Free from Cupid's Influence: The Muses, Greek Anthology 9.39

The Muses, Free of Love’s Influence

Name:   Musicius Date:    Unknown Region:  Unknown Citation: Greek Anthology 9.39

Aphrodite told the Muses: “Little girls, worship me,

Or I will make Eros attack you.”

The Muses replied: “Tell that chit-chat to Ares;

Your kid has no authority among us!”

ἁ Κύπρις Μούσαισι: κοράσια, τὰν Ἀφροδίταν τιμᾶτ᾽, ἢ τὸν Ἔρων ὔμμιν ἐφοπλίσομαι. χαἰ Μοῦσαι ποτὶ Κύπριν Ἄρει τὰ στωμύλα ταῦτα: ἡμῖν δ᾽ οὐ πέτεται τοῦτο τὸ παιδάριον.

Cypris Musis: “Puellulae, ait, Venerem Colite, aut Amorem ego in-vos amabo.” Et Musae ad Cyprin: “Marti dic pulchella ista; nobis vero non volat iste puerulus.” Translated into Latin by Johann Friedrich Duebner (1871)

Musicius [unknown] is one of the ancient poets preserved in the Greek Anthology, but unfortunately, nothing is known of this author beyond his name. 

Minerva, Diana, and the Muses: Free of Cupid's Influence, Lucian, Dialogi Deorum 19

Cupid Fleeing Artemis, Athena, and the Muses

Name: Lucian Date: 125 – 180 CE Region: [modern Turkey] Citation:  Dialogues of the Gods 19

Venus: Cupid, why have you stalked and conquered all of the other gods—Jupiter, Neptune, Apollo, Juno—and even me, your own mother!—but you hold off from attacking Minerva? Your torch holds no power over her; your quiver is  

empty of love-darts for her. You don’t even carry your bow around her, you don’t even know how to aim?

Cupid: I’m afraid of her, Mom! She is frightening! She has a ferocious scowl, and a manly intensity. Whenever I aim my bow at her, the rustling of her helmet’s crest terrifies me, and then my hands shake so much I drop my weapons.

Venus: But isn’t Mars more frightening to you than her? You were able to overpower him.

Cupid:  Yeah, but he likes me, and welcomes me to his side. Minerva always gives me an angry frown. One time, I rashly rushed her, brandishing my torch, but as soon as I approached her, she yelled at me, “I swear by my father Jupiter, I’ll either stab you with my spear, or grab you by your foot and toss you into Tartarus, or pluck your feathers off myself.” She threatened me with even more threats like this. She watches me with a discerning gaze. And finally, she carries that fear-inspiring Gorgon face on her chest [1]  with its snaky-hair. I’m incredibly afraid of her. I run every time I see her.

Venus: Okay, I get it: you’re afraid of Minerva, and her aegis, too. But yet you’re not afraid of Jupiter’s lightning bolt? And why don’t you go after the Muses? Why are they safe from your love darts? Do they shake their helmet crests at you, or show you their own aegis?

Cupid: Mom, I respect them. They’re demure and chaste. And they love what they do; their hearts are full of their art, and I get enchanted by their alluring songs.

Venus: Okay, I get it. You don’t go after them, because of their dedication to their art. But what about Diana? Why don’t you go after her?

Cupid: Well, to put it succinctly, I can’t go after her, because she’s always wandering over the mountains. She’s lovestruck by a desire [2] of her own.

Venus: OOOH! WHO?!!!!

Cupid:   She’s lovestruck by hunting deer, of tracking them and shooting them. That’s her one and only love. But her brother Apollo, an archer too (and not half bad!). He...

 Venus: Yes, I know, son. You’ve wounded him a bunch of times with your love darts. 

---

[1] A reference to her armor, the aegis.

[2] A pun on Cupid’s name.

Ἀφροδίτη: τί δήποτε, ὦ Ἔρως, τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους θεοὺς κατηγωνίσω ἅπαντας, τὸν Δία, τὸν Ποσειδῶ, τὸν Ἀπόλλω, τὴν Ῥέαν, ἐμὲ τὴν μητέρα, μόνης δὲ ἀπέχῃ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἐκείνης ἄπυρος μέν σοι ἡ δᾴς, κενὴ δὲ οἰστῶν ἡ φαρέτρα, σὺ δὲ ἄτοξος εἶ καὶ ἄστοχος;

VENUS: Quid tandem in causa est, Cupido, ut quum reliquos Deos omnes adortus expugnaris, Jovem ipsum, Neptunum, Apollinem, Junonem, me denique matrem, ab una Minerva temperes, utque adversus hanc nec ullum habeat incendium tua fax, et iaculis vacua sit pharetra, tum et ipse arcu careas, neque iaculari noris?

Ἔρως: δέδια, ὦ μῆτερ, αὐτήν: φοβερὰ γάρ ἐστι καὶ χαροπὴ καὶ δεινῶς ἀνδρική: ὁπόταν γοῦν ἐντεινάμενος τὸ τόξον ἴω ἐπ᾽ αὐτήν, ἐπισείουσα τὸν λόφον ἐκπλήττει με καὶ ὑπότρομος γίνομαι καὶ ἀπορρεῖ μου τὰ τοξεύματα ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν. Ἀ: ὁ Ἄρης γὰρ οὐ φοβερώτερος ἦν; καὶ ὅμως ἀφώπλισας αὐτὸν καὶ νενίκηκας. Ἔ:  ἀλλὰ ἐκεῖνος ἑκὼν προσίεταί με καὶ προσκαλεῖται, ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ δὲ ὑφορᾶται ἀεί, καί ποτε ἐγὼ μὲν ἄλλως παρέπτην πλησίον ἔχων τὴν λαμπάδα, ἡ δέ, εἴ μοι πρόσει, φησί, νὴ τὸν πατέρα, τῷ δορατίῳ σε διαπείρασα ἢ τοῦ ποδὸς λαβομένη καὶ ἐς τὸν Τάρταρον ἐμβαλοῦσα ἢ αὐτὴ διασπασαμένη διαφθερῶ. πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἠπείλησε: καὶ ὁρᾷ δὲ δριμὺ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ στήθους ἔχει πρόσωπόν τι φοβερὸν ἐχίδναις κατάκομον, ὅπερ ἐγὼ μάλιστα δέδια: μορμολύττεται γάρ με καὶ φεύγω, ὅταν ἴδω αὐτό.

CUPIDO: Equidem hanc metuo, mater: est enim formidabilis, truculentoque aspectu, ac ferocitate quadam supra modum virili: proinde siquando tenso arcu petam illam, galeae cristam quatiens expavefacit me, moxque, formidine tremere occipio, sic ut arma mihi e manibus excidant. V: Atqui Mars an non erat hac formidabilior: et hunc tamen superatum exarmasti. C: Imo ille cupide me recipit, atque ultro etiam invitat: verum Minerva semper adductis superciliis observat. Quin aliquando temere ad illam advolavi, facem propius admovens: at illa, si quidem ad me accesseris, inquit, “per parentem Jovem, quovis modo te confecero, aut lancea te transfigam, aut pedibus arreptum in tartara dabo praecipitem, aut ipsa te discerpam!” Plurima item id genus cominabatur. Ad haec acribus obtuetur oculis: postremo & in pectore faciem quandam gestat horrendam, viperis capillorum vice comatam. Hanc nimirum magnopere formido. Territat enim me, fugioque quoties eam aspicio.

Ἀ: ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν Ἀθηνᾶν δέδιας, ὡς φής, καὶ τὴν Γοργόνα, καὶ ταῦτα μὴ φοβηθεὶς τὸν κεραυνὸν τοῦ Διός. αἱ δὲ Μοῦσαι διὰ τί σοι ἄτρωτοι καὶ ἔξω βελῶν εἰσιν; ἢ κἀκεῖναι λόφους ἐπισείουσι καὶ Γοργόνας προφαίνουσιν; Ἔ: αἰδοῦμαι αὐτάς, ὦ μῆτερ: σεμναὶ γάρ εἰσι καὶ ἀεί τι φροντίζουσι καὶ περὶ ᾠδὴν ἔχουσι καὶ ἐγὼ παρίσταμαι πολλάκις αὐταῖς κηλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ μέλους. Ἀ: ἔα καὶ ταύτας, ὅτι σεμναί: τὴν δὲ Ἄρτεμιν τίνος ἕνεκα οὐ τιτρώσκεις; Ἔ: τὸ μὲν ὅλον οὐδὲ καταλαβεῖν αὐτὴν οἷόν τε φεύγουσαν ἀεὶ διὰ τῶν ὀρῶν: εἶτα καὶ ἴδιόν τινα ἔρωτα ἤδη ἐρᾷ. Ἀ: τίνος, ὦ τέκνον; Ἔ: θήρας καὶ ἐλάφων καὶ νεβρῶν, αἱρεῖν τε διώκουσα καὶ κατατοξεύειν, καὶ ὅλως πρὸς τῷ τοιούτῳ ἐστίν: ἐπεὶ τόν γε ἀδελφὸν αὐτῆς, καίτοι τοξότην καὶ αὐτὸν ὄντα καὶ ἑκηβόλον — Ἀ: οἶδα, ὦ τέκνον, πολλὰ ἐκεῖνον ἐτόξευσας.

V: Esto sane, Minervam metuis, ut ais, atque huius gestamen Gorgona reformidas, idque quum Jovis ipsius fulmen non formidaveris: caeterum Musae quam ob causam abs te non feriuntur, atque a tuis iaculis tutae agunt? Num & hae cristas quatiunt, aut Gorgonas praetendunt? C: Has quidem revereor mater: sunt enim vultu pudico ac reverendo: praeterea semper aliquo tenentur studio, semper cantionibus animum intentum gerunt: quin ipse etiam non raro illis assisto, carminis suavitate delinitus. V: Esto, nec has adoriris, propterea quod sint reverendae: at Dianam, quo tandem gratia non vulneras? C: Ut breviter dicam, hanc ne deprehendere quidem usquam sum potis, quippe perpetuo per montes fugitantem. Ad haec alterius cuiusdam sui Cupidinis illa tenetur cupidine.

Ἀ: οἶδα, ὦ τέκνον, πολλὰ ἐκεῖνον ἐτόξευσας.

V: Cuius o gnate? C: Nempe venatu cervorum et hinnulorum, quos insectatur ut capiat, ac iaculo figat. Ac prorsum tota rerum huiusmodi studio tenetur: tametsi fratrem eius, qui nimirum arcu valet et ipse, feritque eminus. V: Teneo gnate, eum saepenumero sagitta vulnerasti. Translated into Latin by Desiderius Erasmus

Lucian [Lucianus Samosatensis; 125 – 180 CE, modern Turkey] was a Roman satirist from Samosata [modern Turkey] who wrote in ancient Greek. His works are a mixture of sarcasm, wit, and biting social criticism. He is without a doubt one of the most popular authors of the later Roman empire.

Unwounded by Eros: Athena, Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica III.32-35

 When Athena and Hera plot to help the Argonaut Jason to find the Golden Fleece, Hera recommends recruiting Aphrodite to elicit Eros' aid. 

“Juno, Father Jupiter bore me to be inexperienced with [Cupid’s] arrows,

Nor do I know any way to manage desire.

If you like this idea, then of course I will agree with it;

But you will have to do all of the talking

When you meet [with Venus].

Juno, insciam me pater genuit huius ictuum,

nec rem aliquam novi quae vim habeat demulcendi amorem.

Si autem tibi ipsi haec sententia arridet, certe ego

assensum praebitura sum; tu vero compellandi vicem geres,

ubi conveneris.

‘Ἥρη, νήιδα μέν με πατὴρ τέκε τοῖο βολάων,

οὐδέ τινα χρειὼ θελκτήριον οἶδα πόθοιο.

εἰ δέ σοι αὐτῇ μῦθος ἐφανδάνει, ἦ τ᾽ ἂν ἔγωγε

ἑσποίμην: σὺ δέ κεν φαίης ἔπος ἀντιόωσα.’

--Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica III.32-35, Translated into Latin by Joannes Shaw (1777)

APOLLO 

 Little is known of this Hellenistic poet, but what is clear is that his surviving epic, the Argonautica, was wildly influential to later epic poets. According to the Suda, he was the Director of the Library of Alexandria and was a contemporary of the poet Callimachus (α.4319).

  

W/W: Love, You Bittersweet Beast! Sappho fr. 38

Name: Sappho Date: d. 570 BCE Region: Lesbos [modern Greece] Citation: Fragment 38

Limb-shredding Love has turned against me,
Love, you invincible & bittersweet beast!

Ἕροσ δαὖτέ μ᾽ ὀ λυσιμέλεσ δόνει,
γλυκύπικρον ἀμάχανον ὄρπετον.

Amor autem me artuum dissolutor versat, 
dulciamara [belva] inexpugnabilis.

Sappho [d. 570 BCE, modern Greece] was universally applauded by the ancient world as the “Tenth Muse.” Because she was one of the earliest Greek lyric poets, there is very little definitive information on Sappho’s life.  It is generally agreed that Sappho was a wealthy noblewoman from the island of Lesbos who had three brothers and a daughter named Kleis. She used her prominent social position to support a cohort of other women artists, and composed many poems about them, expressing her love for them, praising their beauty, and celebrating their marriages. Whereas earlier Greek poetry was epic poetry with serious themes of gods, warfare, and the state, Sappho’s lyric poetry was emotional, intimate and personal. Her poetry centered around womanhood and womanly love, providing rare insight into the time period. The modern terms “sapphic” and “lesbian” reveal the longevity of her impact upon modern culture. Unfortunately, although her poetry was universally revered by the Greeks and Romans alike, Sappho’s works only exist as fragments, adding mysterious allure to her larger-than-life status but unfortunately hindering our understanding of her life and thoughts.

Sappho & Socrates: A Comparison, Maximus of Tyre, Dis. 18

Name: Maximus of Tyre Date:   2nd century CE Region:   Tyre [modern Lebanon] Citation:    Dissertation 18

Well, if it's appropriate to compare ancient literature with modern, what is Sappho's poetry except the Socratic art of love? For it seems to me that they both sought after the same thing: Socrates enjoyed the love of men, Sappho enjoyed the love of women.

• Both confessed that they loved many people, and were captivated by the most beautiful. 
• And the relationship that  Alcibiades, Charmides, and Phaedrus had with Socrates, 
• so too did Gyrinna, Athis and Anactoria have with Sappho. 
• And Prodicus, Gorgias, Thrasymachus and Protagoras were Socrates' rivals, 
• Gorgo and Andromeda were Sappho's rivals. 
• Sometimes Sappho blew off her lovers, sometimes she yelled at them, sometimes she would blow them away with the charm of Socratic wit.
• Socrates said: "Io, protect me!"
• Sappho said, "Protect me, son of Polyanax!"
• Socrates said that he did not date Alcibiades (whom he had a crush on for a while) until he could handle advanced conversations. 
• Sappho said, "you're just a little girl, way too immature." 
• Socrates criticized the body language and how sophists sat down; 
• Sappho sang, "the woman wearing a country-style dress." 
• Diotima said to Socrates that Cupid was not the son but the slave and attendant of Venus. 
• Sappho says the same thing in one of her poems: "You, too, o Cupid, you most beautiful slave." 
• Diotima said  that love flourishes in good times, and dies in bad times. 
• Sappho says the same thing: she calls love "bittersweet" and that it  gives troublesome gifts. 
• Socrates calls love a sophist; 
• Sappho called it a architect of words. 
• Socrates said that his love of Phaedrus put him in a Bacchic rage; 
• Sappho said that love shakes her mind like the winds shake the mountain treetops.   
• Socrates chided Xanthippe when she was sad about his impending death; 
• Sappho wrote to her daughter that "Grief wasn't appropriate (nefas) in the house of the muses, and it certainly isn't appropriate for us."

Sapphus vero (si quidem antiquiora cum recentioribus conferre fas est) quid est aliud quam amatoria ars Socratis? Videntur enim mihi idem spectare uterque, hic cum virorum, illa cum mulierum celebrat amorem. Uterque plurimos se amare fatetur, et ab omnibus formosis facillime capi. Quod enim Alcibiades illi & Charmides, et Phedrus, hoc Sapphoni Lesbiae Gyrinna, Athis, et Anactoria: et quod Socrati aemuli illi Prodicus, Gorgias, Thrasymachus, et Protagoras, hoc Sapphoni Gorgo et Andromeda. Interdum namque increpat illas, interdum arguit, tum ubique urbana illa Socratis elucet dissimulatio. Ionem salvere iubeo, ait Socrates. Plurimum salvere Polyanactis filium iubeo, ait Sappho. Negat se Alcibiadem quem diu ante amarat, priusquem e coloquiis suis fructum haurire posset, accedere voluisse Socrates. Parva mihi puella videre, nec adhuc matura, ait Sappho. Ille habitum alibi & discubitum sophistae perstringit: ila alibi canit, Quaedam rustica tunica induta. Amorem ait Diotima apud Socratem, non filium, sed pedissequum esse Veneris & famulum. Venus alibi apud Sapphonem in oda quadam ait, Et tu pulcherrime famule amor. Rursus Diotima ait, florere amorem cum abundat, mori cum eget. Illa utrumque coniungit: cum Amorem dulceamarum vocat, et dona aid dare, sed molesta. Socrates Amorem sophistam vocat, Sappho verborum architectum. Phaedri amore tanquam Bacchico furore concitare se ait Socrates. Illa vero, Amore mihi mentem, inquit, impulit, venti instar qui montanis incidit arboribus. Socrates Xanthippen perstringit, cum mortem eius dolet: illa filiae suae scribit, Nefas in poetica domo luctum esse; neque id nobis sit dignum. 

Translated into Latin by Claudius Larjot

Maximus of Tyre [2nd century CE, modern Lebanon] was listed as one of the most influential people in the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius’ life. He spent most of his life in scholarly pursuits; his Dissertations were a collection of philosophical treatises based on the works of Plato.

I Don't Owe You Grandchildren: Daphne, Ovid's Meta.1.481-487

I Don’t Owe You Grandchildren

Name:   Ovid Date:     43 BCE – 17 CE Region:    Sulmo [modern Italy] Citation: Metamorphoses 1.481 – 487

In his mythology-based epic poem The Metamorphoses, the poet Ovid uses the myth of Daphne and Apollo to explore the expectations of Roman women to marry and have children using the nymph Daphne as a foil to those expectations:

     

Often her father said, “Daughter, you owe me a son-in-law. Daughter, you owe me grandchildren!”

But Daphne, despising romance, would blush, embrace her father and reply, “Let me enjoy my virginity forever,dearest father! The goddess Diana's father let her do so; let me be free, too!”

 

I Don’t Owe You Grandchildren

Saepe pater dixit: “Generum mihi, filia, debes,”

Saepe pater dixit: “Debes mihi, nata, nepotes;”

illa velut crimen taedas exosa iugales

pulchra verecundo suffuderat ora rubore

inque patris blandis haerens cervice lacertis

“Da mihi perpetua, genitor carissime,” dixit

“virginitate frui! Dedit hoc pater ante Dianae.”

Ovid [Publius Ovidius Naso; 43 BCE – 17 CE, modern Italy] was one of the most famous love poets of Rome’s Golden Age. His most famous work, the Metamorphoses, provides a history of the world through a series of interwoven myths. Most of his poetry is erotic in nature; for this reason, he fell into trouble during the conservative social reforms under the reign of the emperor Augustus. In 8 CE he was banished to Bithynia [modern Turkey], where he spent the remainder of his life pining for his native homeland.