Love in Action Mode: Pliny, Hist. Nat. VII.xxxvi.121

Love comes in many forms, and this description of pietas [duty towards those you love, including the gods] shows examples of love and duty towards one's parent, spouse, sibling, as well as people not defined as family members by society. 

Pietatis exempla infinita quidem toto orbe extitere, sed Romae unum cui comparari cuncta non possint. humilis in plebe et ideo ignobilis puerpera, supplicii causa carcere inclusa matre cum impetrasset aditum, a ianitore semper excussa ante ne quid inferret cibi, deprehensa est uberibus suis alens eam. quo miraculo matris salus donata filiae pietati est ambaeque perpetuis alimentis, et locus ille eidem consecratus deae, C. Quinctio M. Acilio coss. templo Pietatis extructo in illius carceris sede, ubi nunc Marcelli theatrum est.

Gracchorum pater anguibus prehensis in domo, cum responderetur ipsum victurum alterius sexus interempto: Immo vero, inquit, meum necate, Cornelia enim iuvenis est et parere adhuc potest. hoc erat uxori parcere et re publicae consulere; idque mox consecutum est. M. Lepidus Apuleiae uxoris caritate post repudium obiit. P. Rutilius morbo levi impeditus nunciata fratris repulsa in consulatus petitione ilico expiravit. P. Catienus Philotimus patronum adeo dilexit ut heres omnibus bonis institutus in rogum eius se iaceret.

--Pliny the Elder, Hist. Nat. VII.xxxvi.121-122

 

There are countless examples of love throughout the globe, but the rest cannot compare to what happened at Rome. There once was a poor plebeian woman who had recently given birth. She obtained a visit with her incarcerated mother. Even though she was always searched so that she wouldn’t give her mother any food, she was caught feeding her mother with her breastmilk. Because of this act of love, her mother was freed and both women were given state benefits for life. In 150 BCE [the year that C. Quinctius and M. Acilius were consuls], this location was then consecrated to the Goddess; the prison was torn down and a Temple of Piety was erected. [This is now where the Theater of Marcellus is located].

The father of the Gracchi brothers once caught two snakes inside his house*; when he was told that he would live if he killed the female snake, he replied, “No way! Kill mine, then. Cornelia is young and is still fertile.” What he meant was to spare his wife and respect the republic’s wishes; he soon perished.

M. Lepidus pined to death after divorcing his wife Apuleia.

When P. Rutilius was a bit sick and he found out that his brother lost the candidacy for consulship, he died of shock.

P. Catiennus Philotimus loved his patron so much that, even though he was the sole beneficiary of the man’s will, he tossed himself onto the man’s pyre.

* a pair of snakes is also seen in the myth of Tiresias, with a different meaning and outcome.

PLINY THE ELDER	MAP:
Name:  Gaius Plinius Secundus Date:  23 – 79 CE Works:  Naturalis Historia*	REGION  1
BIO:	Timeline:
Pliny was an Italian-born Roman statesman and author who lived during the reigns of the early Roman emperors. He spent most of his life in service of his country; he ultimately gave his life in arranging the evacuation of the regions devastated by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE. His work, the Natural History, is a 37-volume collection of art, history, and science of the ancient world.	GOLDEN AGE ROME

 

The Courage of Leaena: Pliny the Elder, Hist. Nat. VII.xxiii.87

 TRIGGER WARNING: Torture

Patientia corporis, ut est crebra sors calamitatum, innumera documenta peperit, clarissimum in feminis Leaenae meretricis, quae torta non indicavit Harmodium et Aristogitonem tyrannicidas, in viris Anaxarchi, qui simili de causa cum torqueretur praerosam dentibus linguam unam spem indici in tyranni os expuit.

--Pliny the Elder, Hist. Nat. VII.xxiii.87

There are countless examples of physical endurance; this occurs frequently in times of crisis. The most famous example of endurance in women is Leaena the courtesan, who while being tortured, did not betray the tyrant-slaying Harmodius & Aristogiton. The best example for men is Anaxarchus, who in a similar situation bit off his own tongue and spit it into the tyrant’s face in order to not confess under torture.

PLINY THE ELDER

MAP:

Name:  Gaius Plinius Secundus

Date:  23 – 79 CE

Works:  Naturalis Historia*

 

REGION  1

BIO:

Timeline:

 Pliny was an Italian-born Roman statesman and author who lived during the reigns of the early Roman emperors. He spent most of his life in service of his country; he ultimately gave his life in arranging the evacuation of the regions devastated by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE. His work, the Natural History, is a 37-volume collection of art, history, and science of the ancient world.

 GOLDEN AGE ROME

From Bride to Groom: Tales from Pliny the Elder, Hist. Nat. VII.iv.36

 Trigger Warning: child exposure

Ex feminis mutari in mares non est fabulosum. Inveniemus in annalibus P. Licinio Crasso C. Cassio Longino coss. Casini puerum factum ex virgine sub parentibus, iussuque harispicium deportatum in insulam desertam. Licinius Mucianus prodidit visum a se Argis Arescontem, cui nomen Arescusae fuisset, nupsisse etiam, mox barbaram et virilitatem provenisse uxoremque duxisse; eiusdem sortis et Zmyrnae puerum a se visum. Ipse in Africa vidi mutatum in marem nuptiarum die L. Constitium civem Thysdriatanum...

--Pliny the Elder, Hist. Nat. VII.iv.36

It’s not impossible for women to turn into men. For I’ve found in historical records that in 171 BCE [the year that P. Licinius Crassus and C. Cassius Longinus were consuls], a girl turned into a boy while still living at home,* and was abandoned on a deserted island due to religious observances. Licinius Mucianus reports that he saw in Argos a man named Arescon, who used to be Arescusa: she was already living as someone’s wife, but when he grew a beard and underwent manly puberty, he married a wife of his own. He also saw the same thing happen to a boy in Smyrna. When I was in Africa, I saw with my own eyes someone who transformed on their wedding day, when they should have married L. Constitius (a citizen of Thysdrus).

* before eligible for marriage, an indication of the child's age

PLINY THE ELDER

MAP:

Name:  Gaius Plinius Secundus

Date:  23 – 79 CE

Works:  Naturalis Historia*

 

REGION  1

BIO:

Timeline:

 Pliny was an Italian-born Roman statesman and author who lived during the reigns of the early Roman emperors. He spent most of his life in service of his country; he ultimately gave his life in arranging the evacuation of the regions devastated by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE. His work, the Natural History, is a 37-volume collection of art, history, and science of the ancient world.

 GOLDEN AGE ROME

Luxorius XII: Gender Roles of Eunuchs

The role of the eunuch (spado) in Roman society was a complicated one; in this poem of Luxorius, we see that eunuchs were bound by strict gender roles. As usual, the poet's tone is critical, but not violent; he is following the same biting style of his predecessors Catullus and Martial.

Rutilo decens capillo

roseoque crine ephebus

spado regius mitellam

capiti suo locavit;

proprii memor pudoris,

bene conscius quid esset

posuit cogente nullo

fuerat minus quod illi.

--Luxorius XII

A young royal eunuch

Dolled up with his golden curls

With roses braided in his hair

Put a headdress* on his head.

Knowing full well that he shouldn’t,

He *knew* what he was doing,

And nobody forced him to wear it,

And he was made worse for it.

LUXORIUS	MAP:
Name:  Luxorius Date:  6th c. CE Works:  <Poems>	REGION  3
BIO:	Timeline:
Little is known about the life of the Roman poet Luxorius except that he lived in Carthage (modern Tunisia, northern Africa) and that his poetry was popular in the court of the Vandal kings. His poetry provides us with rare insight into the changing customs as the Roman Empire transitioned from a polytheistic to a monotheistic society.	BYZANTINE / LATE LATIN

M/M: A "Tiro" for his own, Pliny, Epist. VII.4.6

Trigger Warning: The relationship between Cicero and Tiro is a complex one. Tiro was originally Cicero's slave, then Cicero's freedman; at death, he became the publisher of Cicero's writings.  Although modern readers would not glamorize or romanticize this relationship due to the power imbalance, the Roman author Pliny idealizes and idolizes the pair. 

Cum libros Galli legerem, quibus ille parenti

ausus de Cicerone dare est palmamque decusque,

lascivum inveni lusum Ciceronis et illo

spectandum ingenio, quo seria condidit et quo

humanis salibus multo varioque lepore

magnorum ostendit mentes gaudere virorum.

Nam queritur quod fraude mala frustratus amantem

paucula cenato sibi debita savia Tiro

tempore nocturno subtraxerit. His ego lectis

'cur post haec' inquam 'nostros celamus amores

nullumque in medium timidi damus atque fatemur

Tironisque dolos, Tironis nosse fugaces

blanditias et furta novas addentia flammas?'

--Pliny the Younger, Epistles VII.4.6

While reading the works of Gallus,

a man who dared to give glory & praise

To his parent over Cicero,

I found a flirty little ditty of Cicero’s

which reflects the man’s talent

that he had also used to compose serious matters;

this example shows that the minds of great men

rejoice in human wit of many types & genres.

For Cicero complained that Tiro had deceived his lover in an evil deceit,

By leaving dinner at the end of the night

Without his usual kiss.

Reading this, I asked myself,

“Why do I hide my love [amores]*,

Why do I wholly give myself over to fear,

Why don’t I confess that I know my Tiro’s games,

That I know my Tiro’s coy affection,

that my Tiro’s withheld kisses add new flames to my heart?"

* amores in the plural can mean "relationship," "lover," or "love"

PLINY THE YOUNGER

MAP:

Name: Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus  

Date:  61 BCE – 113 CE

Works:  Letters

 

REGION  1

BIO:

Timeline:

 Pliny the Younger was an Italian born noble and nephew of the famous natural historian Pliny the Elder. He is best known for publishing his private correspondence, in which he flouts his connections with other illustrious Romans (including the Emperor Trajan and the author Tacitus). Two of the most famous examples of these are his “eyewitness” account of the explosion of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE and his letter to the emperor Trajan regarding the treatment of Christians.

 SILVER AGE LATIN

M/M: Money Can't Buy You Love: Luxorius XXXV.1-4

 Although the poet Luxorius is homophobic, transphobic, and xenophobic, his poetry provides great insight into society in 6th century Roman Carthage. Despite the poet's disapproval of the addressee's lifestyle [the last two lines of the poem are offensive and not published here], the fact remains that this poem preserves evidence that same-sex couples continued to live openly in a Christianized Roman society.

Divitias grandesque epulas et munera multa,

quod proavi atque atavi quodque reliquit avus

des licet in cunctos et spargas, Becca, maritos;

plus tamen ille capit cui dare saepe cupis.

--Luxorius XXXV.1-4

The wealth

that your ancestors left for your great-grandfather,

that your great-grandfather left for your grandfather,

that your grandfather left for you,

you’re squandering it all away with lavish banquets and luxurious gifts

to all your "husbands" [maritos], Becca;

the one you’re accustomed to give money to

always just wants more.

LUXORIUS	MAP:
Name:  Luxorius Date:  6th c. CE Works:  <Poems>	REGION  3
BIO:	Timeline:
Little is known about the life of the Roman poet Luxorius except that he lived in Carthage (modern Tunisia, northern Africa) and that his poetry was popular in the court of the Vandal kings. His poetry provides us with rare insight into the changing customs as the Roman Empire transitioned from a polytheistic to a monotheistic society.	BYZANTINE / LATE LATIN

A Lover's Words: Catullus 70 & Callimachus 5.6.1-4

Although Callimachus uses this literary trope for lovers of any gender, Catullus uses this trope specifically against his lady (mulier, sometimes identified as Lesbia).

Callimachus, Greek Anthology V.6.1-4 (Translated into Latin by Friedrich Duebner):

Iuravit Callignotus Ionidi, numquam se illa

habiturum-esse amicum potiorem neque amicam.

Iuravit: sed vere dicunt, amantium iuramenta

non penetrare in aures immortalium.

ὤμοσε Καλλίγνωτος Ἰωνίδι, μήποτε κείνης

ἕξειν μήτε φίλον κρέσσονα μήτε φίλην.

ὤμοσεν: ἀλλὰ λέγουσιν ἀληθέα, τοὺς ἐν ἔρωτι

ὅρκους.μὴ δύνειν οὔατ᾽ ἐς ἀθανάτων.

Callignotus swore to Ionis

That no one—man or woman—would be dearer to him than her.

He swears this, but what they say is true:

The oaths of a lover never reach the immortal gods.

vs. Catullus 70:

Nulli se dicit mulier mea nubere malle

quam mihi, non si se Iuppiter ipse petat.

dicit: sed mulier cupido quod dicit amanti,

in vento et rapida scribere oportet aqua.

My lady says that she’d rather marry no one but me,

Not even if Jupiter himself asked her.

So she says: but what a woman tells a desirous lover

Should be written on the wind and rushing water.

CALLIMACHUS / Καλλίμαχος	MAP:
Name:  Callimachus Date:  305 – 240 BCE Works:  Aitia (Causes)               Hymns              Pinakes (Table of Contents)	REGION  3 / 4
BIO:	Timeline:
Callimachus is often regarded as one of the best Alexandrian [Greek] poets. Born in raised in Cyrene, Libya, he spent a majority of his career at the famous Library of Alexandria, where he used the resources there to create refined, artful poetry. Although much of his poetry is lost, the fragments that remain are a testament to both his talent as an artist and his erudition as a scholar.	HELLENISTIC AGE

<Anonymous>	MAP:
Name:  ???? Date:  Works:  Greek Anthology; Anthologia Graeca; Florilegii Graecii	REGION  UNKNOWN
BIO:	Timeline:
The Greek Anthology is a modern collection of Greek lyric poetry compiled from various sources over the course of Greco-Roman literature. The current collection was created from two major sources, one from the 10th century CE and one from the 14th century CE. The anthology contains authors spanning the entirety of Greek literature, from archaic poets to Byzantine Christian poets.	Byzantine Greek

CATULLUS	MAP:
Name:  Gaius Valerius Catullus Date:  84 – 54 BCE Works:  Poems	REGION  1
BIO:	Timeline:
Catullus was a Roman statesman born in Verona  (Cisalpine Gaul, located in northern Italy) who lived during the tumultuous last days of the Roman Republic.  His poetry offers rare insight into the mores of the time period. Like Propertius and Tibullus, Catullus used a pseudonym for the objects of his attention; many of his love poems were addressed to either “Lesbia” or “Juventius.”	GOLDEN AGE

Phaedra's Plan to "Convert" Asexual Hippolytus, Seneca, Phaedra 225-273

 Trigger Warning: "conversion" attempt; homophobia, self harm, suicide,

Unlike its predecessor by Euripides [Hippolytus], Seneca's version of the Hippolytus myth uses Phaedra as the protagonist. In this version, Hippolytus' behavior stems from misogyny, not asexuality, in order to amplify the reader's sympathy for Phaedra. In this passage, the desperate Phaedra is convinced that she can "cure" Hippolytus of his chastity with her love.

Ph. Veniam ille amori forsitan nostro dabit.                    

Nvt. Immitis etiam coniugi castae fuit:

experta saevam est barbara Antiope manum.

sed posse flecti coniugem iratum puta:

quis huius animum flectet intractabilem?

exosus omne feminae nomen fugit,                    

immitis annos caelibi vitae dicat,

conubia vitat: genus Amazonium scias.

Ph. Hunc in nivosi collis haerentem iugis,

et aspera agili saxa calcantem pede

sequi per alta nemora, per montes placet.                    

Nvt. Resistet ille seque mulcendum dabit

castosque ritus Venere non casta exuet?

tibi ponet odium, cuius odio forsitan

persequitur omnes? Ph. Precibus haud vinci potest?

Nvt. Ferus est. Ph. Amore didicimus vinci feros.                    

Nvt. Fugiet. Ph. Per ipsa maria si fugiat, sequar.

Nvt. Patris memento. Ph. Meminimus matris simul.

Nvt. Genus omne profugit. Ph. Paelicis careo metu.

Nvt. Aderit maritus. Ph. Nempe Pirithoi comes?

Nvt. Aderitque genitor. Ph. Mitis Ariadnae pater.                    

Nvt. Per has senectae splendidas supplex comas

fessumque curis pectus et cara ubera

precor, furorem siste teque ipsa adiuva:

pars sanitatis velle sanari fuit.

Ph. Non omnis animo cessit ingenuo pudor.                    

paremus, altrix. qui regi non vult amor,

vincatur. haud te, fama, maculari sinam.

haec sola ratio est, unicum effugium mali:

virum sequamur, morte praevertam nefas.

Nvt. Moderare, alumna, mentis effrenae impetus,                    

animos coerce. dignam ob hoc vita reor

quod esse temet autumas dignam nece.

Ph. Decreta mors est: quaeritur fati genus.

laqueone vitam finiam an ferro incubem?

an missa praeceps arce Palladia cadam?                   

Nvt. Sic te senectus nostra praecipiti sinat                    

perire leto? siste furibundum impetum.

[haud quisquam ad vitam facile revocari potest]

Ph. Prohibere nulla ratio periturum potest,                    

ubi qui mori constituit et debet mori.

proin castitatis vindicem armemus manum.                    

Nvt. Solamen annis unicum fessis, era,                    

si tam protervus incubat menti furor,

contemne famam: fama vix vero favet,

peius merenti melior et peior bono.                    

temptemus animum tristem et intractabilem.

meus iste labor est aggredi iuvenem ferum

mentemque saevam flectere immitis viri.

--Seneca the Younger, Phaedra 225 - 273

Phaedra: Perhaps [Theseus] will take mercy on my love!

Nurse: Your husband shows no mercy to even his chaste wife!

The foreigner Antiope [1] was no stranger to his violence.

But even if your wrathful husband can be convinced,

Who can change Hippolytus’ steadfast mind?

He hates the name of woman, avoids them,

Rigidly declares he’ll live a life of celibacy,

He spurns marriage: you know how Amazons are.

Phaedra: But I want to follow him

Through deep groves, through mountains,

As he wanders the snowy mountain tops,

And as he treads through rough places with on foot.

Nurse: You think he’ll change for you?

You think he will give himself to your charms,

And exchange his chaste lifestyle for an unchaste affair?

You think that he’ll put aside his hatred for you,

When you might be the reason

He hates all womankind?

Phaedra: So he can’t be overpowered by my begging?

Nurse: He’s untamed.

Phaedra: But I’ve learned that the untamed can be tamed with love.

Nurse: He’ll run away.

Phaedra: Even if he should escape over the oceans, I would follow him.

Nurse: Remember who his father is.

Phaedra: I also remember who my mother is [2].

Nurse: He isn’t attracted to women.

Phaedra: Cool, so I won’t need to get jealous about another girl.

Nurse: Your husband will come home soon.

Phaedra: Oh, you mean Pirithous’ “friend”? [3]

Nurse: …as well as your father.

Phaedra: So what? My father forgave Ariadne.

Nurse: I beg you, by my gray hair,

By my heart worn out by worry,

By my bosom that has nursed you,

Please, let this madness go,

Please, help yourself!

You have to want to be healed in order to heal.

Phaedra: My noble heart is not yet cowed by shame.

I’ll obey, nurse. Let the love which did not want to be controlled

Be overpowered. I won’t let my reputation be ruined.

This alone is my reason, this alone will keep me from evil:

I’ll follow my husband in death,

I’ll avoid this crime by dying.

Nurse: Whoa, there, darling, hold your horses on those untamed thoughts,

Calm down.

I reckon that you are worthy of living *because* of this:

Because you assert that you need to die.

Phaedra: I’ve decided on death: I just need to choose how.

Should I end my life with a noose or with a blade?

Or should I toss myself off of the Athenian citadel?

Nurse: You think I, in my old age, would allow you to die an unnatural death?

Stop this madness! You can’t just easily return to life.

Phaedra: You can’t stop a person who has made up their mind to die,

When someone has decided to die,

When someone *must* die.

So let me arm myself and defend my chastity.

Nurse: Lady, my only joy in my old age,

If this madness has really overwhelmed you,

Then stop worrying about your reputation:

Rumor rarely supports truth,

It favors those who deserve bad things,

And treats poorly those who deserve good things.

So, let’s try to change Hippolytus’ somber and stubborn ways:

I will approach the wild youth, and try to change his hard-hearted mind.

[1] Antiope: Theseus captured an Amazon [either named Hippolyta or Antiope] and she bore him Hippolytus. In some versions of this myth, Theseus slays her in anger; in other versions of the myth, she dies defending Athens when it is besieged by Amazons seeking revenge for her capture.

[2] Pasiphae: Phaedra's mother Pasiphae was the mother of the minotaur

[3] Pirithous: in many accounts, Theseus and Pirithous are lovers

SENECA THE YOUNGER	MAP:
Name:  Lucius Annaeus Seneca Date:  4 BCE – 65 CE Works:  Epistulae Morales*                De Clementia                Phaedra, etc.	REGION  2
BIO:	Timeline:
Originally from Corduba, Hispania, Seneca the Younger was a Roman statesman with a tumultuous career. First exiled to the island of Corsica by the emperor Claudius, he was later recalled and became the emperor Nero’s mentor and tutor. Seneca wrote prolifically in several genres, including Stoic philosophy and Roman tragedies. He was ultimately put to death by the emperor Nero for his participation in the Pisonian Conspiracy of 65 CE.	SILVER AGE LATIN

Thalestris, the Amazon Queen: Curtius Rufus, Hist. Alex. Magn. VI.v.24-32

Trigger Warning: This passage provides an example of xenophobia and misogyny, as historical Amazons here are glamorized and sexualized by the author's deliberate digression into their "lurid" habits. 

Erat, ut supra dictum est, Hyrcaniae finitima gens Amazonum, circa Thermodonta amnem Themiscyrae incolentium campos. Reginam habebant Thalestrin, omnibus inter Caucasum montem et Phasin amnem imperitantem. Haec cupidine visendi regis accensa finibus regni sui excessit et, cum haud procul abesset, praemisit indicantes venisse reginam adeundi eius cognoscendique avidam. Protinus facta potestate veniendi, ceteris iussis subsistere trecentis feminarum comitata processit, atque, ut primum rex in conspectu fuit, equo ipsa desiluit duas lanceas dextera praeferens. Vestis non toto Amazonum corpori obducitur: nam laeva pars ad pectus est nuda, cetera deinde velantur. Nec tamen sinus vestis, quem nodo colligunt, infra genua descendit. Altera papilla intacta servatur, qua muliebris sexus liberos alant: aduritur dextera, ut arcus facilius intendant et tela vibrent. Interrito vultu regem Thalestris invebatur, habitum eius haudquaquam rerum famae parem oculis perlustrans: quippe omnibus Barbaris in corporum maiestate veneratio est, magnorumque operum non alios capaces putant quam quos eximia specie donare natura dignata est. Ceterum interrogata num aliquid petere vellet, haud dubitavit fateri ad communicandos cum rege liberos se venisse, dignam, ex qua ipse regni generaret heredes; feminini sexus se retenturam, marem reddituram patri. Alexander, an cum ipso militare vellet, interrogat: et illa causata sine custode regnum reliquisse petere perseverabat ne se inritam spei pateretur abire. Acrior ad venerem feminae cupido quam regis; ac, ut paucos dies subsisteret, perpulit: XIII dies in obsequium desiderii eius absumpti sunt. Tum illa regnum suum, rex Parthienen petiverunt.

 --Quintus Curtius Rufus, Historia Alexandri Magni, VI.iv.24-32

As I mentioned earlier, there was a race of Amazons that neighbored Hyrcania; their territory lay on the plains surrounding the Thermodon River. Their queen was Thalestris, who ruled over everyone from the Caucasus mountains to the Phasis River. The queen, burning with a desire to see King Alexander, left her kingdom; when she was not too far from his camp, she sent ambassadors to let him know that she was coming and wanted to meet him. 

When she was granted a meeting, Thalestris sent away the remainder of her retinue except for a body guard of three hundred women. She trotted up to the king, and leapt down from her horse, carrying two lances in her right hand.

Amazons do not go about fully clothed. Their left side remains bare, including their breast, but they cover up the rest of their body. The rest of their outfit (which they tie up in a knot) does not cover their knees. They keep their left breast intact so they can nurse their daughters, but they burn off their right breasts, so that they can more easily draw their bows and shoot their spears.

Thalestris greeted Alexander with a scowl, for his looks did not live up to his royal status. (As you know, all barbarians venerate the majesty of royal bodies, and consider other bodies not as worthy of great deeds as the body of kings).

When asked what she wanted, Thalestris immediately confessed that she wanted to create children with the king, stating that she was worthy to create his heirs; if she bore a daughter, she would keep it; if she bore a son, she would return it to him. Then Alexander asked her if she wished to go on campaign with him; she replied that she could not leave her kingdom without a ruler, but instead insisted that she not leave with her request unfulfilled.  The queen’s desire for love overrode the king’s [desire for a military ally]; and so he tarried with her for a few days. They spent thirteen days together fulfilling the queen’s request. Then the queen returned home, and the king returned to Parthia.

QUINTUS CURTIUS RUFUS	MAP:
Name:  Quintus Curtius Rufus Date:  1st c. CE Works:  History of Alexander the Great	REGION  UNKNOWN
BIO:	Timeline:
Quintus Curtius Rufus was a Roman statesman and author who lived during the reign of the Julio-Claudian emperors. Although much of his work is lost, the remaining fragments of his History of Alexander the Great provide insight into the life of the great hero.	GOLDEN AGE ROME