A Roundabout Curse: Camilla's Demise, Servius, In Aen.11.8.42

Name: Servius Date: 4th – 5th century CE Region: [modern Italy] Citation:   Commentary on the Aeneid, 11.8.42

“You paid the cruel punishment...” A person ‘pays,’ who uses money. Here it is used as a metaphor for the death penalty. This has a fairly long explanation: the Volsci come from the Hylinas River, and Amazons are said to live there. Camilla ‘paid the penalty’ because she fought against the Trojans, when her predecessor agreed to be their allies [i.e, Penthesilea].

 

crudele luisti supplicium iuris verbo usus est. 'luere' enim debere dicitur qui pecuniam solvit: quod hic usurpatum est in capitis poenam. quidam huius loci longam expositionem tradunt: Volscos a Volscatibus Hylinis originem ducere, †exclytas autem, inter quos Amazones sunt, regionem Illyricam incolere. luisse ergo supplicium Camillam dicunt, quae adversum Troianos arma tulerit, quibus maiores eius auxilium constat tulisse, id est Penthesileam.

 

Servius [Maurus Servius Honoratus; 4th – 5th century CE] Servius’ name is unfortunately the only thing we know of this author. Little is known about the author or manuscript tradition for the grammatical commentary of Vergil’s Aeneid.

The Amazons, As Explained by a Christian Writer: Orosius, Historia 1.15

 

Challenging Gender Roles: The Amazons

Name:  Orosius Date:   385 – 420 CE Region:    Gallaecia [modern Portugal] Citation: History Against the Pagans 1.15

While all that was happening, this was happening in Scythia: there were two princes named Plynos and Scolopetius who were expelled from their throne by a coup of the nobles. They migrated with a large group of youths to the shores of Cappadocia on the Black Sea by the Thermodon River. They conquered the territory of Themiscyra and settled there. They stayed there until ultimately being killed by treachery by their neighboring countries.

Moved by exile and their widowhood, their wives took up arms and, in order to rival their husbands’ courage, killed the remaining men in their group and repaid their enemy neighbors in blood for the blood of their slaughtered husbands. Then, after imposing peace through threat of violence, they used their neighbors for breeding purposes, killing the boys they birthed, and nursing their girls with their right breast [for they burn off their left breast in order to shoot arrows unimpeded]. This is why they are called “breastless,” [A-mazons].

Of these Amazons, there were two queens, Marpesia and Lampeto, who divided the group into two parts: one group would take care of war, while the other group would stay home to guard their home. When they had conquered a great part of Europe, even capturing some nations in Asia, they founded the city of Ephesos and other cities.

While a large part of the army was returning home with splendid treasure, and the rest of the army remaining behind to guard their territory in Asia, Queen Marpesia was killed in a skirmish with the enemy. Her daughter, Sinope, who cherished her lifelong chastity, took control of this region.

There was so much admiration and respect for these Amazons that even Hercules, when he was ordered by his lord [1] to bring back the armor of the Amazon queen, realized the terrible danger he was in. He assembled all of the nobles of Greece, prepared nine longboats, yet still was unimpressed with his swarm of men warriors, and instead strategized to catch the Amazons off guard. At that time, two sisters were in power named Antiope and Orithya. Hercules came ashore, and caught the Amazons off guard, attacking them unarmed, and without a thought to diplomacy. Among these casualties who were captured and killed were two sisters of Antiope. Melanippe was captured by Hercules, and Hippolyte was captured by Theseus. Theseus married his captive Hippolyte, but Hercules returned Melanippe to her sister, ransoming her for the queen’s armor.

Penthesilea ruled after Orithyia [died], and we all know the story of her glorious deeds during the Trojan War.

Orosius [Paulus Orosius; 385 – 420 CE, modern Portugal] was a Christian author famous for his history of ancient Rome. He was originally from Gallaecia Hispania [modern Portugal], but traveled extensively to the Holy Lands for scholarly and religious purposes. His seven-volume History Against the Pagans recounts Roman history with a Christian lens. 

---

[1]  A reference to the myth of Hercules’ twelve labors.

Challenging Gender Roles: The Amazons

Medio autem tempore apud Scythas duo regii iuvenes Plynos et Scolopetius, per factionem optimatium domo pulsi, ingentem iuventutem secum traxere et in Cappadociae Ponticae ora iuxta amnem Thermodontem consederunt campis Themiscyriis sibi subiectis; ubi diu proxima quaeque populati conspiratione finitimorum per insidias trucidantur. Horum uxores exilio ac viduitate permotae arma sumunt et, ut omnibus par ex simili condicione animus fieret, viros qui superfuerant interficiunt atque accensae in hostem sanguine suo ultionem caesorum coniugum finitimorum excidio consequuntur. Tunc pace armis quaesita externos concubitus ineunt, editos mares mox enecant, feminas studiose nutriunt inustis infantium dexterioribus mammillis, ne sagittarum iactus impedirentur; unde “Amazones” dictae. Harum duae fuere reginae, Marpesia et Lampeto, quae agmine diviso in duas partes vicissim curam belli et domus custodiam sortiebantur.

Igitur cum Europam maxima e parte domuissent, Asiae vero aliquantis ciuitatibus captis, ipsae autem Ephesum aliasque urbes condidissent, praecipuam exercitus sui partem onustam opulentissima praeda domum revocant, reliquae ad tuendum Asiae imperium relictae cum Marpesia regina concursu hostium trucidantur. Huius locum Sinope filia capessit, quae singularem virtutis gloriam perpetua virginitate cumulavit. Hac fama excitas gentes tanta admiratio et formido invaserat, ut Hercules quoque cum iussus fuisset a domino suo exhibere arma reginae quasi ad inevitabile periculum destinatus, universam Graeciae lectam ac nobilem iuventutem contraxerit, novem longas naves praepararit, nec tamen contentus examine virium ex inproviso adgredi et insperatas circumvenire maluerit.

Duae tunc sorores regno praeerant, Antiope et Orithyia. Hercules mari advectus incautas inermesque et pacis incuria desides oppressit. Inter caesas captasque complurimas duae sorores Antiopae, Melanippe ab Hercule, Hippolyte a Theseo retentae. Sed Theseus Hippolyten matrimonio adscivit, Hercules Melanippen sorori reddidit et arma reginae pretio redemptionis accepit. Post Orithyiam Penthesilea regno potita est, cuius Troiano bello clarissima inter viros documenta virtutis accepimus.

Shipwrecked, but building an empire: Cletes, Lycophron, Alexandra 992ff.

 And others will visit the impassable Tylesian hills,

Or the ocean-washed cliffs of Linos

that neighbors the territory of the Amazon.

The territory that took the yoke of slavery to a slave—

A slave of the bronze-belted Amazon woman* 

[*Penthesilea: As she lets out her last breath,

the loss of her eye, cut by a bloody spear

will bring death to apelike Thersites!].

The sea led Cletes astray into a foreign land.

Yet the inhabitants of Croton will destroy the Amazon’s city, 

and that fearless woman will be killed: 

Cletes, a kingdom named after its queen. 

But before that happens, many will bite the dust by her hand, 

nor will the Lauretans destroy her citadel easily.

 

Alii (Graeci) montes inviosTullesios,

Linique maritime iugosum promontorium

Amazonis haereditariam terram conscendent,

Servae mulieris excipients iugum

Quam baltheo cincte aeneo famulam impigrae puellae

Erronem ducet unda in externam terram:

Cuius ultimum expirantis perfossus oculus

Mortem simiformi perniciosam Aetolo

Adferet, hasta cruenta secto.

At Crotoniatae urbem populabuntur quondam

Amazonis, intrepida interfecta virgine

Clete, patriae cognominis regina.

Multi tamen prius terram ab illa mordicus

Mordebunt praecipitati, neque impune

Turres vastabunt Laures filii.

ἄλλοι δὲ πρῶνας δυσβάτους Τυλησίους

λίνου θ᾽ ἁλισμήκτοιο δειραίαν ἄκραν

Ἀμαζόνος σύγκληρον ἄρσονται πέδον,

δούλης γυναικὸς ζεῦγλαν ἐνδεδεγμένοι,

ἣν χαλκομίτρου θῆσσαν ὀτρηρῆς κόρης

πλανῆτιν ἄξει κῦμα πρὸς ξένην χθόνα.

ἧς ἐκπνεούσης λοῖσθον ὀφθαλμὸς τυπεὶς

πιθηκομόρφῳ πότμον Αἰτωλῷ φθόρῳ

τεύξει τράφηκι φοινίῳ τετμημένῳ.

Κροτωνιᾶται δ᾽ ἄστυ πέρσουσίν ποτε

Ἀμαζόνος, φθέρσαντες ἄτρομον κόρην

Κλήτην, ἄνασσαν τῆς ἐπωνύμου πάτρας.

πολλοὶ δὲ πρόσθεν γαῖαν ἐκ κείνης ὀδὰξ

δάψουσι πρηνιχθέντες, οὐδ᾽ ἄτερ πόνων

πύργους διαρραίσουσι Λαυρήτης γόνοι.

NB: Clete, who crossed the sea to follow her lady Penthesilea [who in the text is called “impigra puella,” the swift maiden], but was brought to Italy in a storm, founded a city named Clete, and everyone thereafter took her name.

Annotatio [Guilelmi Canteri]: Cletes, quae cum Penthesileam heram, quae heic impigra puella vocatur, per mare quaereret, in Italiam tempestate delata, Cletem urbem conditur, cuius reginae dinceps omnes Cletes nomen teunerunt.

--Lycophron, Alexandra / Cassandra 992ff, translated into Latin by Guillermus Canterus (1566)

Lycophron was a famous Alexandrian author whose works include poetry and tragedies, most of which are unfortunately lost. His poem, the Alexandra [Cassandra], imagines the Trojan prophet Cassandra’s prophecy to Agamemnon about the events that will occur after the fall of Troy.

  

Equal to Men: Quintus of Smyrna, Posthomerica 1.407-434

Name:  Quintus of Smyrna Date:  4th century CE Region:   Smyrna [modern Greece] Citation: Posthomerica 1.407-434

Inspired by the Amazon Penthesilea's Fighting, Tisiphone Encourages the Trojan Women to Join Their Men in Battle 

"Friends, instill courage into your hearts,
like our husbands, who never waiver in their fight against the enemy to keep us safe.
Come on, now,
let us take up the mantle of bravery, let us join the fight alongside them!
For we are not so different from these men in strength; we also have strength in our bodies. Our eyes are the same, our knees are the same, everything is the same!
We share the same daylight, the same fresh air, the same food. What difference has God given to them, to make them so much better than us?
So let's not shirk our role in this fight.
[Look at the Amazon Penthesilea fighting:]
Don't you see this lone woman holding her own against men on the battlefield? She's not doing this for her family or neighbors. She's not even fighting for her homeland; she's merely fighting as a mercenary for a foreign king, just for her own personal benefit.  She doesn't care whom she fights, she's not afraid, she has virtue in her heart, and a fearless mind. 
But we and other women
are groveling and beset with misery, while our dear children and husbands die in front of us. Some of us weep for parents no longer alive,  some of us weep for a dead brother or neighbor. No one here is free from this wretched suffering.
  And what's more, we must fear the life of servitude at war's end.  So let's stop dithering and fight! It is more fulfilling to die in battle than to die as someone's slave!  Compelled by such sorrowful necessity, we would be taken as slaves from our burning homeland, with orphaned infants in our arms, their fathers dead upon the ground."

‘ὦ φίλαι, ἄλκιμον ἦτορ ἐνὶ στέρνοισι λαβοῦσαι
ἀνδράσιν ἡμετέροισιν ὁμοίιον, οἳ περὶ πάτρης
δυσμενέσιν μάρνανται ὑπὲρ τεκέων τε καὶ ἡμέων,
οὔποτ᾽ ἀναπνείοντες ὀϊζύος—ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐταὶ
παρθέμεναι φρεσὶ θυμὸν ἴσης μνησώμεθα χάρμης:
οὐ γὰρ ἀπόπροθέν εἰμεν ἐϋσθενέων αἰζηῶν,
ἀλλ᾽ οἷον κείνοισι πέλει μένος ἔστι καὶ ἡμῖν:
ἶσοι δ᾽ ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ γούνατα, πάντα δ᾽ ὁμοῖα,
ξυνὸν δ᾽ αὖ πάντεσσι φάος καὶ νήχυτος ἀήρ,
φορβὴ δ᾽ οὐχ ἑτέρη: δί δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀνδράσι λώιον ἄλλο
θῆκε θεός; τῷ μή τι φεβώμεθα δηιοτῆτα.
ἢ οὐχ ὁράατε γυναῖκα μέγ᾽ αἰζηῶν προφέρουσαν
ἀγχεμάχων; τῆς δ᾽ οὔτι πέλει σχεδὸν οὔτε γενέθλη
οὔτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἑὸν πτολίεθρον, ὑπὲρ ξείνοιο δ᾽ ἄνακτος
μάρναται ἐκ θυμοῖο καὶ οὐκ ἐμπάζεται ἀνδρῶν
ἐνθεμένη φρεσὶ θάρσος ἀταρτηρόν τε νόημα:
ἡμῖν δ᾽ ἄλλοθεν ἄλλα παραὶ ποσὶν ἄλγεα κεῖται:
τῇς μὲν γὰρ φίλα τέκνα καὶ ἀνέρες ἀμφὶ πόληι
ὤλλυνθ᾽, αἱ δὲ τοκῆας ὀδυρόμεθ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ ἐόντας:
ἄλλαι δ᾽ αὖτ᾽ ἀκάχηνται ἀδελφειῶν ἐπ᾽ ὀλέθρῳ
καὶ πηῶν: οὐ γάρ τις ὀϊζυρῆς κακότητος
ἄμμορος: ἐλπωρὴ δὲ πέλει καὶ δούλιον ἦμαρ
εἰσιδέειν: τῷ μή τις ἔτ᾽ ἀμβολίη πολέμοιο
εἴη τειρομένῃσιν: ἔοικε γὰρ ἐν δαῒ μᾶλλον
τεθνάμεν ἢ μετόπισθεν ὑπ᾽ ἀλλοδαποῖσιν ἄγεσθαι
νηπιάχοις ἅμα παισὶν ἀνιηρῇ ὑπ᾽ ἀνάγκῃ
ἄστεος αἰθομένοιο καὶ ἀνδρῶν οὐκέτ᾽ ἐόντων.’

“Amicae, fortem pectoribus animum infigite,

Non minus quam viri nostri, qui pro patria

Contra hostes parentum et nostrae salutis causa propugnant,

Nunquam ab aerumnis respirantes, Agedum et ipsae,

Indita pectoribus fiducia, ad similem nos pugnam accingamus!

Non enim multum a iuvenibus absumus robustis,

Sed quale ipsis est robur, nobis etiam est,

Paresque oculi, et genua, et omnia similia:

Lux etiam omnibus communis, et liquidus aer,

Nec diversum est nutrimentum. Et quid aliud viris, Quo nos praecellant,

Adposuit Deus? Ideo certamen hostile nequaquam defugiamus.

Nonne videtis feminam viris longe praestare

Bellacibus? Cuius neque familia in propinquo est,

Neque urbs sua: sed pro rege externo,

Ex animo belligeratur. Nec magnifacit viros,

Eam pectore virtutem, tam imperterritum complexa est animum.

Nobis autem aliunde aliae ante pedes miseriae obiectae sunt,

Aliis enim cari liberi et mariti ante urbem

Perierunt. Aliae parentes deploramus non ultra superstites,

Aliae ob fratrum et propinquorum necem

Animi se discruciant. Nulla enim a calamitosissima infelicitate

Immunis est. Addite, quod metuendum, ne diem servitute gravem

Videamus. Ideo nulla pugnandi mora

Sit tantopere adflictis. Satius est in proelio

Occumbere , quam ab alienigenis postmodum, necessitate

Tristi coactas, una cum infantibus liberis abduci

Urbe incendio absumta, et viris e medio sublatis.”
Translated into Latin by Laurentius Rhodomannus


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.