Many Wounds in Achilles' Heart: Quintus of Smyrna, Posthomerica 1.718-721

Name:  Quintus of Smyrna Date:  4th century CE Region:   Smyrna [modern Greece] Citation: Posthomerica 1.718-721

But Achilles grieved as he gazed

Down at Penthesilea’s beautiful body lying dead in the dust

The pain in his heart was no less

than feeling the recent loss of his beloved Patroclus.

--Quintus Smyrnaeus, Posthomerica 1.718-721, Translated into Latin by Lorenz Rhodomann

  μέγα δ᾽ ἄχνυτο Πηλέος υἱὸς

κούρης εἰσορόων ἐρατὸν σθένος ἐν κουίῃσι:

τοὔνεκά οἱ κραδίην ὀλοαὶ κατέδαπτον ἀνῖαι

ὁππόσον ἀμφ᾽ ἑτάροιο πάρος Πατρόκλοιο δαμέντος.

 At Pelei filius valde contristabatur,

delectabilem puellae speciem in pulverem contuens;

ideo nociva aegritudo ipsius cor edebat,

non minus quam nuper ob Patroclum amicum interfectum.

 Quintus of Smyrna was a Greek poet who lived during the 4^th century CE. His epic poem, the Posthomerica, was a fourteen volume epic depicting the events of the later half of the Trojan War; this epic preserves many literary sources that are no longer extant.

Blessed Are those in love! Bion fr. 8

 

Name: Bion Date:  c. 2nd – 1st century BCE Region: Smyrna [modern Turkey] Citation:  Fragment 8

Blessed are those who are in love,

Especially when it is reciprocated!

Theseus was happy with Pirithous by his side,

Even when he descended into the inescapable halls of Hades.

Orestes was blessed even in the harsh land of his enemies

As long as Pylades was traveling by his side.

Achilles was blessed for as long as his companion Patroclus lived;

And once he died, Achilles returned to his blessed state,

For he used his death to avenge his lover’s.

 

Ὄλβιοι οἱ φιλέοντες, ἐπὴν ἴσον ἀντεράωνται. ὄλβιος ἦν Θησεὺς τῶ Πειριθόω παρεόντος, εἰ καὶ ἀμειλίκτοιο κατήλυθεν εἰς Ἀΐδαο. ὄλβιος ἦν χαλεποῖσιν ἐν Ἀξείνοισιν Ὀρέστας, ὥνεκά οἱ ξυνὰς Πυλάδας ᾄρητο κελεύθως. ἦν μάκαρ Αἰακίδας ἑτάρω ζώοντος Ἀχιλλεύς: ὄλβιος ἦν θνᾴσκων, ὅτι οἱ μόρον αἰνὸν ἄμυνεν.

Beati sunt qui amant, quum pariter redamantur.  Beatus erat Theseus, quum Pirithous adesset, etsi descendit in implacabilis Plutonis domum. Beatus erat inter asperos barbaros Orestes, quoties cum eo communia Pylades susceperat itinerat. Erat felix Aeacides socio vivente Achilles beatus erat moriens, quod ei mortem infelicem ulciscebatur. Translated into Latin by  Franz Siegfried Lehrs

Bion of Smyrna [c. 2nd to 1st century BCE; modern Turkey] was a Greek poet from Smyrna [modern Turkey]. Little is known about his life, and only fragments remain of his poetry, but he was considered to be one of the best and most influential bucolic poets of ancient Greek and Roman literature.

M/M: Achilles and Patroclus, John Tzetzes, Hist. 8.182 & 10.336

Name: John Tzetzes Date:   1100 – 1180 CE Region:    Constantinople [modern Istanbul, Turkey] Citation:     Histories / Chiliades 8.182ff & 10.366ff

Concerning What the Ghost of Patroclus told Achilles, “You didn’t neglect me when I was alive, but now you neglect me when I’m dead”

In Homer’s Iliad, the author portrays the ghost of Patroclus  

At the time when his body still lay unburied in their tent.

Patroclus encouraged Achilles to bury his body,

Saying the thing that Homer wrote,

Quoted in the heroic epic:

“You never hurt me when I was alive,

But you do so now that I am dead.

Bury me so I can cross over through the gates of death

For the spirits of the dead are keep me from entering.”

Concerning the Thing That Should Not Have Happened

When Patroclus was killed by Hector in war

Antilochus [Nestor’s son] was selected by the Greeks

To tell Achilles what had happened to his boyfriend.

When he met up with Achilles, he said the following:

“Alas, son of Peleus, breaker of horses,   

Listen to the news which should not have happened:

Patroclus lies dead! They’re fighting over his body.

His corpse lies naked—stripped of armor!—and

helmet-wearing Hector has his armor.”

De iis quae spectrum Patrocli ad Achillem dixit, non me viventem neglegis, sed mortuum

In Iliade Homerus spectrum Patrocli indtroducit,

eo quod adhuc insepultum tentoriis illud iaceret,

ut sepeliret adhortans ipsum Achillem,

Dicens illam sententiam quam Homerus inscribit

Heroicis in carminibus sic ipsa proferens:

non quidem de me vivo tristeris, sed mortuum

sepeli me, ut quam citissime portas Orci pertranseam.

Procul enim me arcent animae, simulachra mortourm." (8.182)

 

De Hoc, Quae Utinam non Fuisset

Patroclo ab Hectore occiso in bello

Antilochus Nestoris [filius] destinatus est a Graecis

ut [puero] atque Achilli calamitatem nunciaret.

Qui cum pervenisset ad eum, sic ad verbum dicit:

Heu Pelei fili prudentis, equidomitoris,

audies nuncium, qui utinam non esset,

Iacet Patroclus, pro eius vero cadavere sand pugnant

Nudo, verum arma habet galeatus Hector. (10.336)

 Translated into Latin by Paulus Lacisius (1546) [Greek text forthcoming]

 

John Tzetzes [1100 – 1180 CE, Constantinople/Byzantium, modern Istanbul, Turkey] was a Byzantine scholar and beaurocrat. He is known for his epic poem the Histories / Chiliades, which ties together topics from Greek and Roman history and mythology, followed by a Christian interpretation.

Were They Or Weren't They? Patrochilles and 5th century Athens

Gender and sexuality are constructs defined by the society that created them, and there are considerable differences between what ancient Greeks (and later, Romans) believed was queer identity in comparison to our modern ones. It is important to be careful when assigning a modern label or orientation to a person from an ancient culture, and in many cases, it can be dangerous to do so, as it can warp our understanding of the person in question. For example, whereas it is universally known that Sappho transcended heteronormative identity and behavior patterns, people often argue whether Sappho was a lesbian or bisexual, when the reality is that she was simultaneously neither and both, and would not have easily fit into any modern term.

This conflict of identification also existed in ancient times. One of the most obvious examples of this is “Patrochilles,” the relationship between Trojan War veterans Achilles and Patroclus. In Athens during the 5^th century BCE, the prevalent model of same sex relationships was one with an imbalance of power, not of equality. Because they did not understand that Homeric culture would have different concept of the spectrum of gender and sexuality, many Athenians were baffled by the Achilles / Patroclus relationship. This couple did not easily fit into the Athenian model; Patroclus was older of the two, but politically inferior, while Achilles was top-tier socially, but younger than Patroclus. An entire section of Plato’s Symposium was dedicated to the discussion on which of the two was the dominant lover (180a).  Plato’s contemporary, the orator Aeschines, however, argued the opposite. Since the couple did not fit the contemporary model, their relationship must not be romantic, but merely a friendship (In Timarchum 1.142:[Homerus] cum multis locis Patrocli & Achillis meminerit: amorem & Cognomentum amicitiae illorum dissimulat cum insignem illam benevolentiam eruditis auditoribus esse conspicuam existimet, translated into Latin by Jerome Oporinus, 1553). It is clear from this and other contemporary treatments of the Achilles / Patroclus relationship that ancient Athenians struggled with understanding how interpersonal relationships were influenced by the culture they exist in.

One of the ways that LGBT Meets SPQR tries to counteract this difficulty is by using overlapping labels. The blog readily acknowledges that one ancient person or myth might simultaneously fit into multiple conflicting modern identities. Modern labels are provided in the tag section to help sort material into topics of interest, but it is important to remember that ancient people would use their own spectrum and not ours.

M/M: Alexander the Great at the Tomb of Achilles, Aelian Var. Hist. 12.7

Name:  Aelian Date:      175 – 235 CE Region:  Praeneste [modern Italy] Citation:      Various History 12.7

Alexander placed a crown upon the tomb of Achilles, and Hephaestion did the same for Patroclus’ tomb. This signifies that Hephaestion was the lover of Achilles, just as Patroclus was the lover of Achilles.

ὅτι Ἀλέξανδρος τὸν Ἀχιλλέως τάφον ἐστεφάνωσε καὶ Ἡφαιστίων τὸν τοῦ Πατρόκλου, αἰνιττόμενος ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ἐρώμενος τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου, ὥσπερ Ἀχιλλέως ὁ Πάτροκλος.

Alexander Achillis sepulchrum coronavit & Hephaestion Patrocli, significans, ita etiam se amari ab Alexandro, ut Patroclus fuerat ab Achille.   Translated into Latin by Justus Vulteius

Aelian  [Claudius Aelianus; 175 – 235 CE, modern Italy] was a famous scholar from Praeneste [modern Italy] who lived during the second and early third century CE. He is known for two famous works, a scientific work On the Nature of Living Things and his collection of anecdotes called the Various Histories.

M/M: Achilles Mourns Patroclus; Dictys Cretensis 3.14

Achilles Mourns Patroclus

Name:  Dictys Cretensis Date:   1st – 4th century CE Region:   Crete [?] [modern Greece] Citation: The Trojan War 3.14

Achilles extinguished Patroclus’ ashes with wine and collected his remains in an urn. He had decided to bring Patroclus’ ashes back home with him, or, if his fortune changed, to be buried in the same tomb with the one he loved most of all.

  Isque [Achilles] vino multo sopita iam favilla reliquias [Patrocli] in urnam collegerat, decretum quippe animo gerebat, secum in patrium solum uti adveheret vel, si fortuna in se casum mutaret, una aqtue eadem sepultura cum carissimo sibi omnium contegi.

Dictys Cretensis [1st – 4th century CE] Little is known about the author or circumstances of this work. On the Trojan War is written in the perspective of Dictys, a Cretan veteran of the Trojan War. The version we have today is a Latin translation based on a Greek original from the 1st to 4th century CE. This work heavily influenced Medieval literature and later Latin accounts of the Trojan War.

Christianizing the Myth of Achilles & Patroclus: Synesius to His Friend Troilus, Ep. 123

Name:   Synesius of Cyrene Date:   373 – 414 CE Region:   Cyrene [modern Libya] Citation:     Letter 123

 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.

Dear Troilus,

Even if death erases the memory of our souls,

I will still be able to remember you there, dear friend!

This is a quote of Homer, but I don’t know if they were written more for Achilles and Patroclus than for us, dear friend! May God above, Whom wisdom cherishes, bear witness that the image of your sacred and most precious spirit is fixed deep within my heart, and even now, the words of your wisdom-instilled voice still resonate in my ears. When I returned home from Egypt, I read the letters you’d written me for the past two years and I wept profusely. Your letters didn’t cause me happiness, but rather grief, for as I read them, I recalled from spending time with you in real life, and now it seems I’m mourning the loss of a friend, even a parent, with your absence—even through you are still alive! I’ll proudly do my duty and undertake serious challenges for my country, if only I can find an opportunity to leave it. When will I enjoy seeing your face again, dearest Father? When will I wrap my arms around your sacred neck? When will I spend time with you again? If this ever should happen, I would be like what they say about Aeson from Thessaly, and become young again.

Troilo.

Quod si Erebo vita functorum oblivia tangant, 

illic vel chari potero meminisse sodalis.

Sunt illi quidem ab Homero versus scripti; sed eorum sensus nescio an ab Achille potius de Patroclo quam a me de te amicissimo, ac benefico capite, usurpari merito possit. quam eloquidem, ut testis est mihi Deus, quem philosophia colit, sacri tui ac suavisissimi animi infixam imaginem medio in corde circumfero, et auribus etiamnum illa sapientissimorum tuorum sermonum vox insonat. Cum autem ex Aegypto in patriam rediissem, ac duorum annorum simul epistolas legissem, magnam equidem in litteras vim lacrimarum profudi. Non tam enim, quod te per litteras quodammodo fruerer, mihi voluptatem afferebat, quam illud dolore afficiebat, cum ex scriptis tuis litteris praesentem ac vivam in animam consuetudinem revocarem; cuiusmodi scilicet et amico simul, et vere parente vivo essem orbatus. Libenter igitur graviora pro patria certamina subeam, mihi ut iterum profectionis occasio praebeatur. Num quando conspectu tuo perfruar, Pater vere germanissime? num quando sacrum tuum caput amplectar? num concilii propter te beati particeps ero?  Si enim ea mihi obtinere contigerit, efficiam profecto, ut iam fabula non sit, quod de Aesone Thessalo dicitur praedicant, cum ex sene repente esset iuvenis factus.

Translated by J. P. Migne (1864)

Synesius of Cyrene [373 – 414 CE, modern Libya] was a Greek writer and statesman from Cyrene. He is known as one of Hypatia’s most famous students. His education took him to both Alexandria, Egypt and Athens, Greece; he spent many years in Constantinople advocating on behalf of his community. His letters are still extant, and provide us with unique insights into this time period.

Achilles' earrings! Servius, Aen. 1.30

Name: Servius Date: 4th – 5th century CE Region: [modern Italy] Citation:   Commentary on the Aeneid, 1.30

It is said that there’s a statue of Achilles in Sigeum where he wears an earring in his ear just like a woman does.

apud Sigeum Achillis statua fuisse dicitur, quae in lanna, id est in extima auris parte elenchum more femineo habuerit.

Servius [Maurus Servius Honoratus; 4th – 5th century CE] Servius’ name is unfortunately the only thing we know of this author. Little is known about the author or manuscript tradition for the grammatical commentary of Vergil’s Aeneid.

The Avenger of Achilles: Martial, Epig.2.84.1-2

Name: Martial Date: c. 40 – 100 CE Region: Bilbilis, Hispania [modern Spain] Citation: Epigrams 2.84.1-2

Note: Only the first half of the poem is printed here. In the second half, Martial makes an obscene comparison to this myth and one of his peers.

Philoctetes was gay, and openly flirty with men;

This is how Venus avenged the wounds of Paris*.

*In this version of the myth, Paris shoots and kills Achilles, and in turn is slain by Philoctetes' bow.

Mollis erat facilisque viris Poeantius heros:

     vulnera sic Paridis dicitur ulta Venus.

Martial [Marcus Valerius Martialis; 38 BCE – 102 CE, modern Spain] Originally from Bilbilis, Hispania, the poet Martial moved to Rome in the 60s CE to advance his career. His two extant works include de Spectaculis, a collection of poems written to commemorate the opening of the Colosseum, and a fifteen volume collection of epigrams. These poems provide valuable insight into the private lives of Romans from all of the city’s social classes.

Clothes Make the (Wo)Man: Tertullian on Achilles' Year at Skyros, De Pallio 4.2

Clothes Make the (Wo)Man: A Christian Author on Achilles’ Time on Scyros

Name: Tertullian Date:  155 – 220 CE Region:   Carthage [modern Tunisia] Citation:   On the Pallium 4.2.1-3

Achilles, the hero from Larissa, shook Nature to the core by turning into a maiden. This guy was brought up on the marrow of beasts! This guy, raised by a shaggy, forest-dwelling monster Chiron and schooled in a stony cave—was now a girl!

You could understand this phase if it happened when he was a little boy, when he was henpecked by an anxious mother. But he was already a grownup! He had already secretly proved his manhood [1] ; and yet despite this, he put on a dress, dolled up his hair, put on makeup, primped himself in a mirror, exfoliated his neck, pierced his ears—his sculpture in Sigeum still documents even this!

 

[1] i.e., he had a romantic partner [Deidamia] and became the parent of Neoptolemus/Pyrrhus.

Clothes Make the (Wo)Man: A Christian Author on Achiles’ Time on Scyros

Naturam itaque concussit Larissaeus heros in virginiem mutando, ille ferarum medullis educatus...[1], ille apud rupicem et silvicolam et monstrum eruditorem scrupea schola eruditus. Feras, si in puero, matris sollicitudinem patiens; certe iam histriculus, certe iam virum alicui clanculo functus adhuc sustinet stolam fundere, comam struere, cutem fingere, speculum consulere, collum demulcere, aurem quoque foratu effeminatus, quod illi apud Sigeum strongyla servat.

---

[1] The author makes a reference to Achilles’ childhood, which will not be published here.

Tertullian [Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus; 155 – 220 CE, modern Tunisia] was an early Christian theologian who lived in Carthage during the 2nd century CE. He was one of the most prolific authors of his age; more than thirty of his treatises are extant. These works shaped the core beliefs of the early Christian church. Although some of his beliefs were later deemed heretical, he was nevertheless granted sainthood for his profound impact on Christianity.

M/M: Harmodius & Aristogeiton, Defenders of Liberty. Athenaeus, Deipnosoph. 15.l

Hymns in Praise of Harmodius and Aristogeiton,  The Liberators of Athens

Name:   Athenaeus Date:   2nd century CE Region:   Naucratis [modern Egypt] Citation:    Deipnosophists  15.49.10-13

I carry a sword hidden in a myrtle branch,

Just like Harmodius and Aristogeiton did

When they killed the tyrant

And stood up for a free Athens.

ἐν μύρτου κλαδὶ τὸ ξίφος φορήσω,  ὥσπερ Ἁρμόδιος καὶ Ἀριστογείτων, ὅτε τὸν τύραννον κτανέτην ἰσονόμους τ᾽ ' Ἀθήνας ἐποιησάτην.

In myrti ramo gladium feram, sicut Harmodius Aristogitonque, quum tyrannum occiderunt, liberasque Athenas praestiterunt. Translated into Latin by Johann Schweighäuser

Dearest Harmodius, you are not dead;

Rather, they say you live on the Isle of the Blessed

Where swift-footed Achilles lives,

Where Diomedes lives.

φίλταθ᾽ Ἁρμόδι᾽, οὔ τι που τέθνηκας νήσοις δ᾽ ἐν μακάρων σέ φασιν εἶναι, ἵνα περ ποδώκης Ἀχιλεὺς, Τυδείδην τέ φασιν Διομήδεα.

Carissime Harmodie, non utique mortuus es: beatorum sed in insulis te aiunt esse, ubi velox pedibus Achilles, Tydidemque ubi aiunt esse Diomedem. Translated into Latin by Johann Schweighäuser

I carry a sword hidden in a myrtle branch

Just like Harmodius and Aristogeiton did

When during Minerva’s sacrifices

They slaughtered the tyrant Hipparchus.

ἐν μύρτου κλαδὶ τὸ ξίφος φορήσω, ὥσπερ Ἁρμόδιος κ’ Ἀριστογείτων, ὅτ᾽ Ἀθηναίης ἐν θυσίαις ἄνδρα τύραννον Ἵππαρχον ἐκαινέτην.

In myrti ramo gladium feram sicut Harmodius Aristogitonque, Minervae cum in sacrificiis virum tyrannum Hipparchum occiderunt. Translated into Latin by Johann Schweighäuser

Dearest Harmodius and Aristogeiton,

The earth will forever honor you

Because you removed a tyrant

And stood up for a free Athens. 

αἰεὶ σφῷν κλέος ἔσσεται κατ᾽ αἶαν, φίλταθ᾽ Ἁρμόδιε κ’ Ἀριστόγειτον: ὅτι τὸν τύραννον κτανέτον ἰσονόμους τ᾽ Ἀθήνας ἐποιησάτον.

Semper vester honos in terra durabit, carissime Harodie & Aristogiton; quod tyrannum sustulistis, liberasque praestitistis Athenas.   Translated into Latin by Johann Schweighäuser

Athenaeus of Naucratis [2nd century CE, modern Egypt] was a scholar who lived in Naucratis during the reign of the Antonines. His fifteen volume work, the Deipnosophists, are invaluable for the amount of quotations that preserve otherwise lost authors, including the poetry of Sappho.