Marco Antonio Tritonio: Love Comes in All Forms

Reciprocal Love:

Halcyon & Ceyx

Hermaphroditus & Smilax

Orpheus & Euridice

Philemon & Baucis

Progne & Philomela

Pyramus & Thisbe

Sirens & Proserpina

The Sisters of Phaeton

The ancients stated perfectly that friends are merely one soul in many bodies, and that friendship is nothing more than a mutual harmony of souls—so much so that we grieve when a friend grieves, and we rejoice when a friend is happy. Check out the following examples which highlight reciprocal love and kindness:

1. Isn’t the greatest example of matrimonial love Halcyone’s love for Ceyx, for she spotted him drowned in the ocean from far away and leapt into the waves, becoming a halcyon bird? Isn’t the greatest example of love Ceyx’s love for Halcyone, even in death he could feel his transformed wife’s kisses, and was himself transformed into the same type of bird? Don’t we see this mutual love shared among spouses in this couple?  [cf. Ovid’s Metamorphoses book 2, story 10]

2. Hermaphroditus [the son of Venus and Mercury] and Smilax [the nymph of the Salmacian spring] loved each other so much that they are said to have merged into one body. [Cf. book 4, story 2]  

3. Orpheus is known for his love of Eurydice. He descended into the Underworld when he was still alive to restore his dead wife back to life. [book 10, story 1]

4. There was so much spousal love between Philemon and Baucis that they lived a long life together in poverty and never argued. [book 8, story 7]

5. Procne could not live without her sister Philomela. When she found out that her husband had attacked her, she took revenge on her husband and forced him to devour [the body of] their son Itys. [book 6, story 29]

6. The Babylonian couple Pyramus and Thisbe loved each other so much, that Pyramus killed himself when he believed that his Thisbe had died, and Thisbe killed herself with the same sword that he used. [book 4. Story 4]

7. The Sirens held such love for Proserpina that they demanded wings from the gods in order to more easily find Proserpina on land & sea [after she had been abducted]. Because of this, they were transformed into birds, but retained their women’s faces and voices. [book 5, story 16]

8. Phaeton’s sisters wept so many tears when he fell from the sky* that they were transformed into trees. [book 2, story 2]

-- --M. Antonii Tritonii Utinenis, Mythologia, 1560 p. 8-9

Amor Aliquorum Mutuus.

Halcyon & Ceyx

Hermaphroditus & Smilax

Orpheus & Euridice

Philemon & Baucis

Progne & Philomela

Pyramus & Thisbe

Sirenes, et Proserpina

Sorores, et Phaeton

 Praeclare veteres dixerunt amicos esse tanquam unam animam in pluribus corporibus, nihil enim aliud est amicitia, quam mutuus quidam animorum consensus, adeo ut cum dolentibus amicis doleamus, cum gaudentibus laetemur, quare optime fabulosa haec exempla sunt perpendenda, quae nobis mutuum aliquorum amorem & benevolentiam demonstrant.

1. Nonne maximus fuit Halcyonis in Ceycem maritum amor, si longius illum in aequore submersum prospiciens ac in medias undas prosiliens in Halcyonem avem conversa est? Nonne maxima ipsius Ceycis in coniugem benevolentia, si vel mortuus uxoris in avem commutatae sentiebat oscula, cuius etiam cadaver in eiusdem generis volucrem fuit transmutatum? in quibus adhuc servatam inter coniuges benevolentiam perspicimus [lib.ii.fab.x]

2. Hermaphroditus Veneris & Mercurii filius & Smilax Salmacis fontis nympha ita mutuo se dilexerunt amore, ut e duobus corporibus in unum commutati dicantur.[lib.iiii.fab.ii]

3. Amor etiam Euridices, et Orphei notus est, is enim vivus ad inferos descendit, ut mortuam coniugem ad pristinam vitam & incolumitatem reduceret. [lib.x.fab.i]

4. Inter Philomonem, & Baucidem coniuges tanta fuit benevolentia, ut pauperitatem suam patienter ferentes sine ulla rixa longam traduxerint aetatem. [lib.viii.fab.vii]

5. Progne, sine sorore Philomela vivere non poterat, cumque illam a marito Tereo stupratam cognovisset, ut pro sorore de marito vindictam sumeret, illi proprium filium Ityn devorandum apposuit. [lib.vi.fab.xxix.]

6. Pyramus & Thibse Babylones tanto se mutuo prosecuti sunt amore, ut cum Pyramus amicam credens mortuam seipsum interfecisset, Thisbe amantem mortuum nacta eodem se gladio traiecerit. [lib.iiii.fab.iiii]

7 Syrenes tanto amore Prosperinam sunt prosequutae, ut a Diis alas flagitarent, quo facilius Proserpinam terra, marique possent inquirere. Quare ita in aves fuere conversae, ut facies tamen virginea, voxque humana remanserit. [lib.v.fab.xvi.]

8 Sorores Phaetontis fratrem coelo delapsum tot lacimis deplorarunt, ut in arbores demum sint commutatae; tantus inter fratrem, et sorores amore extitit. [lib. ii. fab.ii]

  

 

A Miraculous Bird and Her Miraculous Zookeeper, Ausonius Epig. 45

A Miraculous Bird and Her Miraculous Zookeeper

Name:  Ausonius Date:  4th century CE Region:  Aquitania, Gaul [modern France] Citation: Epigram 76

It is important to note that the Romans did not necessarily differentiate between trans and intersex people; the term androgynus was used as an umbrella term.

 

At Valbone (an unusual occurrence

That would scarcely be believed from poets,

But which is alleged by a historian)

A male bird turned into a female bird;

A peacock became a peahen right before our eyes!

Everyone marveled at the omen,

But a girl, softer than a lamb, announced with her maiden’s voice:

“You goofballs, why are so amazed by this marvel?

 Haven’t you read the poems of Ovid[1]?

Saturn’s offspring Consus[2] changed Caeneus, 

And Tiresias was gender-fluid.

The Salmacis spring saw the intersex Hermaphroditus;

Pliny saw an intersex person get married,

And, more recently, in Beneventum,

One young man suddenly became a young woman!

But nevermind these old stories,

I myself am a woman, though born a boy.”

---

[1] A reference to The Metamorphoses.

[2] Poseidon/Neptune, not Consus, is usually associated with the myth of Caeneus.

Latin Text: 

Vallebanae (nova res et vix credenda poetis,)

sed quae de vera promitur historia)

femineam in speciem convertit masculus ales

pavaque de pavo constitit ante oculos.

Cuncti admirantur monstrum, sed mollior agna...

[Talia virginea voce puella refert:]

“Quid stolidi ad speciem notae novitatis hebetis?

An vos Nasonis carmina non legitis?

Caenida convertit proles Saturnia Consus

ambignoque fuit corpore Tiresias.

Vidit semivirum fons Salmacis Hermaphroditum:

vidit nubentem Plinius Androgynum

nec satis antiquum, quod Campana in Benevento

unus epheborum virgo repente fuit.

Nolo tamen veteris documenta arcesse famae.

Ecce ego sum factus femina de puero.”  

Ausonius [Decimus Magnus Ausonius; 310 – 395 CE, modern France] was a Roman poet from Aquitania, Gaul who lived during the 4th century CE. He is best known for his epic poem Mosella, which describes the Moselle River, and his Epistles, a series of literary poems between himself and the Christian poet Paulinus.

A Statue of Hermaphroditus, Greek Anthology 2.102-3, 5

Although intersex people were not treated well throughout Roman history [cf. Pliny NH vii.iii.34], Greco-Roman authors were fascinated by the concept of a person who could transcend the rigid gender roles imposed by society. The following is a description of a statue of Hermaphroditus:

And here’s a statue of Hermaphroditus, who is neither entirely male or female;

Rather they are a mixture.  At first glance, you’d think,

“This is Hermes’ & Venus’ kid.”…

Hermaphroditus’ body mixes the beauty of every body.

Hermaphroditus adest, nec vir nec femina totus,

Mixta sed effigies: consectu corporis ipsum

Mercurio dices & pulchra Cypride natum....

Mixta gerens gemino de sexu signa decoris.

ἵστατο δ᾽ Ἑρμαφρόδιτος ἐπήρατος, οὔθ᾽ ὅλος ἀνήρ,

οὐδὲ γυνή: μικτὸν γὰρ ἔην βρέτας ἦ τάχα κοῦρον

Κύπριδος εὐκόλποιο καὶ Ἑρμάωνος ἐνίψεις:...

ξυνῆς ἀγλαΐης κεκερασμένα σήματα φαίνων.

--Greek Anthology 2.102-3, 5 [V.21 in previous edition]; Translated into Latin by Hugo Grotius

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 10^th century CE and one from the 14^th century CE. The anthology contains authors spanning the entirety of Greek literature, from archaic poets to Byzantine Christian poets. 

Masculine, Feminine, Neuter: Greco-Roman Portrayals of the Myth of Hermaphroditus

Although intersex people were not treated well throughout Roman history [cf. Pliny NH vii.iii.34], Greco-Roman authors were fascinated by the concept of a person who could transcend the rigid gender roles imposed by society. The following examples show several authors' attempts to play with grammatical gender in their poems about intersex individuals /myths.

1A grammar teacher’s daughter got pregnant

And had a kid that was masculine, feminine, and neuter.

) Grammatici filia genuit amore mixta

sobole masculam, feminam, neutram.

γραμματικοῦ θυγάτηρ ἔτεκεν φιλότητι μιγεῖσα

παιδίον ἀρσενικόν, θηλυκόν, οὐδέτερον.

 --Palladas, Greek Anthology IX.489; Translated into Latin by Friedrich Duebner

 

 I am Hermes to men, and Aphrodite to women;

I wear the shape of both of my parents.

So it’s no wonder why they put me, the intersex Hermaphroditus,

In a bathhouse meant for all.

In Hermaphroditum in balneis stantem

Maribus Mercurius sum, feminis vero Cypris cernor:

utriusque autem fero in me signa parentis.

Ideo haud immerito me Hermaphroditum posuerunt in

communis-viris-et-feminis lavacro puerum ambiguum.

εἰς Ἑρμαφρόδιτον ἐν λουτρῷ ἱστάμενον

ἀνδράσιν Ἑρμῆς εἰμι, γυναιξὶ δὲ Κύπρις ὁρῶμαι

ἀμφοτέρων δὲ φέρω σύμβολά μοι τοκέων.

τοὔνεκεν οὐκ ἀλόγως με τὸν Ἑρμαφρόδιτον ἔθεντο

ἀνδρογύνοις λουτροῖς παῖδα τὸν ἀμφίβολον.

--Greek Anthology IX.783; Translated into Latin by Friedrich Duebner

It is said that when my mother bore me in her womb,

the gods debated what she would give birth to.

Phoebus said, “It’s a boy!”

Mars said, “It’s a girl!”

Juno said, “It’s neither!”

And now that I’m born, I’m Hermaphroditus.

When she asked how I would die,

The goddess said, “Death by the sword!”

Mars said, “Death by the cross!”

Phoebus said, “Death by water!”

And fate figured out the rest.

There was a tree that gave shade to the water;

I climbed it;

My sword fell;

And I fell on top of it;

My foot got caught on a branch;

My head fell into the water;

And so there I was

A man

A woman

Neither

Dying by water

Weapon

And cross.

I don’t know what the final outcome of my gender will be,

But I’ll be happy

If I understand that I was both.

Cum mea me mater gravida gestaret in alvo,

quid pareret, fertur consuluisse deos.

Phoebus ait, "puer est," Mars "femina," Iuno "neutrum,":

Iam, quom sum natus, Hermaphroditus eram.

Quaerenti letum dea sic ait "occidet armis."

Mars "cruce" Phoebus "aquis;" sors rata quaeque fuit.

Arbor obumbrat aquas: ascendo; labitur ensis,

quem tuleram, casu: labor et ipse super;

pes haesit ramis, caput incidit amne, tulique

vir mulier neutram flumina tela crucem.

Nescio quem sexum mihi sors extrema reliquit,

felix, si sciero cur utriusque fui.

--Codex Salmasianus 127

  

A Marble Hermaphroditus: Martial, Epigr. 14.174

Name: Martial Date: c. 40 – 100 CE Region: Bilbilis, Hispania [modern Spain] Citation: Epigrams 14.174

He entered the spring, but they emerged from it.
Their body has one part of a man's; the rest is a woman's.

Masculus intravit fontis: emersit utrumque:
pars est una patris, cetera matris habet.

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.