Atalanta's Loyal Companion, [from Andrea Navagero]

 Author: Andrea Navagero

Region: [modern Italy]

Date: 16th century CE

Citation: [Picta Poesis Ovidiana [1580], p. 89

Often Atalanta would travel through the quiet glades

Safely, with her trusty dog at her side.

Whether she routed her prey through the hills

Or if she wanted to tackle the savage beasts head-on

Her pup companion was always by her side,

And never more than an inch away from her at all times.

 

 

Saepe pererrabat tacitos Atalanta recessus:

tuta tamen fido Menalione fuit.

Cingeret obsessos seu curva indagine colles:

seu cuperet saevas cominus ire feras.

Haerebat lateri semper comes ille: nec umquam,

a domina lato longius ungue fuit.

W/W: Remember Me, Delicate Rose: A Medieval Love Poem

Remember Me, Delicate Rose: A Medieval Nun to Her Girlfriend

Name:    Unknown Date:     12th Century CE Region:  [western Europe] Citation:   MGH Volume 8: Liebesbriefe 8 [1]

To her unique rose G,

From A, the bond of precious love.

How can I be strong enough

To endure your leaving?

Isn’t my strength the strength of stone

To wait for your return?

Night and day, I can’t stop grieving

When you’re gone, it feels like I’ve lost a hand and a foot.

When you’re gone, everything that is pleasant and delightful

Is like mud under my foot.

I turn to weeping instead of joy;

My heart is never happy.

When I recall the kisses you’ve given me,

And how you restored my heart with your happy words,

I’d rather die

Than not see you again.

What will wretched ol’ me do?

Where will poor li’l ol’ me turn?

If only my body were laid to earth

Until your longed-for return occurs,

Or if I could make a trip like Habakkuk

To go where you are.

To see the face of my lover—just once!—

I’d be content to die right then and there.

For no other woman was born in the universe

Who is so lovely and pleasant,

Without any fake or feigned aspects,

Who loves me with such deep intimacy.

 So I’ll never stop grieving

Until I’m worthy of seeing you again.

According to a certain Wise One,

Mankind’s great Sorrow is to be kept from

The one person you cannot live without.

As long as the world still stands

You will never be taken from the bottom of my heart.

Why do I delay any further?

Return,  sweet love!

Don’t put off your travels any longer,

Remember that I cannot endure your absence any longer.

Goodbye.

Remember me.

[1] Piechl,Helmut and Bergmann, Werner. Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Vol. 8: Die Tegernseer Briefsammlung des 12. Jahrhunderts, p. 356. 

Remember Me, Delicate Rose: A Medieval Nun to her Girlfriend

G unicae suae rosae

A vinculum dilectionis preciosae.

Quae est fortitudo mea, ut sustineam,

ut in tuo discessu patientiam habeam?

Numquid fortitudo mea fortitudo est lapidum,

ut tuum exspectem reditum?

Quae nocte et die non cesso dolere,

velut qui caret manu et pede.

Omne quod iucundum est et delectabile

absque te habetur ut lutum pedum calcabile.

Pro gaudere duco fletus

numquam animus meus apparet laetus.Dum recordor quae dedisti oscula,

et quam iucundis verbis refrigerasti pectuscula,

mori libet

quod te videre non licet.

Quid faciam miserrima?

Quo me vertam pauperrima?

O si corpus meum terrae fuisset creditum

usque ad optatum tuum reditum,

aut si translatio mihi concederetur Abaccuc

ut semel venissem illuc,

ut vultum amantis inspexissem,

et tunc non curarem si ipsa hora mortua fuissem!

Nam in mundo non est nata

quae tam amabilis sit et grata,

et quae sine simulatione

tam intima me diligat dilectione.

Unde sine fine non cesso dolere

donec te merear videre.

Revera iuxta quendam sapientem magna miseria est hominis,

cum illo non esse

sine quo non potest esse.

Dum constat orbis

numquam deleberis de medio mei cordis.

Quid multis moror?

Redi, dulcis amor!

Noli iter tuum longius differe,

scias me absentiam tuam diutius non posse suffere.

Vale,

meique memorare.     

Marco Antonio Tritonio: A List of the Chaste

Chaste / Celibate / Asexual:

Anaxarete

Arethusa

Daphne

Eperie

Hippolytus

Lotos

Musae

Narcissus

Syrinx

Many people preserve their chastity, and we can easily list a bunch from literature, but these are a few examples that are relevant to everyone:

ANAXARETE: was a maiden from Cyprus who was never worn down by her suitor Iphis’* begging to court her [cf. Ovid’s Metamorphoses, book 14, story 17]

ARETHUSA: was a nymph and companion of Diana who valued her chastity so much that turned into a spring when the river god Alpheus tried to attack her [book 8, story 17] 

DAPHNE: was the daughter of the river god Peneus and object of Apollo’s desire who valued her chastity so much that she would rather turn into a laurel tree instead of being courted by him [book 1, story 9]

EPERIE was one of the nymphs who died of a snake bite while running away from Aesacus’ attack [book 2, story 2]

HIPPOLYTUS: was the son of Theseus. When he was desired by his stepmother Phaedra, he was never worn down by her prayers to court him [book 17, story 45] 

LOTOS: was a nymph who was turned into a tree to preserve her chastity while fleeing Priapus’ attack [book 9, story 6]

THE MUSES were so chaste that when they were imprisoned and anticipated being attacked by Pyreneus, they turned into birds and flew away. They would rather lose their original form than give up their chastity [book 5, story 4]

NARCISSUS: of course Narcissus is listed here, since he was never swayed by Echo’s attempts to date him [book 3, story 5]

SYRINX: of course we have to list Syrinx, who transformed herself into a reed when she was escaping the god Pan’s attack [book 1, story 12] 

* Iphis was a common first name. This is not the same Iphis in the myth of Iphis & Ianthe

-- --M. Antonii Tritonii Utinenis, Mythologia, 1560 p. 15-16

CASTI

• Anaxarete
• Arethusa
• Daphne
• Eperie
• Hippolytus
• Lotos
• Musae
• Narcissus
• Syrinx

Castitatem plurimi semper faciendam & si ex historiis facile colligere possumus, id tamen ex iis etiam, quae afferemus exemplis unicuique patebit.

ANAXARETE Cypria virgo Iphidis amantis precibus ad lasciviam nunquam potuit adduci [lib xiiii.fab.xvii]

ARETHUSA nympha Dianae comes tanta fuit castitate, ut cum illam Alpheus fluvius vehementius persequeretur, in fontem abire non recusarit. [lib.viii.fab.xvii]

DAPHNE Penei fluvii filia tanta fuit castitate, ut ab Apolline amata in laurum potius converti, quam illum voluerit audire [lib.i.fab.ix]

EPERIE una & ipsa ex nymphis, ne ab insequenti raperetur Aesaco, inter currendum serpentis ictu interiit. [lib.ii.fab.ii]

HIPPOLYTUS THesei filius cum a Phaedra noverca adamaretur, nullis precibus adduci potuis, ut ei congrederetur. [lib.xviii.fab.xlv.]

LOTOS nympha Priapi fugiens vim, ne castitatem ammitteret suam, in arborem versa est. [lib.ix.fab.vi]

TAM castae fuerunt Musae, ut cum sibi a Pyreneo, qui Daulida Phocis urbem incolebat, vim sensissent inferri, iamque in thalamo stuprandae clausae forent, in volucres commutatae sumptis aliis effugerint, sicque pristinam potius formam, quam castam voluntatem noluerunt commutare. [lib.v.fab.iiii]

NARCISSUS etiam inter castos merito est numerando, cu mEcho nymphae illecebris commoveri nunquam potuerit. [lib. iii.fab.v]

NEC minus Syrinx castissima praedicatur, quae ut Pana Deum amantem fugeret, in arundinem se transformari postulavit. [lib.i.fab.xii]

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]

  

 

Marco Antonio Tritonio, Those Who Had The Power To Change Their Forms

THOSE WHO HAD THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THEIR FORMS.

• Achelous
• Caenis
• Metra
• Morpheus
• Periclymenus
• Protheus
• Scython
• Tethys
• Vertmnus

*ACHELOUS used to change into many different forms [cf. Ovid’s Metamorphoses, book 9, story 1]

* CAENIS born a girl, beloved by Neptune, and was granted the ability to change into a man because he wanted to do so, and was called Caeneus [cf. book 12, story 4]

* METRA was the daughter of Erisichthon, whom Neptune granted the ability to change into whatever form she wanted  [cf book 8, story 9]

* MORPHEUS was the son of Somnus who could imitate any shape [cf. book 2, story 10]

* PERICLYMENUS: Neptune gave him the ability to turn into whatever shape he wanted [cf. book 12, story 5]

* PROTHEUS was the son of Oceanus and Tethys who had the ability to change shape into whatever shape they wanted [book 8 story 7]

* SCYTHON could alternate between man and woman  [book 4 story 8 ]

* TETHYS could also do that [book 2, story 7 ]

* VERTUMNUS was a god who lived up to his name, in that he could change into various shapes [book 14 story 16 ]

--M. Antonii Tritonii Utinenis, Mythologia, 1560 p. 65-66

Qui in Varias Se Formas Convertendi Potestaem Habuerunt.

Achelous

Caenis

Metra

Morpheus

Periclymenus

Protheus

Scython

Tethys

Vertmnus

ACHELOUS in multas se commutare figuras consueverat. [lib.ix.fab.1]

CAENIS puella a Neptuno adamata obtinuit, ut in virum cum vellet, mutaretur, qui Caeneus dictus est. [lib.xii.fab.iiii]

METRA Erisichthonis filia, in quascunque voluisset formas convertendi se a Neptuno potestatem impetravit. [lib.viii.fab.ix]

MORPHEUS Somni filius omnium figuraarum erat imitator [lib.ii.fab.x]

PERICLYMENUS a Neptuno quoque potestatem accepit, ut se in quas optaret, figuras verteret. [lib.xii.fab.v]

PROTHEUS Oceani & Tethyos filius eam a Diis habuit potestatem, ut in quas vellet formas se commutaret. [lib.viii.fab.vii]

SCYTHON modo in virum, modo in feminam potuit converti. [lib.iiii.fab.viii]

TETHYS idem efficere consuverat, [lib.ii.fab.vii]

VERTUMNUS Deus vel ipso nomne demosntrat, ut in varias potuerit verti figuras. [lib.xiiiifab.xvi]

 

 

A Mother's Prayers for her Trans Son: Marco Antonio Tritonio on Telethusa

TELETHUSA: was the wife of a man named Ligdus. Because of her steadfast piety, she was able to get the goddess Isis to transform her son Iphis from a woman into a man. [cf. Ovid's Metamorphosis book 9, story 10]

--M. Antonii Tritonii Utinenis, Mythologia, 1560

TELETHUSA: Ligdi cuiusdam uxor ob immensam certe pietatem potuit ab Iside Dea impetrare, ut Iphis filius ex femina in marem converteretur. [lib.ix.fab.x]

 

A List of Those Who Boldly Rejected Romantic Love: M. Antonii Tritonii Utinensis, Mythologia

This author uses Ovid's myths to showcase his own medieval Christian beliefs.   The topic "protervi," ["bold, shameful, wanton"] lists women (and one man) who brazenly reject romantic love. Their one connecting attribute--an unapologetic demand for bodily autonomy--is seen as a vice instead of a virtue in the eyes of this medieval author.  

 

THE BOLD

Includes:

• Anaxarete
• Arethusa
• Daphne
• Eperie
• Lotos
• Narcissus 
• Scylla  
• Syrinx

·       ANAXARETE: In the case of her own boldness in regards to love, since she caused her suitor Iphis* to hang himself. But she also paid the penalty for her own boldness, for Venus turned her into a boulder because of this. [cf. Ovid’s Metamorphoses book 14, story 17]

ARETHUSA: a nymph who was deservedly transformed into a spring while fleeing her suitor Alpheus  [book 5, story 17]

DAPHNE: The daughter of the river god Peneus, who never caved in to her suitor [Apollo]. She was transformed into a laurel / bay tree. [book 1, story 9]  

EPERIE: a nymph who while fleeing her suitor Aesacus, was killed by a snake bite.  [book ii, story ii]

LOTOS: running away from Priapus, she was transformed into a tree [book 9, story 6]

NARCISSUS: displayed his boldness when he fled from the nymph Echo’s advances [book 3, story 8]

SCYLLA: a nymph who hid under the waves every time the sea god Glaucus flirted with her. Finally she was transformed into an underwater rock that was dangerous to sailors [book 14, story 1]

SYRINX: an exceedingly pretty Naiad whom Pan loved, who could never shake off Pan’s advances. Because of her boldness, she was transformed into a reed. [book 1, story 12]

* Iphis is a common name in the ancient world; this is not the same Iphis from the myth of Iphis & Ianthe

 --M. Antonii Tritonii Utinenis, Mythologia, 1560

 PROTERVI

• Anaxarete
• Arethusa
• Daphne
• Eperie
• Lotos
• Narcissus
• Scylla
• Syrinx

ANAXARETE Cypria sua protervitate fuit in causa, ut amator Iphis laqueo se strangularet, sed illa quoque protervitatis suae meritas poenas dedit, nam Veneris voluntate in saxum versa est.[lib.xiiii.fab.xvii] 

ARETHUSA nympha Alpheum amantem fugiens merito in fontem abiit. [l.v.f.xvii]

DAPHNE Penei fl[uminis] filia ab Apolline amata nunquam voluit amanti assentiri. unde in laurum versa est [lib.i.fab.ix]

 EPERIE nympha Aesacum amantem fugiens serpentis ictu interiit. [lib.ii.fab.ii]

LOTOS quoque Priapum evitans in arborem transfigurata est. [lib.ix.fab.6] 

NARCISSUS protervus extitit, cum Echo nympham aufugeret. [lib.iii.fab.viii] 

SCYLLA nympha quotiens a Glauco Deo marino blandis vocabatur verbis, toties se sub undas abscondebat, unde in saxum postremo nautis periculosum conversa fuit. [lib.xiiii.fa.i]

SYRINX Naiadum pulcherrima a Pane adamata flecti nunquam potuit, ob quam protervitatem in arundinem fuit commutata [lbi.i.fab.xii]

Caeneus Tells His Story: Andrea Dugonicius, Argonauticorum book 8

Caeneus Tells His Story

Name:   Andrea Dugonicius Date:   18th century Region:   Szecseny [modern Hungary] Citation:   The Argonauts, or the Golden Fleece Book 8, p. 203 (1778)

Caeneus and Tiresias were seen as the archetypal trans heroes of Greek myth, and occasionally their stories were conflated. In this account of Caeneus, the author here is using elements from the myths of both Tiresias [who transforms from a woman back into a man after seven years] and the myth of Iphis [who was transformed into a man on his wedding day]. 

We had scarcely left sight of Delos and were contemplating what we’d learned. I wasn’t the only one who was worried about the prophecies we’d been given in the shrine. Everyone was either really happy or really terrified about it, but nobody was more worried than Caeneus, for Apollo predicted that he would again become a woman.

I told him, “Hey, Caeneus, buddy, what’s going on? Fill me in so I’m not still in the dark—you used to be a woman?”

He replied, “I was a woman, but now, thanks to the blessings of Neptune, you know me as a man.”

When he didn’t respond anything else, I asked him, friend-to-friend, to tell me more, and then Caeneus told me everything:

“My dad Elatus got a prophecy from the gods, I guess, that he’d be killed by his firstborn daughter, so he avoided getting married. Finally, a bunch of his friends convinced him to do so, so he married the daughter of Antippus. When she gave birth to me and saw she’d birthed a girl, she ignored my father’s prophecy and hid my gender and called me Caeneus. Later on, when I became old enough to get married, I listened to my mother Hippea’s advice and put off getting married. I kept rejecting all of the girls, and really liked hanging out with guys. My father kept hounding me about getting married, and even threatened me with terrible things if  I didn’t obey his will. Well, he finally got his way (even though I didn’t want to). I was betrothed to one of the Magnesian girls, and I kept praying and giving offerings to Neptune to save me.

My prayers were so desperate, that they even found their way underwater. For when I approached the altar on my wedding day, I felt that I had become a man—and that everything got better when I had the body of a man. My mind was now sharper, as well as my reasoning powers; my civic duty was more productive; my romantic love was more purified, and more mellow; my relationships with my friends were stronger, and finally, I gained a yearning for true and wholesome glory. If I change back to a girl, if I lose all of this, what will I do? What friends will I have? Where will I turn?”

This was what Caeneus was worried about.

  

Caeneus Tells His Story

Vix e conspectu Deli discessimus, illico variae cogitationes mortalium animos occuparunt. Non alia potior cogitandi materies, quam edita in Fano oracula. Suam quisque fortunam aut amabat in iis, aut metuebat.

Sed Caeneo magis nemo angebatur, quem iterum foeminam futurum Apollo praedixerat. “Quid vero est,” inquiebam, “mi Caeneu, hoc ne ego ignorare adhuc potui, olim te fuisse foeminam?”

“Fui,” reposuit ille, “foemina, at nunc Neptuni beneficio virum noveris.”

 Cum dein nihil reponeret, ego socium, uti rem aperiat, rogare; tum ille ita recensere historiam:

“Pater meus Elatus, nescio, quo Deorum responso certior redditus: fore, uti a filia, quam primam sustulisset, necaretur, diu a mulierum societate penitus abstinuit; tandem multis Amicorum suasionibus inductus Antippo genitam in coniugem adlegit, quae cum me in lucem ederet, et puellam videret, eorum, quae Patri responsa erant, non immemor, sexum occultavit, atque adpellavit Caeneum. Post, ubi ad eam aetatem perveni, qua uxor e civibus deligenda erat, ego Matris Hippeae monitu omne coniugium respuere, aversari omnes virgines; cum iuvenibus libenter conversari, contra urgere coniugium Pater, et, ni voluntati obsequerer, mala comminari omnia.

Vicit obstinatam. Despondi unam e Magnesiis invita, simulque Neptunum, uti nunc demum miserae succureret, voto precata, et suppliciis. Tam fervens oratio fuit, ut penetrare in maria potuerit. Cum enim ad aras accederem, virum me esse sensi, quo cum sexu omnia mihi pariter bona contigerunt: mens praestantior, et ratio; sollers cura Reipublicae; fervor in amando purior, et decoctus magis; adhoc arctum cum amicis vinculum; postremo gloriae adpetitus verae, atque solidae. His ego omnibus, si sexum mutavero, orbus, quid agam? quo me vertam socii?” Haec de sua sorte Caeneus.

Andrea Dugonicius [18th century, modern Hungary] was born in Szecseny, Hungary, and spent his life contributing to the world as a scholar and a clergyman. One of his most famous works was a 24 volume novel in Latin called The Argonautica.

I Will Never Be Yours: An Ace Daphne Confronts Apollo, M. Marullus

Daphne: I’ll Never Be Yours, Apollo

Name: Michele Marullo Tarchaniota Date: 1330 – 1408 CE Region:   Constantinople [modern Turkey] / Volterra [modern Italy] Citation:   Illustrated Myths of Ovid (1580) 17

I am now safe from your divinity,

As a newly transformed bay tree!

I, a maiden who stayed a maiden,

I, who was mean to her stalker.

And now he hugs my naked branches and tells me to rejoice that I am now his.

I may be your tree, but I’ll not be your spouse. [1]

 

Daphne: I’ll Never Be Yours, Apollo

Tuta suis monstris, et iam nova Laurea Daphne:

Aspera amatori sic quoque virgo suo:

Nunc ait, exulta ramos complexus inanes:

Ut tua sim, coniunx non ero nempe tua.

 

---

[1] A reference to the famous line of the version in Ovid’s Metamorphoses 1.557-558 [“'at, quoniam coniunx mea non potes esse, /  arbor eris certe' dixit 'mea!” / “But since you cannot be my wife, you can be my tree!”].

Michele Marullo Tarcaniota [1458 – 1500 CE, Constantinople, modern Turkey / Volterra, modern Italy] was a famous scholar and author known for his Greco-Roman mythology-themed poetry.