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.

Some Poems on Love from the Codex Salmasianus

 263. De Hippolyto et Phaedra

Pudor* can prevail over lies;

But even chaste and innocent blushing

Vincere falsa pudor poterat; sed castus et insons

Erubuit Phaedrae vincere falsa pudor.

Blushed at Phaedra’s lies.

[*Pudor is a complex term that is difficult to translate. It is anything from a person's sense of self worth and self respect, a person's physical chastity, or an emotional response to impiety (e.g., blushing)]

264. De tumulo Achillis

Love kindles strife

To burn lovers more enticingly

To [reach] the ultimate sign of devotion.

Iurgia conflat amor, ut blandius urat amantes,

Ad cumulum fidei iurgia conflat amor.

265. De Niso & Euryalo

The name of friendship must be cherished with great responsibility;

The greatest part of life is the name of friendship.

Nomen amicitiae magna pietate colendum est

Maxima pars vitae est nomen amicitiae.

266. Item, unde supra

Dear mind, when you are loved, love back!

It is rare to find friends,

It is rare to keep them.

Dear mind, when you are loved, love back.

Mens, ubi amaris, ama; rarum est agnoscere amicos;

rarum servare <est>. Mens, ubi amaris, ama.

--Codex Salmasianus #263 - 266

The Codex Salmasianus is a manuscript of Latin poetry that preserves poetry from 6^th century CE and earlier. It was named after Claude de Saumaise, a 17th century scholar who owned the manuscript. 

M/M: Love in these Trying Times, Ovid, Tristia I.ix.23-36

Caesar doesn’t mind a person staying true to their friend in troubled times, even if you’re a friend to his enemy. He won’t even get mad—his self-control is beyond compare—at someone in trying times who loves whatever it is he loved before.

Thoas himself is said to have approved of Pylades after he heard the story of Orestes’ companion.

From Hector’s mouth came praises of the loyalty of Patroclus for his great Achilles.  

When “pious” Theseus went with his friend Pirithous to the Underworld, they say that the god of the Tartarus himself grieved for him.

One can believe that when the tale of Nisus’ & Euryalus’ faith were told to you, Turnus, your cheeks were wet with tears.

 
There is piety among the wretched, and it is valued even among the enemy.

But oh my, how few men are moved by my words!

sed tamen in duris remanentem rebus amicum

     quamlibet inviso Caesar in hoste probat,

nec solet irasci—neque enim moderatior alter—

     cum quis in adversis, siquid amavit, amat.

de comite Argolici postquam cognovit Orestae,

     narratur Pyladen ipse probasse Thoas.

quae fuit Actoridae cum magno semper Achille,

     laudari solita est Hectoris ore fides.

quod pius ad Manes Theseus comes iret amico,

     Tartareum dicunt indoluisse deum.

Euryali Nisique fide tibi, Turne, relata

     credibile est lacrimis inmaduisse genas.

est etiam in miseris pietas, et in hoste probatur.

     ei mihi, quam paucos haec mea dicta movent! 

--Ovid, Tristia I.ix.23-36

 Ovid 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, where he spent the remainder of his life pining for his native homeland.

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends: Ovid, Ex Ponto II.iii.41-49

 

Name:   Ovid Date:     43 BCE – 17 CE Region:    Sulmo [modern Italy] Citation: Letters from Pontus 2.3.41 – 48

Ovid wrote this poem while in exile, the lowest point of his life. In this passage, he reaches out to his friend Maximus for help while comparing their relationship with famous examples from mythology: 

 

Consider how Achilles honored his friend Patroclus when he died, 

And remember that this life of mine is a living death!

Theseus accompanied Pirithous to the Underworld;

How far off is my death from the Stygian waves?

Pylades supported Orestes through his mental crisis;

My troubles have given me no less a crisis.

Maximus, accept the same praise that these heroes received,

And keep doing what you are doing,

Helping me however you can while my life is in ruins.

Cerne quid Aeacides post mortem praestet amico:

instar et hanc vitam mortis habere puta.

Pirithoum Theseus Stygias comitavit ad undas:

a Stygia quantum mors mea distat aqua?

Adfuit insano iuvenis Phoceus Orestae: 

et mea non minimum culpa furoris habet.

Tu quoque magnorum laudes admitte virorum,

ut facis, et lapso quam potes adfer opem.

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.

M/M: When No One Wants To Be Your Patroclus... Herodian, Hist. IV.8

Once he did this, and arranged the infrastructure of the cities to the best of his abilities, Caracalla went to Pergamum [a city in Asia], to take advantage of the medical attention of the Temple of Asclepius. Having obtained the visions he was seeking there, he then headed to Ilium [Troy].  After taking a tour of its ruins, he then proceeded to the tomb of Achilles. Once he was there, he decked it with wreaths and flowers, and then began to imitate Achilles. Yearning for a Patroclus, he made do with what was available, and offed Festus—the dearest of all of his freedmen, one of his personal secretaries.  While they were staying at Ilium, Festus had died—by poison (as some alleged; others say he died of disease), so of course, now Caracalla could bury him in the manner of Patroclus. Caracalla ordered Festus’ body to be put on display, then arranged a funeral pyre with a large amount of firewood. Then, placing the corpse in the middle of the pyre, and slaughtering all sorts of animals in sacrifice, he set the pyre on fire, and pouring a libation with by his own hand, he prayed to the winds. And when he tried to take a lock of his already balding hair to offer on the pyre, he was mocked, but he nevertheless cut what little hair he had.

His igitur actis, atque urbibus prout quanque potuerat ordinatis, Pergamum adit, Asiae civitatem, ut Aesculapii curationibus uteretur. Quo postquam pervenit somniis quamdiu voluit captatis Ilium mox petiit, & cunctis urbis reliquiis collustratis, ad Achillis tumulum processit. Eoque coronis, floribusque magnifice exornato rursus imitari Achillem coepit. Sed Patroclum desideras alique, quippia huiusmodi fecit, libertorum omnium carissimus Festus, a memoria, dum ad Ilium moratur, vita defunctus est, veneno (ut quidam aiebant) extinctus, quo scilicet Patrocli more sepeliretur (ut alii affirmant) morbo interceptus. Huius igitur cadaver efferi iussit, compluribus lignis rogum strui. Dein imposito in medium, mactatisque omne genus animalibus subiecit ignem, phialamqye manu tenens,vinumque libans, ventos precebatur. Cumque esset raro capillo et crinem quaereret, ut imponeret ignibus deridiculo erat omnibus, caeterum quos habuit capillos, tamen totondit. Laudabat autem ex omnibus ducibus, praecipue Syllam Romanum et Afrum Annibalem: quibus etiam statuas atque imagines excitavit.

ταύτα δε ποιήσας τά τε εν ταϊς πόλεσι διοικήσας ως ενεδέχετο ήπείχθη ες Πέργαμον της Ασίας χρήσασθαι βουλόμενος θεραπείαις του Ασκληπιού. άφικόμενος δή εκεί και ες όσον ήθελε των όνειράτων έμφορηθείς ήκεν ες Ιλιον. επελθών δε πάντα τα της πόλεως λείψανα ήκεν επί τον Αχιλλέως τάφον στεφάνοις τε κοσμήσας και ανθεσι πολυτελώς πάλιν Αχιλλέα εμιμείτο. ζητών τε και Πάτροκλόν τινα έποίησέ τι τοιούτον. ήν αυτώ τις των απελευθέρων φίλτατος Φηστος μεν όνομα της δε βασιλείου μνήμης προεστώς. ούτος όντος αυτού εν Ιλίω ετελεύτησεν ως μέν τινες έλεγον φαρμάκω αναιρεθείς ίν ως Πάτροκλος ταφή ως δε έτεροι έφασκoν νόσω διαφθαρείς. τούτου κομισθήναι κελεύει τον νέκυν ξύλων τε πολλών άθροισθήναι πυράν επιθείς τε αυτόν εν μέσω και παντοδαπά ζώα κατασφάξας υφήψέ τε και φιάλην λαβών σπένδων τε τοις ανέμοις εύχετο. πάνυ τε ών ψιλοκόρσης πλόκαμον επιθεϊναι το πυρί ζητων εγελάτο πλήν ων είχε τριχών απεκείρατο επήνει δε και στρατηγών μάλιστα Σύλλαν τε τον και Αννίβαν τον Λίβυν ανδριάντας τε αυτών και είκόνας ανέστησεν.

--Herodian Historiae IV.8, Translated into Latin by Angel Politianus, 1627

 Little is known about this later Roman historian except that he was from Syria and that he wrote about events that occurred during his lifetime. His Histories consist of eight books documenting Roman History from the time of the death of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius until the ascension of Gordian III (from 180 – 238 CE).

Challenging Gender Roles: Two Fragments of Accius on Achilles, Accius, fr. 28 & 304

Name: Accius  Date:   170 – 86 BCE Region:   Umbria [modern Italy] Citation:  fragment 28, 304

1) Achilles on Skyros: 

...cum virginali mundo clam pater

--Accius fr. 28, quoted in Festus

[Achilles], a father hiding in a maiden’s dress...

This fragment of early Latin poetry refers to the period of time prior to the Trojan War when Achilles lived as a maiden on the island of Skyros and impregnated the princess Deidamia. Together they will have a son named Neoptolemus / Pyrrhus, who will fight in the Trojan War after the death of his father.

2) On the Death of Patroclus:

Achilles: Mors amici subigit, quod mi est senium multo accerrimum.

--Accius fr. 304, quoted in Nonius

The death of a friend has overpowered me; it is by far the most bitterest grief.

Accius [Lucius Accius; 170 – 86 BCE, modern Italy]  was a freeborn child of a freedman parent. He was born in Pisaurum, Umbria [modern Italy] but later moved to Rome. He wrote several tragedies based on Greek myths, but only fragments remain of them.

M/M: Equal in Love and Arms, Achilles & Patroclus, Greek Anthology vii.143

Foedere amicitiae* par nobile nec minus armis,

Aeacide salve, tuque, Menoetiade.

 

Ανδρε δύω φιλότητι και εν τεύχεσσιν αρίστω

χαίρετον Αιακίδη και συ Μενοιτιάδη

--Greek Anthology vii.143, translated by Hugo Grotius

Greetings Achilles & you too, Patroclus,

equals in love and no less so in war.

* the translator here chose to translate φιλότητι with a line reminiscent of Catullus' famous line CIX.6: foedus amicitiae

 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.  

M/M: Achilles & Patroclus, Together in the Tomb: Greek Anthology

Here lies Patroclus, joined with Achilles in the tomb,

whom Mars himself smote through the hands of Hector. 

Πατρόκλου τάφος ούτος ομου δ Αχιλή τέθαπται 

ον κτάνεν ωκύς Αρης Εκτορος έν παλάμαις.

 Patroclus hic situs est, tumulo quoque iunctus Achilli,

Quem Mars ipse manu perculit Hectorea.

--Mantissa Secunda de Graecis Heroibus, compiled & translated by Henricus Stephanus #6

M/M: A Praise of Patroclus: Maximus of Tyre, Diss. 8

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

Right at the beginning of the Iliad, Homer presents us with two lovers who are fighting over a captive woman: one [Agamemnon] is bold and passionate, the other [Achilles] is soft spoken, but not impervious to feeling emotion. The one [Agamemnon] shoots daggers from his eyes, slanders everyone, and threatens each and everyone present; the other [Achilles] quietly leaves, throwing himself on the ground and weeping, lost; he says he will leave, but stays nonetheless.

Another type of love is shameful love, the kind that Paris has: he withdraws from the heat of battle to snuggle with his lover, and is an adulterer in every sense of the word.

You can also find perfect love [castum amorem], which is reciprocal, the kind that Hector and Andromache shared. Andromache called Hector her husband and lover, her husband and brother, and every other name shared with a loved one. In turn, he told her that he was more worried for her than for his own mother.

You can read about sexual love [Venereum] in the bedding scene of Juno & Jupiter.

You can read about lust in Penelope’s suitors; seductive love in the case of Calypso; loves brought about by love potions with Circe, and manly love [virilem] in the case of Patroclus. This love [between Patroclus and Achilles] is brought about by mutual effort, and remains steadfast even in death. It exists between two young men, both beautiful, both consensual [castus]. They both take care of each other. One grieves, the other consoles; one sings, the other enjoys the song.

The one expresses his feelings to the other: when Patroclus wants permission to join the fight, on the verge of tears if he wasn’t allowed by his lover. Yet when Achilles allows him to join the Greeks in battle, he gave both his blessing and even his own weapons. And Achilles is terrified while Patroclus is engaged in battle, and wishes to die when Patroclus is slain, and then resolves his anger. His nightly visions, his dreams, his tears are all proof of his love for Patroclus: even the lock of hair that he offers to his lover’s tomb in a final gift [is proof].

These are the types of love you find in Homer.

Et ecce statim in principio operis amatores introducit duos, qui de captiva una inter se certant, quorum alter audax est & furiosus: alter lenior quidem, huius tamen perturbationis haud immunis. Alter ex oculis flammam iacit, omnibusque maledicit, et minatur ordine: alter tacite recedit, humi lacrimans procumbit & anxius oberrat: discessurum denique se ait, cum maneat. Alia est impudici amoris imago, quam in Paride habes, qui proelio se subducit, thalamum intrat, et ubique moecho est similis. Invenies et castum amorem, qui utrinque mutuo respondet, quem in Hectore habes & Andromache: quae viro suo et amatori Hectori, patris fratrisque et si quae praeterea amicissima sunt tribuit nomina. Ille vicissim, ne de matre quidem sua se tam sollicitum esse ait, quam de illa. Habes et Venereum in concubitu Iunonis & Iovis. Et libidinosum, in procis: illecebrosum in Calypsone, veneficum in Circe, virilem in Patroclo: qui labore mutuo accenditur, et ad mortem usque constans manet. Quorum uterque iuvenis, uterque pulcher, uterque castus est. Alter instruit, alter instruitur, alter dolet, solatur alter, alter canit, auscultat alter. Affectum amatorium et hoc exprimit, quod cum pugnae potestatem sibi fieri optet Patroclus, lacrimetur tanquam non impetraturus hoc ab amante. Qui tamen et veniam illi concedit, et arma sua. Sed et cunctante eo metuit, et iam mortuo mori quoque optat, iramque suam deponit. Amatoriae sunt et nocturnae visiones, et somnia, et lacrimae illae: donum postremo ultimum quod sepulchro impendit, capillus. Haec sunt amatoria Homeri.
 Translated from the Greek 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.