Poems from the Codex Salmasianus on Narcissus

Asexuality in men was often portrayed negatively in Greco-Roman myth, as Greek and Roman men were expected to marry and continue their family line. Just as Hippolytus' rejection of Aphrodite / Venus / physical love was punished, so too is Narcissus punished for his rejection of Echo. Narcissus is often coded asexual by various authors, as he rejects all men and women suitors (not just Echo). His 'love of himself' is a symbolic rejection of romantic and physical love.

Se Narcissus amat captus lenonibus undis.

Cui si tollis aquas, non est ubi saeviat ignis.

Captivated by the still waters, Narcissus fell in love with himself.

But if you removed the water, he wouldn’t be burning with love.

--Codex Salmasianus 219

 

Invenit proprios mediis in fontibus ignes

Et sua deceptum urit imago virum.

[Narcissus] found fire in the midst of water

And his own reflection burns for a deceived lover.

--Codex Salmasianus 145

 

Ardet amore sui flagrans Narcissus in undis,

Cum modo perspicua se specualtur aqua.

As he catches sight of himself in the clear water,

Narcissus burns for love of himself.

--Codex Salmasianus 146

 

Dum putat esse parem vitreis Narcissus in undis,

Solus amore perit, dum putat esse parem.

Narcissus thought he’d found his match

In the still pool

But he died, lovesick, alone

For he thought he’d found his match.

--Codex Salmasianus 39

 

 

Three Friends in One! Codex Salmasianus #428

Roman men often had deep, loving and affectionate friendships with their peers. There was no shame or stigma in expressing love and support to one another.

De tribus amicis bonis

Serranum Vegetumque simul iunctumque

Herogenem, caros aspice Geryonas.

Esse putas fratres, tanta pietate fruuntur

immo neges: sic est in tribus unus amor.

Triga mihi paucos inter dilecta sodales,

triga sodalicii pars bene magna mei!

--Seneca the Younger, as recorded in Codex Salmasianus 428

The Three Good Friends

Check out Serranus, Vegetus and Herogenes,

A darling three-in-one Geryon.*

They’re so close to each other,

You’d think they were brothers;

There’s one love shared among the three.

Of the few people I call friends, this trio is so very dear to me,

This trio is such a large part of my social life!

 

* According to Greek mythology, Geryon was a three-bodied giant whom Hercules defeated.

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

 

 

 

 

M/M: Love will Save Us From A Tyrant: Aelian, Hist. Var. 2.4

De amore Charitonis & Melanippi, & tyranni erga ipsos miseratione

Phalaridis factum recensebo vobis, alienum id quidem ab eius moribus. Nam humanitatem quandam prae se fert singularem, & idcirco ei non convenire videtur. Chariton erat quidam Agrigentinus, pulchritudinis amator, & nimius in adolescentium amore. Hic ardenti desiderio Melanippum amabat, qui etiam ipse Agrigentinus erat, animum gerens honestum, & elegantia formae praestans. Hunc Melanippum laeserat quadam re Phalaris. Quum enim iudicio cum amico Phalaridis contenderet, tyrannus mandavit, ut accusatione desisteret. Qui quum non obediret, extremum periculum ei ministratus est, nisi morem gereret. Itaque vi coactus lite abstinuit. Magistratus autem, qui sub Phalaride, irritatam iudicii sententiam fecerunt. Quod adolescens aegre ferens, iniuriam sibi fieri dixit & ei a quo amabatur, suam iram prodidit atque confessus est Melanippus, rogavitque ut sibi adiumento esset, ad insidias in tyrannum intendendas. Alios etiam adolescentes in societatem adscisciscere cogitavit, quos ad eiusmodi facinus commodissimos paratissimusque esse scirent. Chariton, quum insaniam eius ac furorem cerneret, & ab ira incensum rapi, atque sciret neminem civium in hanc rem consensurum esse metu tyranni, se quoque; dudum aiebat hoc agitasse, & omnem diligentiam semper adhibere, ut patriam a servitute praesenti in libertatem vidicaret: sed periculose haec multis enunciari & communicari. Quamobrem orare, ut sibi de his rebus penitius considerandi curam permittat, & tempus idoneum ad obeundum facinus capere sinat. Concessit adolescens. Proinde Chariton, omnem hius ausi conatu in se assumens, amasium in societatem sceleris assumere nolebat: ut si deprehenderetur, & manifestum fieret negotium, ipse solus poenas dependeret, non etiam amasium periculi faceret participe. Sumpta igitur sica, quum opportunum videbatur, adversus tyrannum ruebat. Nec vero clam esse potuit, sed deprehensus est a satellitibus, qui in eiusmodi res summo studio intenti erant. Coniectus autem in carcerem. & quaestionibus examinatus ad prodendos coniuratores, fortiter toleravit, & passus est tormentorusm saevitiamque atque vim. Postqauam vero longum id fuit. Melanippus ad Phalarim accessit & se non tantum socium huius consilii, sed etiam auctorem insidiarum. Charitoni fuisse confessus est. Percontante rege, qua causa impulsus hoc fecisset, narravit ei rem omnem a principio, de accusandi potestate sibi adempta, atque haec sibi molesta & indigna vis esse fassus est. Miratus igitur tyrannus, utrumque liberum dimisit: sed ea lege atque conditione, ut eodem die non solum ex Agrigentinorum urbe, verum etiam e Sicilia excederent. Nihilominus tamen eis permittebat, ut ex suis possessionibus & facultatibus debitum tructum caperent. Hos postmodoum & eorum amicitiam Pythia celebravit his carminibus :

Humana genti auctores caelestis amoris,

et Chariton felix & Melanippus erat.

oraculo horum amorem divinam & caelestem appellante.

Φαλάριδος ὑμῖν ἔργον οὐ μάλα ἐκείνῳ σύνηθες εὶπεῖν ἐθέλω: τὸ δὲ ἔργον φιλανθρωπίαν ἄμαχον ὁμολογεῖ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀλλότριον ἐκείνου δοκεῖ. Χαρίτων ἦν Ἀκραγαντῖνος φιλόκαλος ἄνθρωπος καὶ περὶ τὴν ὥραν τὴν τῶν νέων ἐσπουδακὼς δαιμονίως: διαπύρως δὲ ἠράσθη μάλιστα Μελανίππου Ἀκραγαντίνου καὶ ἐκείνου καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τὸ κάλλος διαφέροντος. τοῦτον ἐλύπησέ τι Φάλαρις τὸν Μελάνιππον: δικαζομένῳ γὰρ αὐτῷ πρός τινα τῶν ἑταίρων αὐτοῦ τοῦ Φαλάριδος προσέταξεν ὁ τύραννος τὴν γραφὴν καταθέσθαι. τοῦ δὲ μὴ πειθομένου ὃ δὲ ἠπείλησε τὰ ἔσχατα δράσειν αὐτὸν μὴ ὑπακούσαντα.  καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν παρὰ τὴν δίκην ἐκράτησεν ἀνάγκῃ προστάξαντος τοῦ Φαλάριδος, οἱ δὲ ἄρχοντες τὴν γραφὴν τοῦ ἀγῶνος ἠφάνισαν. βαρέως δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ νεανίσκος ἤνεγκεν ὑβρίσθαι λέγων, καὶ ὡμολόγει τὴν ὀργὴν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πρὸς τὸν ἐραστήν, καὶ ἠξίου κοινωνὸν αὐτὸν γενέσθαι τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῆς κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἄλλους δὲ ἔσπευδε προσλαβεῖν τῶν νεανίσκων, οὓς μάλιστα ᾔδει περὶ τὴν τοιαύτην πρᾶξιν θερμοτάτους. ὁρῶν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Χαρίτων ἐνθουσιῶντα καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς ἀναφλεγόμενον, καὶ γινώσκων ὅτι τῶν πολιτῶν οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς συλλήψεται δέει τῷ ἐκ τοῦ τυράννου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔφη πάλαι τοῦτο ἐπιθυμεῖν καὶ σπεύδειν ἐκ παντὸς τὴν πατρίδα ῥύσασθαι τῆς δουλείας τῆς καταλαβούσης: ἀσφαλὲς δὲ μὴ εἶναι πρὸς πολλοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐκφέρειν. ἠξίου δὴ τὸν Μελάνιππόν οἱ συγχωρῆσαι ἀκριβέστερον ὑπὲρ τούτων διασκέψασθαι καὶ ἐᾶσαι παραφυλάξαι τὸν χρόνον τὸν ἐπιτήδειον ἐς τὴν πρᾶξιν. συνεχώρησε τὸ μειράκιον. ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ τοίνυν ὁ Χαρίτων βαλόμενος τὸ πᾶν τόλμημα, καὶ κοινωνὸν αὐτοῦ μὴ θελήσας παραλαβεῖν τὸν ἐρώμενον, ἵν᾽ εἰ καταφωραθείη, αὐτὸς ὑπέχοι τὴν δίκην, ἀλλὰ μὴ καὶ ἐκεῖνον ἐς ταὐτὰ ἐμβάλοι, ἡνίκα οἱ ἐδόκει καλῶς ἔχειν, ἐγχειρίδιον λαβὼν ὡρμᾶτο ἐπὶ τὸν τύραννον. οὐ μὴν ἔλαθε, πάνυ σφόδρα ἀκριβῶς τῶν δορυφόρων τὰ τοιαῦτα φυλαττόντων. ἐμβληθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ Φαλάριδος ἐς τὸ δεσμωτήριον καὶ στρεβλούμενος ἵν᾽ εἴποι τοὺς συνεγνωκότας, ὃ δὲ ἐνεκαρτέρει καὶ ἐνήθλει ταῖς βασάνοις. ἐπεὶ δὲ μακρὸν τοῦτο ἦν, ὁ Μελάνιππος ἧκεν ἐπὶ τὸν Φάλαριν, καὶ ὡμολόγησεν οὐ μόνον κοινωνὸς εἶναι τῷ Χαρίτωνι, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ἄρξαι τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς. τοῦ δὲ πυνθανομένου τὴν αἰτίαν, εἶπε τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς λόγον καὶ τὴν τῆς γραφῆς ἄρσιν, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὡμολόγει περιαλγῆσαι. θαυμάσας οὖν ἀμφοτέρους ἀφῆκε τῆς τιμωρίας, προστάξας αὐθημερὸν ἀπελθεῖν μὴ μόνον τῆς Ἀκραγαντίνων πόλεως ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς Σικελίας: συνεχώρησε δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἴδια δίκαια καρποῦσθαι. τούτους ὕστερον ἡ Πυθία καὶ τὴν φιλίαν αὐτῶν ὕμνησε διὰ τούτων τῶν ἐπῶν

 

θείας ἡγητῆρες ἐφημερίοις φιλότητος

εὐδαίμων Χαρίτων καὶ Μελάνιππος ἔφυ,

τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν ἔρωτα αὐτῶν θείαν ὀνομάσαντος φιλίαν. 

 --Aelian, Hist. Var. 2.4; Translated into Latin by Joannis Schefferi [Second Edition 1662]

I’m going to tell you about what Phalaris did that was out of character. It’s strange, since it showed empathy, which wasn’t something he did. Chariton was an honorable man from Agrigento and was madly in love with a youth [Melanippus] who was a fellow citizen who had a good heart and good character.

Phalaris offended Melanippus in this manner. When he had sued one of Phalaris’ companions, the tyrant ordered him to drop the lawsuit. When Melanippus refused, Phalaris threatened to kill him. He was compelled to drop the suit and the judges nullified the case.

Melanippus got upset over this, yelled that he was treated unfairly, vowed revenge. He tried make a plot with Chariton, and tried to assemble other like-minded youths to take down the tyrant. Chariton, seeing his boyfriend’s inflamed anger, realized that everyone was too afraid of the tyrant to act, agreed with him and offered to join him. He said he would do anything to free his country from slavery, but that it wasn’t safe to tell this to too many people, and that he should lay low until they could find the opportune time to act. Melanippus agreed.

Taking charge, Chariton wanted to shield his lover from the association of the crime. In case he was caught, he didn’t want Melanippus in trouble; he alone would pay the consequences, and his lover wouldn’t be endangered.

Grabbing a dagger, he attacked the tyrant. He wasn’t sneaky about it; he did it openly and he was caught by tyrant’s guards who were alert to such attacks. Melanippus was thrown in prison and interrogated to betray his fellow conspirators, but he bravely endured the torture. But after a long time, Melanippus went to Phalaris and told him that he not only agreed to do it, but actually planned the deed—not Chariton. When Phalaris asked the reason, Melanippus explained everything from the beginning, about the trial and how he was upset about it. Phalaris was amazed at the both of them, and released them both! They were free under the condition that they leave not only Agrigento, but stay out of Sicily. Furthermore, they got to keep their property.

This is the relationship that the Pythia later sings about, stating

"The blessed gods gave as a guide to humankind

The blessed Chariton and Melanippus!"

She called their relationship divine and heavenly love.

 

One Proud Olympic Mama! Aelian, Var. Hist. 10.1

The Olympic Games did not allow women spectators, but there are several stories of women who challenged this law in order to watch their family members compete. You can see another example here.

Pherenice filium suum ad Olympia certaminis causa adduxit: & quum Hellanodicae prohiberent eam a spectaculo ludorum, ad ius cum ipsis descendit, dicens se patrem habere victorem Olympiorum, atque tres fratres, itemque filium adduxxisse pugilatorem. His rationibus & populum & legem superavit, quae feminas a spectaculis arceret, & Olympia spectavit.

Φερενίκη τὸν υἱὸν ἦγεν ἐς Ὀλύμπια ἀθλεῖν. κωλυόντων δὲ αὐτὴν τῶν Ἑλλανοδικῶν τὸν ἀγῶνα θεάσασθαι, παρελθοῦσα ἐδικαιολογήσατο πατέρα μὲν Ὀλυμπιονίκην ἔχειν καὶ τρεῖς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ αὐτὴ παῖδα Ὀλυμπίων ἀγωνιστήν: καὶ ἐξενίκησε τὸν δῆμον [p. 108] καὶ τὸν εἴργοντα νόμον τῆς θέας τὰς γυναῖκας, καὶ ἐθεάσατο Ὀλύμπια.

--Aelian, Var. Hist. 10.1; translated into Latin by Joannis Schefferi  (1662)

 

Pherenike brought her son to the Olympic games. When the judges forbid her from attending the games, she countered them, saying that not only was her father an Olympic champion, but her three brothers were and now even her son was, too.  She was able to win over both the people and their laws (which forbid women from watching the Olympics).