades just as the shore began to fill with men who were coming to the rescue of the two ladies. But they plied their oars with a will, and made good their escape.

Related Characters: Panfilo (speaker), Cimon, Iphigenia, Pasimondas, Lysimachus, Ormisdas, Cassandra
Page Number: 378
Explanation and Analysis:
Day 6: Second Tale Quotes

I would assuredly curse Nature and Fortune alike, if I did not know for a fact that Nature is very discerning and that Fortune has a thousand eyes, even though fools represent her as blind. Indeed, it is my conviction that Nature and Fortune, being very shrewd, follow the practice so common among mortals, who, uncertain of what the future will bring, make provision for emergencies by burying their most precious possessions in the least imposing […] parts of their houses, whence they bring them forth in the hour of their greatest need […] In the same way, the two fair arbiters of the world’s affairs frequently hide their greatest treasure beneath the shadow of the humblest trades, so that when the need arises for it to be brought forth, its splendor will be all the more apparent.

Related Characters: Pampinea (speaker), Cimon, Cisti
Related Symbols: Fortune
Page Number: 448
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Decameron LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Decameron PDF

Cimon Quotes in The Decameron

The The Decameron quotes below are all either spoken by Cimon or refer to Cimon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Love and Sex Theme Icon
).
Day 5: First Tale Quotes

On catching sight of this vision, Cimon stopped dead in his tracks, and […] began to stare at her, rapt in silent admiration, as though he had never before set eyes upon the female form. And deep within his uncouth breast, which despite a thousand promptings had remained closed to every vestige of refined sentiment, he sensed the awakening of a certain feeling which told his crude, uncultured mind that this girl was the loveliest object that any mortal being had ever seen […] Having suddenly been transformed from a country bumpkin into a connoisseur of beauty, he longed to be able to see her eyes, but they were closed in heavy slumber.

Related Characters: Panfilo (speaker), Cimon, Iphigenia
Page Number: 358
Explanation and Analysis:

Leaving the house full of blood, tumult, tears, and sadness, they made their way unimpeded to the ship, keeping close together and carrying their spoils before them. Having handed the ladies aboard, Cimon and Lysimachus followed with their comrades just as the shore began to fill with men who were coming to the rescue of the two ladies. But they plied their oars with a will, and made good their escape.

Related Characters: Panfilo (speaker), Cimon, Iphigenia, Pasimondas, Lysimachus, Ormisdas, Cassandra
Page Number: 378
Explanation and Analysis:
Day 6: Second Tale Quotes

I would assuredly curse Nature and Fortune alike, if I did not know for a fact that Nature is very discerning and that Fortune has a thousand eyes, even though fools represent her as blind. Indeed, it is my conviction that Nature and Fortune, being very shrewd, follow the practice so common among mortals, who, uncertain of what the future will bring, make provision for emergencies by burying their most precious possessions in the least imposing […] parts of their houses, whence they bring them forth in the hour of their greatest need […] In the same way, the two fair arbiters of the world’s affairs frequently hide their greatest treasure beneath the shadow of the humblest trades, so that when the need arises for it to be brought forth, its splendor will be all the more apparent.

Related Characters: Pampinea (speaker), Cimon, Cisti
Related Symbols: Fortune
Page Number: 448
Explanation and Analysis: