Saying Farewell to a Friend: Anth. Lat. 445

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.

 Friends, my Crispus was taken away from me

If I could give anything to bring him back

I would gladly give half of my life.

Now the best part of me has abandoned me.

Crispus, you were my support, my joy,

My heart, my delight:  

Without him, my mind cannot find anything enjoyable.

I will spend the rest of my life worn out and defeated

Since more than half of me has gone.

--Anthologia Latina 445

Ablatus mihi Crispus est, amici

pro quo si pretium dari liceret

nostros dividerem libenter annos.

Nunc pars optima me mei reliquit

Crispus, praesidium meum, voluptas,

pectus, deliciae: nihil sine illo

laetum mens mea iam putabit esse.

Consumptus male debilisque vivam:

plus quam dimidium mei recessit.

 

Androgynous Beauty: Codex Vass. 4.430

O godlike face, worthy of Bacchus or Apollo

Which no man or woman can see without succumbing to your charms!

O fingers, the sort that you’d think

Would belong to a boy

Or a girl

Or—even a goddess!

Blessed is the woman who turns your head with her kisses,

Blessed is the woman who makes your lips red with kisses,

Whichever girl that can hold you, cheek-to-cheek

And wear out your tongue with kisses!

--Attributed falsely to Seneca,  Codex Vassiani 4.430

O sacros vultus Baccho vel Apolline dignos,

Quos vir, quos tuto femina nulla videt!

O digitos, quales pueri vel virginis esse

vel potius credas virginis esse dei!

Felix, si qua tuum conrodit femina collum,

Felix, quae labris livida labra facit,

Quaeque puella tuo cum pectore pectora ponit

et linguam tenero lassat in ore suam.

 

  The Codex Vassianus is a manuscript of Latin poetry that preserves poetry from 13^th century CE and earlier.