Saving the Life of a Friend: David & Jonathan, 1 Samuel 20

 Content Warning: domestic violence, slavery

1. Fugit autem David de Nahioth quae erat in Rama veniensque locutus est coram Jonathan quid feci quae est iniquitas mea et quod peccatum meum in patrem tuum quia quaerit animam meam?

 

David fled from Nahioth (a region which is in Rama). He came to Jonathan and said, "What have I done wrong? What wrong have I committed against your father that he is trying to kill me?"

2. qui dixit ei absit non morieris neque enim faciet pater meus quicquam grande vel parvum nisi prius indicaverit mihi hunc ergo celavit me pater meus sermonem tantummodo nequaquam erit istud

 

And Jonathan said to David: "No--you will not die. My father won't do anything, large or small, without telling me first. Has my father then hidden this plan from me? No, it cannot be."

 

3. et iuravit rursum David et ille ait scit profecto pater tuus quia inveni gratiam in oculis tuis et dicet nesciat hoc Jonathan ne forte tristetur quinimmo vivit Dominus et vivit anima tua quia uno tantum ut ita dicam gradu ego morsque dividimur

 

And once again Jonathan swore an oath to David. And David said "Well, of course your father knows that you look upon me fondly, and he will say, 'Let's keep Jonathan in the dark about this so he won't be upset.' But surely as the Lord lives, and as surely as your soul lives, I tell you what, there is only one step between me and death."

 

4. et ait Jonathan ad David quodcumque dixerit mihi anima tua faciam tibi

And Jonathan said to David, "Whatever your soul asks of me,  I will provide."

 

5. dixit autem David at Jonathan ecce kalendae sunt crastino et ego ex more sedere soleo iuxta regem ad vescendum dimitte ergo me ut abscondar in agro usque ad vesperam diei tertiae

David told Jonathan, "Look, tomorrow is the first of the month, and I usually sit beside the king at dinner (as royal custom dictates). Let me go and instead I'm going to hide in the countryside until the evening of the third day.”

 

6. si requisierit me pater tuus respondebis ei rogavit me David ut iret celeriter in Bethleem civitatem suam quia victimae sollemnes ibi sunt universis contribulibus eius

 

“If your father asks where I am, tell him that I asked you to go to my hometown Bethlehem for religious reasons.

 

7. Si dixerit bene pax erit servo tuo si autem fuerit iratus scito quia conpleta est malitia eius

...If he is okay with it, I'm safe, but if he's angry about it, then you’ll know the extent of his ill will towards me.

 

8. Fac ergo misericordiam in servum tuum quia foedus Domini me famulum tuum tecum inire fecisti si autem est in me aliqua iniquitas tu me interfice et ad patrem tuum ne introducas me

"…Have mercy upon me, your servant, for you have entered a covenant of the Lord with me. If, however, I have done any wrong, then kill me instead of bringing me to your father."

 

9. et ait Jonathan absit hoc a te neque enim fieri potest ut si certo cognovero conpletam patris mei esse malitiam contra te non adnuntiem tibi.

And Jonathan replied, "Of course you haven't done me any wrong. If I find out that my father is plotting evil against you, of course I'll tell you."

10. responditque David ad Jonathan quis nuntiabit mihi si quid forte responderit tibi pater tuus dure

David asked Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father makes threats against me?"

11. et ait Jonathan ad David veni egrediamur in agrum cumque exissent ambo in agrum

And Jonathan told David,  "Come on, let's go to the countryside." And when they both went to the countryside...

12. ait Jonathan ad David Domine Deus Israhel si investigavero sententiam patris mei crastino vel perendie et aliquid boni fuerit super David et non statim misero ad te et notum tibi fecero

Jonathan told David, "I swear to God, if I figure out what my father has planned, either tomorrow, or the next day,  and if he has good intentions for David, but I don't immediately send for you and let you know,  

13. haec faciat Dominus Jonathan et haec augeat si autem perseveraverit patris mei malitia adversum te revelabo aurem tuam et dimittam te ut vadas in pace et sit Dominus tecum sicut fuit cum patre meo

"...then let the Lord curse Jonathan, and even worse! But if my father's malice against you continues, I will tell you, and I will send you away in peace. And the Lord may be with you as He has been with my father.

14. et si vixero facies mihi misericordiam Domini si vero mortuus fuero

"...and if I live, may the Lord have mercy upon me, but if I die, ...

15. non auferas misericordiam tuam a domo mea usque in sempiternum quando eradicaverit Dominus inimicos David ununquemque de terra

"May the Lord not take away His mercy from my house forever, just as the Lord has obliterated the enemies of David from the face of the earth.

16. pepigit ergo foedus Jonathan cum domo David et requisivit Dominus de manu inimicorum David

And so Jonathan made an oath with the house of David,  and the Lord fulfilled it against the hands of the enemies of David 

17. et addidit Jonathan deierare David eo quod diligeret illum sicut animam enim suam ita diligebat eum

And Jonathan renewed his oath to David, for he cherished him as much as he did for his own soul

18. dixitque ad eum Jonathan cras kalendae sunt et requireris

Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the first of the month, and your absence will be noticed.

19. requiretur enim sessio tua usque perendie descendes ergo festinus et venies in locum ubi celandus es in die qua operari licet et sedebis iuxta lapidem cui est nomen Ezel

You need to be absent before tomorrow. So leave quickly to your hiding spot. On the very next workday, settle down by the rock called Ezel

20. et ego tres sagittas mittam iuxta eum et iaciam quasi exercens me ad signum

"...and I will shoot three arrows next to it, pretending to use the rock as target practice…

21. mittam quoque et puerum dicens ei vade et adfer mihi sagittas

“…I will send a slave to fetch the arrows back.

22. si dixero puero ecce sagittae intra te sunt tolle eas tu veni ad me quia pax tibi est et mihil est mali vivit Dominus si autem sic locutus fuero puero ecce sagittae ultra te sunt vade quia dimisit te Dominus

If I tell the slave, 'Hey, the arrows are close to you,' then pick them up and approach me, for you're safe and there is no plot against you (as the Lord lives). But if I tell the slave,  'hey, the arrows are far away,' then run for your life, for the Lord has sent you from this place.

23. de verbo autem quod locuti fuimus ego et tu sit Dominus inter me et te usque in sempiternum

"...Regarding the oath we spoke together, may the Lord be beside you and me forever & always."

24. absconditus est ergo David in agro et venerunt kalendae et sedit rex ad comedendum panem

So David hid in the countryside, and the first of the month came, and King Saul sat down for the feast…

25. cumque sedisset rex super cathedram suam secundum consuetudinem quae erat iuxta parietem surrexit Jonathan et sedit Abner ex latere Saul vacuusque apparuit locus David

And when King Saul sat down on his throne by the wall (as was his custom), Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down beside the king, and David's spot was empty.

26. et non est locutus Saul quicquam in die illa cogitabat enim quod forte evenisset ei ut non esset mundus nec purificatus

And Saul didn't say anything, for he thought something might have happened to David, that he was impure or needed a purification ritual.

27. cumque inluxisset dies secunda post kalendas rursum vacuus apparuit locus David dixitque Saul ad Jonathan filium suum cur non venit filius Isai nec heri nec hodie ad vescendum

And on the next day,  when David was still missing, Saul asked Jonathan why David, the son of Isai was absent for dinner both yesterday and today .

28. et respondit Jonathan Suli rogavit me obnixe ut iret in Bethleem

And Jonathan replied to Saul, "He asked me to leave for Bethlehem.

29. et ait dimitte me quoniam sacrificium sollemne est in civitate unus de fratribus meis accersivit me nunc ergo si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis vadam cito et videbo fratres meos ob hanc causam non venit ad mensam regis.

"...and he told me, 'Please let me go, for there is a holy sacrifice ritual in my hometown. One of my brothers has come and invited me to it. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me go quickly and visit my brothers.' And that's the reason why he's not at the royal feast.”

30. iratus autem Saul adversus Jonathan dixit ei fili mulieris virum ultro rapientis numquid ignoro quia diligis filium Isai in confusionem tuam et in confusionem ignominiosae matris tuae

Saul was angry, and lashed out against Jonathan.  He said, "Son of a rapist mother, you think I don't know that you love David to the point of shamefulness, and to the point of your mother's shame?

31. omnibus enim diebus quibus filius Isai vixerit super terram non stabilieris tu neque regnum tuum itaque iam nunc mitte et adduc eum ad me quia filius mortis est

"...For as long as the son of Isai [David] lives on the earth, your life will not be set firm, nor will your kingdom. So go fetch him, for he is the son of death." 

32. respondens autem Jonathan Sauli patri suo ait quare moritur quid fecit

Jonathan replied to his father Saul, "Why should he die? What has he done?"

33. et arripuit Saul lanceam ut percuteret eum et intellexit Jonathan quod definitum esset patri suo ut interficeret David

And Saul snatched up a spear to strike him down, and Jonathan realized that his father had his heart set on killing David.

34. surrexit ergo Jonathan a mensa in ira furoris et non comedit in die kalendarum secunda panem contristatus est enim super David eo quod confudisset eum pater suus.

Jonathan got up and angrily left the table. He did not eat bread on the second day of the month, worried for David and upset because of his father[‘s actions].

35. cumque inluxisset mane venit Jonathan in agrum iuxta placitum David et puer parvulus cum eo

The next day, Jonathan went out to the countryside in the spot he and David had agreed to meet.  He brought a young slave boy with him.

36. et ait ad puerum suum vade et adfer mihi sagittas quas ego iacio cumque puer cucurrisset iecit aliam sagittam trans puerum

And he told the slave, "Go and fetch  my arrows as I shoot them.' As the boy ran, the shot an arrow past the boy.

37. venit itaque puer ad locum iaculi quod miserat Jonathan et clamavit Jonathan post tergum pueri et ait ecce ibi est sagitta porro ultra te

The boy came to the place where Jonathan shot the arrow and Jonathan shouted to the boy, "Hey, the arrow is past you!"

38. clamavit Jonathan post tergum pueri festina velociter ne steteris collegit autem puer Jonathae sagittas et adtulit ad dominum suum

Jonathan shouted out to the boy, 'Hurry up, don't just wait around!" The slave collected Jonathan's arrows and brought them back to his master.

39. et quid ageretur penitus ignorabat tantummodo enim Jonathan et David rem noverant

The slave didn't know the meaning of this; only Jonathan and David knew the secret message .

40. dedit igitur Jonathan arma sua puero et dixit ei vade defer in civitatem

Jonathan gave his armor to the slave, and told him to bring them back to the city.

41. cumque abisset puer surrexit David de loco qui vergebat ad austrum et cadens pronus in terram adoravit tertio et osculanted alterutrum fleverunt pariter David autem amplius

When the slave was gone, David left his hiding place (which was to the south), and falling on the ground, he knelt at Jonathan's feet three times. Both kissed one another and wept. But David wept more.

42. dixit ergo Jonathan ad David vade in pace quaecumque iuravimus ambo in nomine Domine dicentes Dominus sit inter me et te et inter semen meum et semen tuum usque in sempiternum.

Jonathan told David, "Go in peace. Let our covenant which we swore in the name of the Lord between you and me remain for us and our descendants forever."

43. et surrexit et abiit sed et Jonathan ingressus est civitatem

And David got up and left. And Jonathan returned to the city.

--1  Samuel 20:1-43

Avis Resurgens: Fabula de Caeneo

 Avis Resurgens: Fabula de Caeneo is a 250-word first person short story in Latin on the life and adventures of the trans warrior Caeneus.  The PDF is formatted into booklet form using only two printed pages, and it is intended as a supplemental reading for a level 2 Latin class. It is a story of triumph and trans joy, written in the attempt to not only address LGBTQIA+ erasure from Classical mythology in modern classrooms, but to also reinforce that trans stories--just like our trans students--belong in our classroom.

Found Family: David & Jonathan, part 1 [1 Samuel 18:1-6]

The exchange of clothing between Jonathan and David is similar to the Greek custom of xenia, in which gifts are exchanged to solidify a bond of guest-friendship.  Note that men across multiple cultures in the ancient world often had deep, loving and affectionate friendships with their peers. There was no shame or stigma in expressing love and support to one another. 

 

et factum est cum conplesset loqui ad Saul 

anima Ionathan conligata est animae David 

et dilexit eum Ionathan quasi animam suam

 tulitque eum Saul in die illa 

et non concessit ei ut reverteretur in domum patris sui 

inierunt autem Ionathan et David foedus 

diligebat enim eum quasi animam suam 

nam expoliavit se Ionathan tunicam qua erat vestitus et dedit eam David 

et reliqua vestimenta sua usque ad gladium et arcum suum et usque ad balteum

egrediebatur quoque David ad omnia quaecumque misisset eum Saul 

et prudenter se agebat 

posuitque eum Saul super viros belli et 

acceptus erat in oculis universi populi maximeque in conspectu famulorum Saul.

--1 Samuel 19:1-6

And it happened that when David had finished speaking with King Saul, Jonathan’s soul united with the soul of David, and Jonathan cherished him as if he were his own soul. On that day, King Saul took in David and did not allow him to return to his father’s household. Jonathan and David entered into a bond, for he loved him as if he were his own soul. And Jonathan took off his own shirt he was wearing and gave it to David, and clothed him in his own clothes, even his own sword and bow and war belt. And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and David performed his tasks wisely, and Saul gave him management over his warriors. David was well respected in the eyes of the entire nation, especially in the servants of Saul’s own household.

 

M/M: In Honor of Cyparissus; Faustus Sabaeus

Ad Solem.

Hanc tibi, quam cernis, radiantem floribus oram,

propter aquae fluvium lucidioris habe.

Consecro, cunctorum o genitor, quae circuit orbis:

quae fati, et variant conscia signa poli.

Solstitiis utrisque, precor defende Cupressum;

ne noceant aestus, ne glacialis hiemis.

arbor enim Chariti nostrae dilecta perennet:

quondam cura tui, nunc mage cura mei.

----Faustus Sabaeus, Picta Poesis Ovidiana (1580) 

To the Sun:

Cherish this tree you see before you

upon this shore blossoming with flowers

beside these clear waters.

O Creator of All Things,

Who Knows What Fate holds,

Who Moves the Heavens of each solstice,

I consecrate this tree.

I beg you to defend the Cypress [Cyparissus] 

let neither the heat of summer

nor the ice of winter harm him.

May this beloved tree endure

formerly cherished by you, now even more so cherished by me. 

The Lifestyle of Vestal Virgins, Plutarch, Numa 10.1-3

Praescripsit autem rex Vestalibus triginta annorum castimoniam. Primo decennio discunt ea quae sint sui officii, altero ea exercent, tertio alias ipsae eadem docent. Secundum hoc tempus permissum est illis, quae velint, deposito sacerdotio nubere, aut aliud vitae genus diligere; non multas tamen narrant hac licentia usas et iis, quae eam amplexae fuissent, adversas res evenisse, poenitentiaque et maestitia reliquum vitae tempus vexatas, reliquas in eam superstitionem adduxisse, ut ad senectutem potitus exitumque vitae virginitatem conservarent. Magnos honores his sacerdotibus tribuit Numa, e quorum numero est, quod licebat vivo adhuc patre testamentum condere, quod sine tutore omnia agere poterant, haud secus quam ius trium liberorum adeptae. Cum in publicum progrediuntur, lictores secum habent, ac si tum forte ad capitale supplicium aliquis ducatur, is non necatur; iusiurandum tamen ab ipsis exigitur, forte fortuna se, non data opera, intervenisse. Porro autem qui subit lecticae,qua ipsae vehuntur, moritur. 

ὡρίσθη δὲ ταῖς ἱεραῖς παρθένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἁγνεία τριακονταέτις, ἐν ᾗ τὴν μὲν πρώτην δεκαετίαν ἃ χρὴ δρᾶν μανθάνουσι, τὴν δὲ μέσην ἃ μεμαθήκασι δρῶσι, τὴν δὲ τρίτην ἑτέρας αὐταὶ διδάσκουσιν. εἶτα ἀνεῖται τῇ βουλομένῃ μετὰ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον ἤδη καὶ γάμου μεταλαμβάνειν καὶ πρὸς ἕτερον τραπέσθαι βίον, ἀπαλλαγείσῃ τῆς ἱερουργίας, λέγονται δὲ οὐ πολλαὶ ταύτην ἀσπάσασθαι τὴν ἄδειαν, οὐδὲ ἀσπασαμέναις χρηστὰ πράγματα συντυχεῖν, ἀλλὰ μετανοίᾳ καὶ κατηφείᾳ συνοῦσαι τὸν λοιπὸν βίον ἐμβαλεῖν τὰς ἄλλας εἰς δεισιδαιμονίαν, ὥστε μέχρι γήρως καὶ θανάτου διατελεῖν ἐγκαρτερούσας καὶ παρθενευομένας.

τιμὰς δὲ μεγάλας ἀπέδωκεν αὐταῖς, ὧν ἔστι καὶ τὸ διαθέσθαι ζῶντος ἐξεῖναι πατρὸς καὶ τἆλλα πράττειν ἄνευ προστάτου διαγούσας, ὥσπερ αἱ τρίπαιδες. ῥαβδουχοῦνται δὲ προϊοῦσαι: κἂν ἀγομένῳ τινὶ πρὸς θάνατον αὐτομάτως συντύχωσιν, οὐκ ἀναιρεῖται, δεῖ δὲ ἀπομόσαι τὴν παρθένον ἀκούσιον καὶ τυχαίαν καὶ οὐκ ἐξεπίτηδες γεγονέναι τὴν ἀπάντησιν

--Plutarch, Vita Numae 10.1-3, Translated into Latin by Theodore Doener (1857)

[Numa] determined the term of the Vestal Virgins would be thirty years long. In the first decade, Vestal Virgins learn about their duties; in the second decade, they practice them, and in their third, they teach them. After that time, they are allowed to get married, and start whatever lifestyle they choose. They say that not many women choose to do so, and those that do, do not end up happy, but are full of regret and sorrow. Therefore the bulk of Vestals retain their chaste lifestyle for the rest of their life.

Numa bestowed great honors to the Vestal Virgins. They are allowed to create their own wills independent of their fathers. They are allowed to manage their own household without a male guardian (just like those who have mothered three children). When Vestals go out in public, they have lictors [an honor guard] with them. If someone on death row is brought to their presence, they are not killed, provided that they can make an oath that the meeting was an accident and not actively planned. Moreover, if someone bumps into their vehicle, they are put to death.

PLUTARCH	MAP:
Name:  Plutarch Date:  46 – 119 CE Works:  Parallel Lives	REGION  5
BIO:	Timeline:
Plutarch was a Greek author and Roman citizen who lived during the 1st century CE. He had minor governmental and religious administrative roles during his lifetime, but he is best known for his writings. He has numerous philosophical and historical works still extant, including the Parallel Lives, in which he compares the lives of a Roman and Greek statesman for moralistic purposes.	ROMAN GREEK

M/M: Apollo Mourns Hyacinthus, Faustus Sabaeus

Invita dum caede manus lavat amne cruentas

tristis Apollo: quibus perdidit Oebaliden:

fata suorum animo evolvens crudelia amorum

protulit in casus talia verba truces

iam creuere meo nemora alta cruore: et eodem

vulnere nunc humus est florida, et unda rubet.

----Faustus Sabaeus, Picta Poesis Ovidiana (1580) 

While Apollo mournfully washed the blood off his hands

From the tragic accident and death of Hyacinthus,

The cruel loss of his loved one kept running in a loop through his mind.

He groaned the following words about such an awful loss:

“Already these lofty groves have grown, fertilized by the blood of my loved one,

And now the earth blossoms from a repeated loss,

and the river runs red with blood.”

 

 

 

In Praise of Tiresias: Faustus Sabaeus

De mare quod fies mulier: tibi fata minantur,

masque reverteris, sed sine luce, senex.

Tiresia, et iudex superum, de lite iocosa:

Tristia de dulcia praemia lite feres.

Caecus eris, sed cuncta videbis; poenia iuvabit:

si ventura Dei est noscere, Divus eris.

 

----Faustus Sabaeus, Picta Poesis Ovidiana (1580)

 

Fate prophesied that you would transform from a man to a woman;

Then you’d return to being a man, but one without sight.

Tiresias, you were also a judge for the gods, albeit for a trivial dispute

and your reward for the judgment was a punishment.

You were blinded, but you will see it all,

And your punishment will benefit you;

For if it is godlike to know the future, then you are a god.

  

Apollo, Unlucky in Love: Faustus Sabaeus

Extinctum preciosa Venus plorabat Adonim;

quum super accessit pulcher Apollo & ait,

Una, soror, te cura angit; me bina remordet,

usque adeo, laetus sim licet, ut doleam.

cari inquam semper vivetis amores,

dura nimis Daphne; fauste Hyacinthe parum.

----Faustus Sabaeus, Picta Poesis Ovidiana (1580)

While darling Venus was weeping over her slain Adonis,

Pretty Apollo wandered over and told her,

“Oh sister, one loss pains you, but

I suffer twice as much.

Although I appear happy, I am still grieving them.

My darling loves will forever live on,

Daphne, who had too much pride

And Hyacinthus, who had too little luck."

Found Family: Noemi & Ruth, Ruth 1:1-17

Although this passage is often used in modern weddings, it depicts a deep and loving bond not between spouses, but between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law. Regardless of whether our support network is comprised of blood relatives or found family, it is important to acknowledge and appreciate those who love us and appreciate us.

* In diebus unius iudicis, quando iudices praerant, facta est fames in terra.

·         In the days of one of the judges (when judges were the government structure of Israel), there was a famine in the land.

* Abiitque homo de Bethlehem Iuda, ut peregrinaretur in regione Moabitide cum uxore sua ac duobus liberis.

·         One man from Bethlehem in Juda left to travel with his wife and two sons to the land of the Moabites.

* Ipse vocabatur Elimelech, et uxor eius Noemi: et duo filii, alter Mahalon, et alter Chelion, Ephrathei de Bethlehem Iuda.

·         This man was named Elimelech, and his wife was named Noemi. Their two kids were named Mahalon and Chelion, Ephrathites from Bethlehem.

* Ingressique regionem Moabitidem, morabantur ibi.

·         They traveled to the land of the Moabites and dwelled there.

* Et mortuus est Elimelech maritus Noemi: remansitque ipsa cum filiis.

·         When Noemi’s husband Elimelech died, it was just her and her two sons.

* Qui acceperunt uxores Moabitidas, quarum una vocabatur Orpha, altera vero Ruth.

·         Her sons married Moabite women; one was named Orpha and the other was named Ruth.

* Manseruntque ibi decem annis, et ambo mortui sunt, Mahalon videlicet et Chelion: remansitque mulier orbata duobus liberis ac marito.

·         They lived there for ten years, but then both of her sons Mahalon and Chelion died. Now the poor woman was bereft of both her husband and her two sons.

* Et surrexit ut in patriam pergeret cum utraque nuru sua de regione moabitide: audierat enim quod respexisset Dominus populum suum, et dedisset eis escas.

·         She took it upon herself to travel back to her homeland with both of her daughers-in-law, for she had heard that the Lord had protected his people, and had provided them with food [i.e., the famine had ended].

* Egressa est itaque de loco peregrinationis suae, cum utraque nuru: et iam in via revertendi posita in terram Iuda, dixit ad eas: Ite in domum matris vestrae faciat vobiscum Dominus misericordiam, sicut fecistis cum mortuis et mecum.

·         She got up and left, and when she was about to travel, she told her daughters-in-law, “Go back home to the home of your mothers. May the Lord take pity on you, just as you have taken pity on both the dead [i.e., your husbands] as well as me.”

* “…Det vobis invenire requiem in domibus virorum, quos sortiturae estis.” Et osculate est eas.

·         “May he give to you peace in the home of your husbands, when you remarry.” And she kissed them.

* Quae elevata voce flere coeperunt, et dicere: “Tecum pergemus ad populum tuum.”

·         They began to cry, and wept, “We will go with you to your people.”

* Quibus illa respondit: “Revertimini, filiae mea, cur venitis mecum? Num ultra habeo filios in utero meo, ut viros ex me sperare possitis? Revertimini, filiae meae, et abite: iam enim senectute confecta sum, nec apta vinculo coniugali: etiamsi possem hac nocte concipere, et parere filios, si eos expectare velitis donec crescent, et annos pubertais impleant, ante eritis vetulae quam nubatis.

·         She responded to them, “My daughters, go back home. Why would you want to go with me? I don’t have any more children in my womb, so you can’t hope for future husbands from me. Go back home, my daughters, and leave me. I am worn out with old age, and too old to get married again. Even if I could conceive a child tonight, and give birth to sons, if you wanted to wait for them to get old enough to marry them, you’d be too old to marry them.”

* “…Nolite, quaeso, filiae meae: quia vestra angustia magis me premit, et egressa est manus Domini contra me.”

·         I beg you, daughters, please don’t stay, for your difficulties weigh upon my heart more than my own, and the Lord has set his hand against me.”

* Elevata igitur voce, rursum flere coeperunt: Orpha osculata est socrum, ac reversa est: Ruth adhaesit socrui suae; cui dixit Noemi: “En reversa est cognata tua ad populum suum, et ad deos suos, vade cum ea.”

·         They both wailed and began to weep. Orpha kissed her mother-in-law, and left her. Ruth, however, clung to her mother-in-law. Noemi told her, “Go on now, she’s travelling back to your kin, and to your own gods. Go with her.”

* Quae respondit: Ne adverseris mihi ut relinquam te et abeam: quocumque enim perrexeris, pergam, et ubi morata fueris, et ego pariter morabor. Populus tuus populus meus, et Deus tuus Deus meus. Quae te terra morientem susceperit, in ea moriar: ibique locum accipiam sepulturae. Haec mihi faciat Dominus, et haec addat, si non sola mors me et te seperaverit.

·         Ruth responded: “Don’t keep me from you, or make me leave. Wherever you will go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live there, too. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. The land that holds your tomb will also accept mine. May the Lord grant me these things, and add one more thing: that only death should ever separate you and me.”

--Ruth 1:1-17

 

 

In Praise of the Ace Champion Daphne, Faustus Sabaeus (1580)

Ad Daphnen

Sunt qui te damnant, Daphne o castissima virgo:

quod tam formosum spernis amata Deum.

Arguo non ego te: quia facta es gloria vatum,

atque triumphantum virginitatis amans.

Nec miror, Phoebum si spreveris, atque Cytheren

Daemonas expellens, nec Iovis arma timens.

----Faustus Sabaeus, Picta Poesis Ovidiana (1580)

To Daphne

O Daphne, chaste maiden,

There are those who criticize you

Because you rejected the love of a beautiful god.

But I’m not going to, for you became the glory of prophets,

who loves those who triumph in their chastity.

If you can spurn both Apollo and even Love herself,

I’m not surprised that you can also expel evil spirits

And are immune from the bolts of Jupiter.

The Marriage of Iphis & Ianthe: Faustus Sabaeus (1580)

 Note: The last line is not published here, as it uses a bodily humor pun 

De Iphide

Iphis erat mulier: latitantem in veste virili

vicini, immo pater credidit esse marem.

Deceptus genitor pulcram huic despondet Ianthem:

cum sponsa sponsa ut virgine virgo cubet.

Taede accenduntur: procedit nupta, Cythere,

Et Iuno praesens...et Hymen...

[et] potitur namque Iphis Ianthe.

--Faustus Sabaeus, Picta Poesis Ovidiana (1580)

Iphis was a woman. By hiding in a man’s clothing

Even her father believed she was a man.

Her father promised her in marriage to pretty Ianthe,

A bride for a bride, a woman marrying a woman.

The day of the wedding draws near…

The bride approaches…

Venus was there

And Juno was there 

And Hymen was there...

and Iphis ended up marrying Ianthe.

The Transformation of Iphis: Iohannis Posthius

 

Si pareret Lygdo coniunx Telethusa puellam:

Protinus hanc letho clam dare iussa fuit;

Isis sed contra mandat sub imagine somni:

decipiat pariens ut Telethusa virum.

Iphis avus fuerat: suboli dat nomen avitum

Lygdus: et uxorem deligit inde pater.

affert Isis opem: nam quaemodo templa subibat

femina: mox puerum mater abire videt.

--Iohannis Posthius, in Picta Poesis Ovidiana (1580)

Lygdus ordered his wife to kill their child

If she gave birth to a girl,

But Isis came to her in a vision

While she was in labor

And told her instead to deceive her husband. 

Lygdus named the child after his grandfather Iphis

And then arranged him to marry a woman.

And Isis came to the rescue:

For Telethusa watched in wonder

As her Iphis entered the temple a girl

and left it as a boy. 

M/M: Apollo Mourns Cyparissus

Flebat adhuc maerens cervo Cyparissus adempto:

quum sua conspexit cortice membra tegi.

Delius exclamat: quid nostro silva dolore

crescis? tu Daphnen, tu Cyparisson habes.

Cyparissus still weeps, mourning his slain stag.

When he saw his lover's limbs covered in bark,

Apollo exclaimed, "O forest, why do you double my pains?

You have my Daphne, you have my Cyparissus."

--Act. Syncerus. Sannazarii, published in Picta Poesis Ovidiana (1580)

M/M: Phaeton and Cycnus, Servius In Aen.10.189

[189] NAMQUE FERUNT LUCTU CYCNUM PHAETHONTIS AMATI Phaethon Clymenes et Solis filius fuit. qui cum doleret obiectum sibi ab Epapho, rege Aegypti, quod esset non de Sole, sed de adulterio procreatus, duce matre venit ad Solem et poposcit, ut si vere esset eius filius, petenda praestaret. quod cum Sol iurasset per Stygem paludem se esse facturum, petit ille ut eius currus agitaret. Sol post iusiurandum negare non potuit. acceptis itaque curribus Phaethon, cum orbitam solis exisset, et coepisset mundus ardere, a Iove fulminatus in Eridanum cecidit, qui et Padus vocatur. huius interitum flentes sorores, Phaethusa et Lampetusa, deorum miseratione in arbores commutatae sunt, ut hic dicit, in populos, ut in bucolicis, in alnos. fuit etiam quidam Ligus, Cycnus nomine, dulcedine cantus ab Apolline donatus, amator Phaethontis. qui cum eum fleret extinctum, longo luctu in avem sui nominis conversus est. qui postea ab Apolline inter sidera conlocatus est. cuius nunc filium Cupavonem dicit habere cycni pennas in galea ad formae paternae insigne monstrandum. 

--Servius, In Aen.10.189 

“FOR, IT IS SAID, OUT OF LOVE FOR HIS LOVER PHAETON, CYCNUS…”

Commentary: Phaeton was the son of Clymene and the Sun. When Phaeton got upset because Epaphus, the Pharoah of Egypt, told him that he wasn’t the son of the Sun but a bastard, his mother Clymene took him to meet his father.  Phaeton asked the Sun to grant him a wish to prove he was really his son. When the Sun swore on the river Styx that we would grant Phaeton his wish, Phaeton said he wished to drive his chariot, and the Sun could not refuse.  

Phaeton took charge of his father’s chariot, and when he deviated from the Sun’s track, he began to burn up the world. Jupiter shot him down with lightning and Phaeton fell in the Po river.  

His sisters, Phaethusa and Lampetusa, wept over his death until the gods took pity on them and transformed into alder trees.  

Phaeton was also mourned by his lover, a Ligurian named Cycnus, (a man who was endowed with an amazing singing voice by Apollo). Because Cycnus mourned excessively over Phaeton’s death, he was transformed into the bird he shares a name with (a swan). Later on, Apollo turned him into a constellation. His son Cupavo is said to have the feathers of a swan in the crest of his helmet in tribute of his father. 

SERVIUS	MAP:
Name:  Maurus Servius Honoratus Date:  4th – 5th c. CE (???) Works:  In Vergilii carmina comentarii	REGION  1
BIO:	Timeline:
Little is known about the author or manuscript tradition for the grammatical commentary of Vergil’s Aeneid.	BYZANTINE / LATE LATIN

 

Toxicity of Purity Culture: Publius Maenius and his daughter, Valerius Maximus

P. Maenius quam severum pudicitiae custodem egit! in libertum namque gratum admodum sibi animadvertit, quia eum nubilis iam aetatis filiae suae osculum dedisse cognoverat, cum praesertim non libidine sed errore lapsus videri posset. ceterum amaritudine poenae teneris adhuc puellae sensibus castitatis disciplinam ingenerari magni aestimavit, eique tam tristi exemplo praecepit ut non solum virginitatem illibatam sed etiam oscula ad virum sincere perferret. 

--Valerius Maximus, Factorum et Dictorum Memorabilium 6.1.4

What a stern guardian of [his daughter’s] chastity Publius Maenius was! When he found out that his favorite freedman had kissed his debutante daughter, Maenius put him to death even though it was done as a lapse in judgment and not done romantically. Maenius thought that the importance of chastity was best ingrained into his tender girl’s mind through the severity of the punishment, and with this awful event taught his daughter that she owed not only purity of her womb, but also unkissed lips to her future husband.

 

VALERIUS MAXIMUS	MAP:
Name:  Valerius Maximus Date:  1st c CE. Works:  Memorable Deeds and Sayings	REGION  UNKNOWN
BIO:	Timeline:
Little is known about the life of Valerius Maximus except that he wrote during the reign of the emperor Tiberius. His work, Memorable Deeds and Sayings, is a collection of examples from Roman and world history categorized by theme for the purpose of rhetorical exercises.	SILVER AGE LATIN

 

Caeneus as the Stoic Ideal: Plutarch, Compendium Argumenti Stoicos quam poetas absuriora dicere 1057d

 It is important to note that, like Palaephatus, Plutarch rejects the incredulity of Caeneus' bulletproof skin, but not his gender.

ὁ Πινδάρου Καινεὺς εὔθυναν ὑπεῖχεν, ἀπιθάνως ἄρρηκτος σιδήρῳ καὶ ἀπαθὴς τὸ σῶμα πλασσόμενος, εἶτα καταδὺς ἄτρωτος ὑπὸ γῆν ‘σχίσας ὀρθῷ ποδὶ γᾶν:’ ὁ δὲ Στωικὸς Λαπίθης, ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀδαμαντίνης ὕλης ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν τῆς ἀπαθείας κεχαλκευμένος, οὐκ ἄτρωτός ἐστιν οὐδ᾽ ἄνοσος οὐδ᾽ ἀναλγής, ἄφοβος δὲ μένει καὶ ἄλυπος καὶ ἀήττητος καὶ ἀβίαστος, τιτρωσκόμενος ἀλγῶν στρεβλούμενος, ἐν κατασκαφαῖς πατρίδος ἐν πάθεσιν, τοιούτοις.

Reprehensus fuit Pindarus, quod Caeneum parum probabiliter finxisset ferro inviolabilem, et corpore quod laedi non posset, terram subiise nullo accepto vulnere, cum "RECTO PEDE SCIDISSET SOLUM."

At Stoicorum iste Lapitha ex adamantina, vacuitatis omnium perpessionum conflatus materia, non vulnerum duntaxat, morborum, dolorum, fingitur expers, sed et metu et moestitia carere, insuperabilis manere, nulli cedere viribus, tum quidem, quando vulneratur, dolores patitur, torquetur, atque adeo etiam in patriae excidio, aliisque Caeneus duntaxat ictus nullo cum vulnere excipit. 

--Plutarch, Compendium Argumenti Stoicos absuriora poetis dicere, Translated into Latin by Daniel Wyttenbach, 1832.

 

Pindar’s portrayal of Caeneus is criticized because: 1)  he is unrealistically portrayed as being bulletproof, 2) he has an invincible body, as well as 3) he was swallowed whole by the earth without a wound, as he “rends the earth with his right foot.” [Pindar fragment 166f / 147f]

But the Stoic Lapith*, equally made of adamantium (a material impervious to detriment) supposedly is free of not only injury, illness, and grief, but also lacks fear and sorrow. He is completely invincible, never yielding to any by force, and if he is wounded, he never suffers pain. Even if he is tortured, even if his homeland is destroyed, this Caeneus never seems to be upset.

* Caeneus was a Lapith [name of a region in Thessaly]

PLUTARCH	MAP:
Name:  Plutarch Date:  46 – 119 CE Works:  Parallel Lives	REGION  5
BIO:	Timeline:
Plutarch was a Greek author and Roman citizen who lived during the 1st century CE. He had minor governmental and religious administrative roles during his lifetime, but he is best known for his writings. He has numerous philosophical and historical works still extant, including the Parallel Lives, in which he compares the lives of a Roman and Greek statesman for moralistic purposes.	ROMAN GREEK

Redacted: Manipulating the Texts to Minimize Queer Elements in Latin Manuscripts I

In 1846, the editor of Jerome's Chronicle intentionally edited the text to downplay Hadrian's relationship with Antinous. Below is the text as the editor emended it, as well as the footnote admitting the change:

13 (anno 131). Antinous puer regius egregius eximiae pulchritudinis, in Egypto moritur, quem Hadrianus vehementer deperiens diligenter sepeliens (nam in deliciis* habuerat) in deos refert, ex cuius nomine etiam urbs appellata est.

Footnote: Parmensis ms. cum Scaligero et plerisque libris aliis "puer regius" pro egregius, et mox "vehementer deperiens" pro "diligenter sepeliens" legit. Hadrianus urbem, quam tunc voluit nominari Antinoopolin, sine Antinoon, ante aliquot annos in Aegypto condiderat.  

* Note the Christian author's use of "in deliciis," which normally refers to a master-slave relationship 

--Jerome, Interpretatio Chronicae Eusebii Pamphili 1.2.13, edited by Jacques-Paul Migne (1846) 

Text: [The year 131 CE]. Antinous, a royal excellent youth of exceptional beauty died in Egypt. Hadrian was emotionally devastated over dutifully buried him (for he was dear to his heart) and enrolled him among the gods, then named a city after him.

[Editor’s Footnote: MS P, as well as MS S and very many other versions of this manuscript state “royal youth” instead of “excellent youth,” and “emotionally devastated” instead of “dutifully buried” him. Hadrian wanted to name the city he’d created earlier in Egypt “Antinous’ city” or “Antinous.”] 

JEROME	MAP:
Name:  Jerome, Sanctus Hieronymus Date:  342 – 420 CE Works:  Sacra Biblia [Translation of the Bible] Letters	REGION  5
BIO:	Timeline:
Jerome was a Christian author born in Pannonia (modern Slovenia). He was one of the most influential and prolific Christian authors of his time, and is best known for his Latin translation of the Bible. The most famous anecdote about Jerome’s life is  a vision in which he feels guilt over being more "Ciceronian" than "Christian".	AGE OF CONFLICT