M/M: I Miss You, Buddy: Ausonius to Paulinus 1.16-19

Name:  Ausonius Date:  310 – 395 CE Region:  Aquitania, Gaul [modern France] Citation:  Letter 27.34 – 37

In this letter to Paulinus, Ausonius complains about his absence by comparing their relationship to other great relationships of mythology.

 

Faithless one! You’d really break up Pirithous and Theseus,

Separate Euryalus from his Nisus?

You’d convince Pylades to abandon Orestes,

And keep the Sicilian Damon from offering himself as a hostage

So Pythias can escape?

Impie, Pirithoo disiungere Thesea posses,

Euryalumque suo socium secernere Niso!

Te suadente fugam, Pylades liquisset Orestem,

Nec custodisset Siculus vadimonia Damon!

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. 

Friends Til the End: Damon & Pythias, Val. Max. 4.7.ext.1

Damon and Pythias, The Ultimate Friends

Name: Valerius Maximus Date:  1st century CE Region:  Unknown Citation:  Memorable Deeds and Sayings 4.7.ext.1

Although my mind keeps dwelling on domestic examples, the splendor of Rome encourages me to mention some excellent examples from abroad, too. The Pythagorean followers Damon and Pythias were so tightly joined in friendship that when the Tyrant of Syracuse Dionysius wanted to kill Pythias, and when Pythias was given some time to go home to arrange his affairs before he was killed, Damon did not hesitate to surrender himself as a hostage to guarantee his friend’s return. Pythias, whose neck was under the proverbial sword, was suddenly free from the danger of death, while Damon, who was free to live, laid down his own life for him. Everyone, including Dionysius, was anxiously awaiting the outcome of the drama. Then, once the appointed day had come and gone and Pythias still hadn’t returned, the tyrant mocked Damon for his foolishness and rashness, but Damon declared that he wasn’t afraid for his own life, and trusted his friend’s loyalty. At the very moment that  Dionysius had appointed for the execution, Pythias arrived. The tyrant Dionysius marveled at the friends’ courage. He let them go, and asked them if they would welcome him as a friend, and be their third wheel, with mutual kindness and affection.

And so you see the power of friendship. It can bring about a contempt of death, lay low the sweet [selfishness] of life, mitigate cruelty, convert hatred into love, and outweigh inconvenience with benefits. It ought to be as honored as the sacred rites of the gods. Friendship encompasses the public good, on which private good relies on.  The homes of these men are like sacred temples; the hearts of faithful men, just like temples filled with sacred spirit.

Damon and Pythias, The Ultimate Friends

Haeret animus in domesticis, sed aliena quoque bene facta referre Romanae urbis candor hortatur. Damon et Phintias Pythagoricae prudentiae sacris initiati tam fidelem inter se amicitiam iunxerant, ut, cum alterum ex his Dionysius Syracusanus interficere vellet, atque is tempus ab eo, quo prius quam periret domum profectus res suas ordinaret, impetravisset, alter vadem se pro reditu eius tyranno dare non dubitaret. Solutus erat periculo mortis qui modo gladio cervices subiectas habuerat: eidem caput suum subiecerat cui securo vivere licebat. Igitur omnes et in primis Dionysius novae atque ancipitis rei exitum speculabantur. Adpropinquante deinde finita die nec illo redeunte unus quisque stultitiae tam temerarium sponsorem damnabat. At is nihil se de amici constantia metuere praedicabat. Eodem autem momento et hora a Dionysio constituta et eam qui acceperat supervenit.

Admiratus amborum animum tyrannus supplicium fidei remisit insuperque eos rogavit ut se in societatem amicitiae tertium sodalicii gradum mutua culturum benivolentia reciperent. Hascine vires amicitiae? Mortis contemptum ingenerare, vitae dulcedinem extinguere, crudelitatem mansuefacere, odium in amorem convertere, poenam beneficio pensare potuerunt. Quibus paene tantum venerationis quantum deorum immortalium caerimoniis debetur: illis enim publica salus, his privata continetur, atque ut illarum aedes sacra domicilia, harum fida hominum pectora quasi quaedam sancto spiritu referta templa sunt.

 Valerius Maximus [1st century CE] Little is known about the life of Valerius Maximus except that he wrote during the reign of the emperor Tiberius. His work, Memorable Deeds and Sayings, is a collection of examples from Roman and world history categorized by theme for the purpose of rhetorical exercises.

M/M: A Friend Who'll Have Your Back: Orestes & Pylades, Cicero, de Fin. 2.24.79

Name:  Cicero Date:  106 – 43 BCE Region:  Rome [modern Italy] Citation:  De Finibus 2.24.79

What will you do when a friendship is no longer useful to you (as what usually happens)? Will you end it? What kind of friendship is that? Will you hold onto it? How will it benefit you? You’ll question your definition of friendship if you only base it on how it benefits you….

Will you offer yourself up to a tyrant to be killed to save a friend, like that Pythagorean* did to the Sicilian tyrant? Or, if you were Pylades, would you proclaim that you were Orestes, so that you could die for your friend? Or even if you were Orestes, would you contradict Pylades, give yourself up, and, if you could not convince the tyrant of your identity, would you pray that you both be killed together?

[*the myth of Pythias and Damon]

Sed quid ages tandem, si utilitas ab amicitia, ut fit saepe, defecerit? Relinquesne? Quae ista amicitia est? Retinebis? Qui convenit? Quid enim de amicitia statueris utilitatis causa expetenda vides. … Vadem te ad mortem tyranno dabis pro amico, ut Pythagoreus ille Siculo fecit tyranno? Aut, Pylades cum sis, dices te esse Orestem, ut moriare pro amico? Aut, si esses Orestes, Pyladem refelleres, te indicares et, si id non probares, quo minus ambo una necaremini non precarere?

 Cicero [Marcus Tullius Cicero; 106 – 43 BCE, modern Italy] was an Italian-born Roman statesman and author who lived during the complexities of Rome’s transition from Republic to monarchy. Cicero spent most of his life in service of his country, serving as both a lawyer, senator, and even consul [Roman equivalent of president]. He is known for his suppression of the failed governmental coup in 63 BCE known as the Catilinarian conspiracy that occurred during his consulship. After the rise of Octavian [later known as the first Roman emperor Augustus], his views fell out of favor and he was eventually put to death during the proscriptions under the Second Triumvirate [Octavian, Marc Antony and Lepidus]. He was a prolific author in a wide range in genres, and his literary style was adopted by Petrarch as the default model for the Latin language.

M/M: A List of "Really Good Friends": Hyginus, Fab. 257

 

Name: Hyginus   Date:  64 BCE – 17 CE Region:  Hispania [modern Spain] / Alexandria [modern Egypt]; Rome [modern Italy] Citation:  Fables 257

People who were “really good friends”:

·            Strophius’ son Pylades was “really good friends” with Agamemnon’s son Orestes

·            Ixion’s son Pirithous was “really good friends” with Theseus

·            Peleus’ son Achilles was “really good friends” with Menoetes’ son Patroclus

·            Tydeus’ son Diomedes was “really good friends” with Capaneus’ son Sthenelus

·            Aeacus’ son Peleus was “really good friends” with Amyntor’s son Phoenix

·            Jupiter’s son Hercules was “really good friends” with Poeas’ son Philoctetes

·            Harmodius and Aristogiton [loved each other] like brothers

·            In Sicily, there was a very cruel tyrant named Dionysius. Moeros [1] wanted to kill him because he was torturing and killing his own citizens. Guards caught Moeros in the act and brought him to the king. When he was interrogated, he confessed his plot. Naturally, the king ordered him to die by crucifixion. Moerus asked for a three day extension so that he could arrange his sister’s wedding. He offered the tyrant his friend and companion Selinuntius, who would serve as collateral for his pledge to return on the third day.  The king granted his request, and told Selinuntius that he would die instead if Moerus didn’t return on the proper day. Then he let Moerus go.

Once he arranged his sister’s affairs, Moerus started his journey back, but a sudden rainstorm occurred and flooded the river so much that he could neither ford nor swim across it. Moerus sat upon the river bank and began to weep, saddened that his friend would have to die for him.

Therefore when the tyrant ordered the crucifixion of Selinuntius on noon of the third day, Selinuntius responded that the day was not yet over.

In the middle of the afternoon, the king ordered Selinuntius’ execution. No sooner had he been led to the cross when Moerus, having crossed the river, ran up to the executioner and shouted as he neared, “Hold up! I’m here—release my friend!”

Once this was done, this news was relayed back to the king. The king ordered both men to be brought before him and told them that since they had proven their friendship to each other, he would spare Moerus’ life.

Also, Nisus was “really good friends” with Euryalus, and died for him.

 

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[1] This is the story of Damon and Pythias.

A List of “Really Good Friends” from Mythology

Qui inter se amicitia iunctissimi fuerunt:

·         Pylades Strophii filius cum Oreste Agamemnonis filio.

·         Pirithous Ixionis filius cum Theseo Aegei filio.

·         Achilles Pelei filius cum Patroclo Menoetii filio.

·         Diomedes Tydei filius cum Sthenelo Capanei filio.

·         Peleus Aeaci filius cum Phoenice Amyntoris filio.

·         Hercules Jovis filius cum Philocteta Poeantis filio

·         Harmodius et Aristogiton [more fraterno]

·         In Sicilia [Dionysius] tyrannus crudelissimus cum esset suosque cives cruciatibus interficeret, Moeros tyrannum voluit interficere. Quem satellites cum deprehendissent armatum, ad regem perduxerunt. Qui interrogatus respondit se regem voluisse interficere. Quem rex iussit cruci figi, a quo Moerus petit tridui commeatum ut sororem suam nuptui collocaret et daret tyranno Selinuntium amicum suum et sodalem qui sponderet eum tertio die venturum. Cui rex indulsit commeatum ad sororem collocandam, dicitque rex Selinuntio, ut nisi ad diem Moerus veniret eum eandem poenam passurum, et dimittit Moerum. Qui collocata sorore cum reverteretur, repente tempestate et pluvia orta flumen ita increvit ut nec transiri nec transnatari posset. Ad cuius ripam Moerus consedit et flere coepit ne amicus pro se periret. 

[Tyrannus] autem Selinuntium cruci figi cum iuberet ideo, quod horae sex tertii iam diei essent ne veniret Moerus, cui Selinuntius respondit diem adhuc non praeteriisse. cumque iam et horae novem essent, rex iubet duci Selinuntium in crucem. Qui cum duceretur vix tandem Moerus liberato flumine consequitur carnificem exclamatque a longe, “Sustine, carnifex! Adsum, quem spopondit!” Quod factum regi nuntiatur. Quos rex ad se iussit perduci vitamque Moero concessit, rogavitque eos ut se in amicitiam reciperent [2]

·         Nisus cum Euryalo suo pro quo et mortuus est.

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[2]The story of Harmodius and Aristogeiton follows this story.

Hyginus [Caius Julius Hyginus; 64 BCE – 17 CE, modern Spain or Egypt] was one of Augustus’ freedmen and a famous mythographer. He was originally from Hispania [modern Spain].  Some think that he was actually from Alexandria [modern Egypt], and brought to Rome as a boy by Caesar after the fall of Alexandria. He studied under the Greek scholar Cornelius Alexander, then followed in his footsteps. He was in charge of the Palatine library, and despite this, still had the time to teach many people. He was very close friends with the poet Ovid and Clodius Licinius, the former consul and historian who, after Hyginus fell into poverty, supported him financially for as long as he lived.