Challenging Gender Roles: Alexander the Great's Gender-Bending Outfits, Athenaeus, Deipnos. 12.53

 

Name:   Athenaeus Date:   2nd century CE Region:   Naucratis [modern Egypt] Citation:    Deipnosophists  12.53

Ephippus also states that Alexander the Great also wore sacred garments to dinner. Sometime he wore Ammon’s sacred purple garb, open-toe sandals, and horns, just like the god would. Sometimes he dressed in Artemis’ garb; he usually did this when he was riding in a chariot, with the Persian cloak, wearing the goddess’ bow on his shoulders and brandishing her spear in his hand. Sometimes he dressed like Hermes; but on most days, he would wear a purple cloak, a tunic with white stripes, and a royal miter, with a crown on top. When he was hanging out with his entourage, he would wear Hermes' iconic sandals and hat, with the god's Caduceus in his hand. Sometimes he wore even Hercules’ lion pelt and club.”

Ephippus vero scribit: "Etiam sacras vestes in cenis gestasse Alexandrum: nunc quidem Hammonis purpuram, & fissiles soleas & cornua, velut ipse Deus; nunc vero Dianae, cuius cultum saepe etiam sumebat quum curru veheretur, Persica quidem stola indutus, sed ita ut supra humeros arcus Deae & spiculum emineret. Subinde etiam Mercurii cultum; alias quidem fere ac quotidie chlamydem purpueram & tunicam medio albo intertexto & causiam cui diadema regium circum positum; ubi vero cum amicis una esset, talaria, & petasum in capite, & caduceum in manu: saepe vero etiam leoninam pellem & clavam, veluti Hercules."

ἔφιππος δέ φησιν ὡς Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ τὰς ἱερὰς  ἐσθῆτας ἐφόρει ἐν τοῖς δείπνοις, ὁτὲ μὲν τὴν τοῦ Ἄμμωνος πορφυρίδα καὶ περισχιδεῖς καὶ κέρατα καθάπερ ὁ θεός, ὁτὲ δὲ τὴν τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος, ἣν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἅρματος ἐφόρει πολλάκις, ἔχων τὴν Περσικὴν στολήν, ὑποφαίνων ἄνωθεν τῶν ὤμων τό τε τόξον καὶ τὴν σιβύνην, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ: τὰ μὲν ἄλλα σχεδὸν καὶ καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν χλαμύδα τε πορφυρᾶν καὶ χιτῶνα μεσόλευκον καὶ τὴν καυσίαν ἔχουσαν τὸ διάδημα τὸ βασιλικόν, ἐν δὲ τῇ συνουσίᾳ τά τε πέδιλα καὶ τὸν πέτασον ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ τὸ κηρύκειον ἐν τῇ χειρί, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ λεοντῆν καὶ ῥόπαλον ὥσπερ ὁ Ἡρακλῆς.

 Translated into Latin by Translated into Latin by Iohannes Schweighaeuser (1804)

 

 Athenaeus was a scholar who lived in Naucratis (modern Egypt) during the reign of the Antonines. His fifteen volume work, the Deipnosophists, are invaluable for the amount of quotations they preserve of otherwise lost authors, including the poetry of Sappho.

 

Love Potion No. 9: PGM 32.1-11

 Like Pompeiian graffiti, recovered papyri are an excellent source for voices otherwise lost to history. There are numerous examples of magical spells in the ancient world, with topics ranging from wishes, curses, and love spells.  The following papyrus fragment preserves a love spell that asks to attract one woman to another.

Evangelos, I beseech you! By Anubis, by Hermes, by all others Below,

I bid that you bind Sarapias, daughter of Helen,

To Herais, daughter of Thermoutharin.

Now! Now! Now! Bind her, heart and soul,

This Sarapias, whom Helen birthed from her womb!

ADIURO TE, EVANGELE,

PER ANUBEM PER MERCURIUM ET PER DEOS MANES

UT SARAPIAM, QUAM HELENA PEPERIT,

HUIC HERAIDI, QUAM THERMOUTHARIN PEPERIT,

CAPTES ET VINCIAS

CITO CITIUS CITISSIME!

ANIMO SUI ANIMAQUE, CAPTES

IPSAM SARAPIAM, QUAM HELENA SUO VENTRE PEPERIT!

ΕΞΟΡΚΕΙΖΩ ΣΕ, ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΕ,

ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΝΟΥΒΙΔΟΣ ΚΑΙ

ΤΟΥ ΕΡΜΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΩΝ ΛΟΙΠ ΩΝ ΠΑΝ

ΤΩΝ ΚΑΤΩ, ΑΞΑΙ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΤΑΔ-

ΗΣΑΙ ΣΑΡΑΠΙΑΔΑ, ΗΝ ΕΤΕ-

ΚΕΝ ΕΛΕΝΗ, ΕΠ’ ΑΥΤΗΝ ΗΡΑ-

ΕΙΔΑΝ, ΗΝ ΕΤΕΚΕΝ ΘΕΡΜΟ-

ΥΘΑΡΙΝ, ΑΡΤΙ, ΑΡΤΙ, ΤΑ-

ΧΥ ΤΑΧΥ.  ΕΞ ΨΥΧΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΡΔΙΑΣ

ΑΓΕ ΑΥΤΗΝ ΤΗΝ ΣΑΡΑΠΙΑ-

ΔΑ, ΗΝ ΕΤΕΚΕΝ [ΕΛΕΝΗ] ΕΙΔΑ ΜΗΤΡΑ…

--PGM 32.1-11; Translated into Latin by K. Masters

 The Papyri Graecae Magicae are a collection of texts that deal with magical topics. This spell, PGM 32, is from the 2^nd century CE. 

The Birth of Dionysus: Lucian, Dialogi Deorum 9

The Birth of Bacchus

Name: Lucian Date: 125 – 180 CE Region: [modern Turkey] Citation:   Dialogue of the Gods 9 [1]

Mercury: Neptune, Jupiter just gave birth.

Neptune: Really? He gave birth? How? ...But he didn’t look pregnant!

Mercury: You’re right: he didn’t have a pregnant belly.

Neptune: Oh—I get it! He gave birth out of his head again, like he did to Minerva! His *head* was pregnant!

Mercury: Nope! He gave birth to Semele’s child from his thigh.

Neptune: Good for him! His whole body is a womb! But who is this Semele gal?

Mercury: She’s from Thebes. She’s one of Cadmus’ daughters. He got her pregnant.

Neptune: So he gave birth to the kid instead of her?

Mercury: Yes, although the story isn’t worth your time. Juno attacked Semele (she knew her rival was pregnant), and convinced her to ask Jupiter to come to her with his thunderstorm power. When he approached her in all his godly power, the whole house burned down, and Semele perished in the fire. And then Jupiter ordered me to cut the womb out of her, and to bring it to him (it wasn’t quite seven months old—not yet old enough to live). After that I cut him open and put the child inside his thigh, so it could finish growing there. And now, three months later, he gave birth—and now he’s recovering.

Neptune: Where is the infant now?

Mercury: I took Dionysus (oh, by the way, that’s the kid’s name) to Nysa, and handed him over to the Nymphs so they can raise him.

Neptune: So Jupiter is both the infant’s father and mother?

Mercury: I guess so. Well, I’ve got to go and give him some water to wash the wound, and help him take care of the afterbirth.

---

[1] This excerpt begins at line 12

Ἑρμῆς: τέτοκεν ἀρτίως, ὦ Πόσειδον. Ποσειδῶν: ἄπαγε, τέτοκεν ἐκεῖνος; ἐκ τίνος; ...; ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ ἐπεσήμανεν ἡ γαστὴρ αὐτῷ ὄγκον τινά. Ἑ: εὖ λέγεις: οὐ γὰρ ἐκείνη εἶχε τὸ ἔμβρυον. Π: οἶδα: ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔτεκεν αὖθις ὥσπερ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν: τοκάδα γὰρ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἔχει. Ἑ: οὔκ, ἀλλὰ ἐν τῷ μηρῷ ἐκύει τὸ ἐκ τῆς Σεμέλης βρέφος. Π: εὖ γε ὁ γενναῖος, ὡς ὅλος ἡμῖν κυοφορεῖ καὶ πανταχόθι τοῦ σώματος. ἀλλὰ τίς ἡ Σεμέλη ἐστί; Ἑ: Θηβαία, τῶν Κάδμου θυγατέρων μία. ταύτῃ συνελθὼν ἐγκύμονα ἐποίησεν. Π: εἶτα ἔτεκεν, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, ἀντ᾽ ἐκείνης;

Mercurius: Peperit iam modo, Neptune. Neptunus: Apage: illene peperit? ex quo? ...: sed nec indicium fecit eius uterus tumoris ullius. M: Recte ais: neque enim ille habebat foetum. N: Teneo: ex capite peperit iterum, ut Minervam: puerperum enim habet caput. M: Neutiquam: sed in femore ferebat ex Semele infantem. N: Euge, ut bonus ille totus nobis uterum gestat & in omni parte corporis! At quaenam est Semele? M: Thebana, Cadmi filiarum una: illam congressus gravidam fecit. N: Tum peperit, Mercuri, eius vice?

Ἑ: καὶ μάλα, εἰ καὶ παράδοξον εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ: τὴν μὲν γὰρ Σεμέλην ὑπελθοῦσα ἡ Ἥρα — οἶσθα ὡς ζηλότυπός ἐστι — πείθει αἰτῆσαι παρὰ τοῦ Διὸς μετὰ βροντῶν καὶ ἀστραπῶν ἥκειν παρ᾽ αὐτήν: ὡς δὲ ἐπείσθη καὶ ἧκεν ἔχων καὶ τὸν κεραυνόν, ἀνεφλέγη ὁ ὄροφος, καὶ ἡ Σεμέλη μὲν διαφθείρεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρός, ἐμὲ δὲ κελεύει ἀνατεμόντα τὴν γαστέρα τῆς γυναικὸς ἀνακομίσαι ἀτελὲς ἔτι αὐτῷ τὸ ἔμβρυον ἑπτάμηνον: καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐποίησα, διελὼν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μηρὸν ἐντίθησιν, ὡς ἀποτελεσθείη ἐνταῦθα, καὶ νῦν τρίτῳ ἤδη μηνὶ ἐξέτεκεν αὐτὸ καὶ μαλακῶς ἀπὸ τῶν ὠδίνων ἔχει. Π: νῦν οὖν ποῦ τὸ βρέφος ἐστίν; Ἑ: ἐς τὴν Νῦσαν ἀποκομίσας ἔδωκα ταῖς Νυμφαις ἀνατρέφειν Διόνυσον ἐπονομασθέντα. Π: οὐκοῦν ἀμφότερα τοῦ Διονύσου τούτου καὶ μήτηρ καὶ πατὴρ ὁ ἀδελφός ἐστιν; Ἑ: ἔοικεν. ἄπειμι δ᾽ οὖν ὕδωρ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ τραῦμα οἴσων καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ποιήσων ἃ νομίζεται ὥσπερ λεχοῖ.

M: Ita plane, tametsi fidem mereri res tibi non videatur: Semelen enim dolis aggressa Juno (nosti gravem eius aemulationem) inducit ad petendum a Jove, cum tonitrubus ac fulminibus ut veniat ad se. Cum morigeratus accessit fulmen habens, succensum est tectum, ipsaque Semele perit ab igne: tum me iubet, exsecto utero mulieris, deferre nondum maturum ad se foetum septimestrem: postquam feci, perscisso femori suo indit, ut maturaretur ibi. Nunc tertio iam mense partum edidit, atque imbecillius ex laboribus habet.  N: Ubinam nunc infans est? M: In Nysam ablatum tradidi Nymphis educandum, imposito Dionysi nomine. N: Ergo utrumque Dionysi istius & mater & pater est hicce? M: Ergo quidem videtur. At abeo, aquam ipsi ad vulnus laturus, ceteraque curaturus, quae solent, tanquam puerperae. Translated into Latin by Tiberius Hemsterhuis and  Johan Frederik Reitz

Lucian [Lucianus Samosatensis; 125 – 180 CE, modern Turkey] was a Roman satirist from Samosata [modern Turkey] who wrote in ancient Greek. His works are a mixture of sarcasm, wit, and biting social criticism. He is without a doubt one of the most popular authors of the later Roman empire.

Apollo Mourns the Loss of Hyacinthus: Luc, Dial. Deo. 14

Mercury: Why are you so sad, Apollo?

Apollo: Mercury, I’m miserable and unhappy because of my love life.

Mercury: That’s a good reason to be miserable. But why are you so unhappy? Or are you still upset about Daphne?

Apollo: Nope, I’m upset about my boyfriend, the Laconian son of Oebalus.

Mercury: Oh no! Did Hyacinthus die? Tell me!

Apollo: Yep.

Mercury: How did it happen, Apollo? Who is such a stranger to love, that they would kill such a handsome young man?

Apollo: I’m to blame.

Mercury: Why? Did you go crazy, Apollo?

Apollo: No. I didn’t want it to happen; it was a terrible accident.

Mercury: How so? I want to hear what happened.

Apollo: He was practicing the discus, and I was practicing with him. Zephyrus, the worst of all the winds, loved him for a long time. But, because he was rejected by Hyacinthus and didn’t handle the rejection well—well, when I threw the discus high in the air (as I usually do), he rushed from Taygetus and struck the boy in the head with it. It hit Hyacinthus so hard that he immediately fell down dead, bleeding from the wound. I followed Zephyrus, trying to avenge Hyacinthus’ death, and I followed him all the way back to his mountain home. Then I built a tomb for the lad in Amyclis (where the discus had killed him), and I made a flower blossom from his blood in the soil where he fell. And let me tell you, Mercury, it’s the prettiest and sweetest-smelling flower there is, and there are letters written upon it that spell out a mourning cry for him (AI! AI!). Do you think I seem too upset for this loss?

Mercury: Absolutely, Apollo. You knew what would happen if you fell in love with a human lover: you shouldn’t grieve him that a mortal has died.

M: Quid vero tristis es, Apollo?

A: Quoniam, o Mercuri, miser atque infelix circa amores sum.

M: Dignum quidem maerore hoc: sed tu quo pacto miser atque infelix es? An adhuc dolore afficit te id quod cum Daphne accidit?

A: Nequaquam, sed amasium doleo Laconem illum Oebali filium.

M: An mortuus est Hyacinthus? dic mihi.

A: Atque admodum.

M: Unde Apollo? Aut quis ita ab omni amore alienus fuit, ut occiderit formosum illum puerum?

A: Meum ipsius factum hoc est.

M: Quid igitur? Insanivisin' Apollo?

A: Non, sed inforunium quoddam invito mihi accidit.

M: Quomodo: cupio enim audire rationem hanc.

A: Disco ludere discebat, atque ego una cum illo ludebam. Ceterum ventorum omnium pessime perditus Zephyrus amabat quidem longo iam tempore etiam ipse illum. Verum neglecto eo, & contemptum istum non ferente, ego quidem, quemadmodum consueveramus, discum in altum sursum versus iaculabar, ille autem deorsum a Taygeto spirans, ablatum hunc in caput puero inflixit, ita ut ex ea plaga & cruror manaret affatim & ipse puer statim moreretur. Verum ego e vestigio Zephyrum ulciscebar, tortis in eum sagittis, fugientemque ad montem usque persequendo. Puero autem & tumulum extruxi in Amyclis, quo loco discus eum prostravit & florem ex cruore illius terram induere feci, suavissimusm illum quidem Mercuri, atque omnium fragrantissimum, praeterea & literas quasdam habentem, quae mortuum ipsum quasi deplorant. Num tibi igitur praeter rationem maestus fuisse videor?

M: Sane vero, Apollo. Noras enim mortalem te comparasse amasium tibi: quare dolere non debes mortuo iam illo.

Ἑρμῆς

τί σκυθρωπός, ὦ Ἄπολλον;

 

Ἀπόλλων

ὅτι, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, δυστυχῶ ἐν τοῖς ἐρωτικοῖς.

 

Ἑρμῆς

ἄξιον μὲν λύπης τὸ τοιοῦτο: σὺ δὲ τί δυστυχεῖς; ἢ τὸ κατὰ τὴν Δάφνην σε λυπεῖ ἔτι;

 

Ἀπόλλων

οὐδαμῶς: ἀλλὰ ἐρώμενον πενθῶ τὸν Λάκωνα τὸν Οἰβάλου.

 

Ἑρμῆς

τέθνηκε γάρ, εἰπέ μοι, ὁ Ὑάκινθος;

 

Ἀπόλλων

καὶ μάλα.

 

Ἑρμῆς

πρὸς τίνος, ὦ Ἄπολλον; ἢ τίς οὕτως ἀνέραστος ἦν ὡς ἀποκτεῖναι τὸ καλὸν ἐκεῖνο μειράκιον;

 

Ἀπόλλων

αὐτοῦ ἐμοῦ τὸ ἔργον.

 

Ἑρμῆς

οὐκοῦν ἐμάνης, ὦ Ἄπολλον;

 

Ἀπόλλων

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ δυστύχημά τι ἀκούσιον ἐγένετο.

 

Ἑρμῆς

πῶς; ἐθέλω γὰρ ἀκοῦσαι τὸν τρόπον.

Ἀπόλλων

[2] δισκεύειν ἐμάνθανε κἀγὼ συνεδίσκευον αὐτῷ, ὁ δὲ κάκιστα ἀνέμων ἀπολούμενος ὁ Ζέφυρος ἤρα [p. 93] μὲν ἐκ πολλοῦ καὶ αὐτός, ἀμελούμενος δὲ καὶ μὴ φέρων τὴν ὑπεροψίαν, ἐγὼ μὲν ἀνέρριψα, ὥσπερ εἰώθειμεν, τὸν δίσκον ἐς τὸ ἄνω, ὁ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ταϋγέτου καταπνεύσας ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν τῷ παιδὶ ἐνέσεισε φέρων αὐτόν, ὥστε ἀπὸ τῆς πληγῆς αἷμά τε ῥυῆναι πολὺ καὶ τὸν παῖδα εὐθέως ἀποθανεῖν. ἀλλὰ ἐγὼ τὸν μὲν Ζέφυρον αὐτίκα ἠμυνάμην κατατοξεύσας, φεύγοντι ἐπισπόμενος ἄχρι τοῦ ὄρους, τῷ παιδὶ δὲ καὶ τὸν τάφον μὲν ἐχωσάμην ἐν Ἀμύκλαις, ὅπου ὁ δίσκος αὐτὸν κατέβαλε, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος ἄνθος ἀναδοῦναι τὴν γῆν ἐποίησα ἥδιστον, ὦ Ἑρμῆ, καὶ εὐανθέστατον ἀνθέων ἁπάντων, ἔτι καὶ γράμματα ἔχον ἐπαιάζοντα τῷ νεκρῷ. ἆρά σοι ἀλόγως λελυπῆσθαι δοκῶ;

Ἑρμῆς

ναί, ὦ Ἄπολλον: ᾔδεις γὰρ θνητὸν πεποιημένος τὸν ἐρώμενον: ὥστε μὴ ἄχθου ἀποθανόντος.

--Lucian, Dialogi Deorum 14,   trans. Jacobus Micyllus

 Lucian was a Turkish-born Roman satirist who wrote in ancient Greek. His works are a mixture of sarcasm, wit, and biting social criticism. He is without a doubt one of the most popular authors of the later Roman empire.