The Avenger of Achilles: Martial, Epig.2.84.1-2

Name: Martial Date: c. 40 – 100 CE Region: Bilbilis, Hispania [modern Spain] Citation: Epigrams 2.84.1-2

Note: Only the first half of the poem is printed here. In the second half, Martial makes an obscene comparison to this myth and one of his peers.

Philoctetes was gay, and openly flirty with men;

This is how Venus avenged the wounds of Paris*.

*In this version of the myth, Paris shoots and kills Achilles, and in turn is slain by Philoctetes' bow.

Mollis erat facilisque viris Poeantius heros:

     vulnera sic Paridis dicitur ulta Venus.

Martial [Marcus Valerius Martialis; 38 BCE – 102 CE, modern Spain] Originally from Bilbilis, Hispania, the poet Martial moved to Rome in the 60s CE to advance his career. His two extant works include de Spectaculis, a collection of poems written to commemorate the opening of the Colosseum, and a fifteen volume collection of epigrams. These poems provide valuable insight into the private lives of Romans from all of the city’s social classes.

The Greeks Honoring the Fallen Amazons: Pausanias, Description of Greece, 1.41.7

 

Name:  Pausanias Date:        110 – 180 CE Region:    Lydia [modern Turkey] Citation:      Description of Greece  1.41.7

Amazons were a varied and complex component of Athenian art and literature. In this passage, Pausanias describes the tomb of the mythical Amazon warrior Hippolyte, who dies of a broken heart when she loses her sister, Antiope. 

Near the monument to Pandion is the monument to Hippolyta; let me tell you about what the Megarians say about it. When the Amazons attacked Athens to avenge the kidnapped Antiope, they were defeated by Theseus. Many of the Amazons died in battle, but Hippolyte, the sister of Antiope and the Amazons’ general, retreated to Megara with the few remaining survivors. Upset by the defeat in battle, and despairing that that she would never return home to Themiscyra again, she died of grief. When she died, the Megarians buried her and made her tomb in the shape of an Amazon shield.

 ὅτε Ἀμαζόνες ἐπ᾽ Ἀθηναίους στρατεύσασαι δι᾽ Ἀντιόπην ἐκρατήθησαν ὑπὸ Θησέως, τὰς μὲν πολλὰς συνέβη μαχομένας αὐτῶν ἀποθανεῖν, Ἱππολύτην δὲ ἀδελφὴν οὖσαν Ἀντιόπης καὶ τότε ἡγουμένην τῶν γυναικῶν ἀποφυγεῖν σὺν ὀλίγαις ἐς Μέγαρα, ἅτε δὲ κακῶς οὕτω πράξασαν τῷ στρατῷ τοῖς τε παροῦσιν ἀθύμως ἔχουσαν καὶ περὶ τῆς οἴκαδε ἐς τὴν Θεμίσκυραν σωτηρίας μᾶλλον ἔτι ἀποροῦσαν ὑπὸ λύπης τελευτῆσαι: καὶ θάψαι αὐτὴν ἀποθανοῦσαν, καί οἱ τοῦ μνήματος σχῆμά ἐστιν Ἀμαζονικῇ ἀσπίδι ἐμφερές

Prope est Hippolytae monumentum, de qua quae Megarenses dicunt, non praetermittam. Quum Amazones ob captam Antiopen bello Athenienses lacessissent, a Theseo superatae sunt. Quumque earum multae in proelio cecidissent, Hippolyten tradunt, Antiopes sororem, cui feminarum ille parebat exercitus, Megara cum paucis aufugisse: ibi quum re mala gesta animum despondisset, praesertim quod se Themiscyram in patriam suam redire posse desperasset, prae animi angore e vita excessisse: sepultam vero eo quo diximus loco, et eius sane monumentum Amazonici clypei formam prae se fert.

 

Translated into Latin by Romulus Amasaeus (1696)

Pausanias [110 -180 CE, modern Turkey] was a Greek writer from Lydia who lived during the era of the “Five Good Emperors.” His work, the Description of Greece, is an important source for geographical, historical, archaeological, and cultural information about ancient Greece.

Atalanta's End: Lactantius Placidius 10.11

Ace Champion Atalanta

Name: Lactantius Placidus Date:  5th or 6th century CE Region:    Unknown Citation:  Plots of Ovid’s Myths, Book 10, Story 11

When Atalanta learned about marriage and was warned to never marry, she set up a test for all of her suitors. Since she was the fastest woman alive, she said that she would marry anyone who won a race against her, but would kill anyone she outran.

Ace Chamption Atalanta

Atalanta, Schoenei filia, cum de coniugio sciscitata esset et monita nulli iungeretur, quia omnium virginum pernicissima erat, petentibus procris legem posuit, eius coniugem futuram, qui se cursu pedum antecessisset, victo autem necem statuit.

Lactantius Placidus [5^th or 6^th century CE] is the name of the author attributed to a prose summary of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, but little is known about the author or his time period.

Dangerous Beauty: The Abduction of Hylas, Vat. Myth. 2.199

The Abduction of Hylas

Name:  Vatican Mythographers Date:   10th century CE Region:   Unknown Citation:   Vatican Mythographers  2.199

Abduction myths serve two purposes. For modern readers, they serve as a cautionary tale that all young persons are vulnerable to exploitation. For ancient readers, however, these beautiful youths’ abductions were euphemistic stories to help grieving parents cope with the loss of a child who died before reaching expected social milestones (e.g., entering adulthood or getting married).

When Hercules joined the Argonauts, he brought with him the incredibly beautiful Hylas as his squire. During the trip, he broke an oar while he was rowing, so the crew headed to the forests of Mysia for repairs. While Hylas was gathering  water, he fell into a river and is said to have been abducted by the water nymphs there. When Hercules went looking for him and the Argonauts tried to stop him, they left him behind in Mysia. Later on, when he realized that Hylas drowned, sacred rites were dedicated to him: his name “Hylas!” is proclaimed. 

The Abduction of Hylas

Hercules cum comes Argonautis accessisset, Hylam Thiodomantis filium admirandae pulchritudinis iuvenem secum duxit armigerum. Qui remum fregit in mari cum pro suis remigat viribus. Cuius reparandi gratia Mysiam petens silvam fertur ingressus. Hylas, vero cum aquatum cum urna perrexisset, in fluvium cecidit; unde a nymphis raptus esse dicitur. Quem dum Hercules quaerens ab Argonatuis impeditus esset,in Mysia est relictus. Postea cum cognitum esset in fonte eum perisse, statuta sunt ei sacra, in quibus mos fuerat ut nomen eius clamaretur in montibus.

Vatican Mythographers [10th century CE?] Little is known about the author or origin of the collection of myths known as the Vatican Mythographers, but the work’s first editor Angelo Mai found the collection on a manuscript dating back to the 10th century CE. This volume is a collection of three different mythographers who have assembled various Greco-Roman myths; although many of these myths are basic summaries in Latin, some of them are either analyzed as allegories or compared to Christian thought.

They were Roommates? Suetonius on the life of Hyginus, de Gram. 20.1-3

Name: Suetonius Date:  69 - 122 CE Region: Numidia [modern Algeria]    Citation:  de Gramm. 20.1-3

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.

Caius Julius Hyginus, one of Augustus’ freedmen, was 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 (whom many called the Scholar because of his vast knowledge of history), 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. Hyginus’ freedman was Julius Modestus, a scholar who followed in his patron’s footsteps in both education and area of expertise.

  

C. Iulius Hyginus Augusti libertus, natione Hispanus,—nonnulli Alexandrinum putant et a Caesare puerum Romam adductum Alexandria capta—studiose et audiit et imitatus est Cornelium Alexandrum grammaticum Graecum quem propter antiquitatis notitiam Polyhistorem multi, quidam Historiam vocabant. Praefuit Palatinae bibliothecae nec eo secius plurimos docuit fuitque familiarissimus Ovidio poetae et Clodio Licino consulari historico qui eum admodum pauperem decessisse tradit et liberalitate sua quoad vixerit sustentatum. Huius libertus fuit Iulius Modestus in studiis atque doctrina vestigia patroni secutus.

  

 Suetonius was a Roman biographer from Numidia (modern Algeria). He is known for his work the de Vitis Caesarum, a collection of biographies on the first twelve Roman emperors.

 

Alas, Camilla! Vergil, Aeneid

Name:  Vergil Date:  70 – 19 BCE Region:  Mantua [modern northern Italy] Citation:  Aeneid 11.584 - 596

"I wish [Camilla] weren’t swept up in this attempt to tackle the Trojans:

She is dear to me and, of all my companions, she’d be my only [dear].

Since she is compelled by cruel fate, go on, then, nymph, 

Slip down unnoticed to Earth, go to where the doomed Latins are fighting.

Take this quiver and grab an avenging arrow

And with it strike down whoever harms the blessed body of Camilla,  

Whether they are Trojan or Italian, they’ll pay the penalty with their blood.

Afterwards, I will keep her body from being stripped of armor,

And I will carry her back to her homeland for burial.”

Diana spoke, and [Opis] gracefully soared through the breeze

Cloaking her body in a dark whirlwind.

 vellem haud correpta fuisset

militia tali conata lacessere Teucros:                

cara mihi comitumque foret nunc una mearum.

verum age, quandoquidem fatis urgetur acerbis,

labere, nympha, polo finisque invise Latinos,

tristis ubi infausto committitur omine pugna.

haec cape et ultricem pharetra deprome sagittam:                

hac, quicumque sacrum violarit vulnere corpus,

Tros Italusque, mihi pariter det sanguine poenas.

post ego nube cava miserandae corpus et arma

inspoliata feram tumulo patriaeque reponam.'

dixit, at illa levis caeli delapsa per auras                

insonuit nigro circumdata turbine corpus.

Vergil, also known as Virgil, [Publius Vergilius Maro; 70 – 19 BCE, modern Italy] was born in Mantua, Cisalpine Gaul, and lived during the tumultuous transition of Roman government from republic to monarchy. His writing talent earned him a place of honor among Maecenas’ fellow authors under Augustan rule. He was friends with numerous famous authors of the time period, including Horace and Asinius Pollio. His former slave Alexander was the most influential romantic partner in his life, and the poet memorialized his love for him under the pseudonym “Alexis” in Eclogue 2. His masterpiece, the Aeneid, tells the story of Aeneas’ migration from Troy to Italy; it was used for centuries as the pinnacle of Roman literature.

M/M: Alas, Hyacinthus: Ovid, Met. 10.162-219

Name:   Ovid Date:     43 BCE – 17 CE Region:    Sulmo [modern Italy] Citation: Metamorphoses, 10.162 - 219

You, too, Hyacinthus, would have joined Phoebus in heaven

If Destiny had allowed you to overturn your sad fate.

But nevertheless you are eternal, sort of,

Whenever spring chases off winter,

Whenever Aries rises over the rainy season of Pisces,

You return as a flower upon the green fields.  

My father loved you more than everyone else.

Delphi, the hub of the world, had no ruler,

While its patron god [Apollo] traveled to open-gated land of Sparta,

He doesn’t care about his lyre or his archery anymore;

And, out of character, he doesn’t mind taking up the hunting-net

He doesn’t mind walking his hunting dogs,

He doesn’t mind trekking the mountains as Hyacinthus’ companion [comes],

And this time together fans the flames of his love.

It was high noon when Apollo and Hyacinthus got ready for a workout,

They shed their clothes and anointed themselves,*

And entered the field for a friendly game of discus.

Phoebus [Apollo] had the first throw. The discus

Sliced through the air, then after a while, it fell back to the ground,

displaying Apollo’s talent with its course.

Straightaway, Hyacinthus foolishly rushed to catch it, trying to show off,

But the discus ricocheted off of the ground and hit Hyacinthus in the face.

Apollo went pale, as pale as his boyfriend was!

He cradled Hyacinthus’ unconscious form,

Trying to revive you, trying to staunch the blood of your wounds,

Trying to save your life with herbs.

His skills could not save you: the wound was a fatal one.

Just like when someone plucks

a violet or a poppy or a lily from its stem,

It hangs its wilted head

Unable to hold its blossom,

it droops to the ground

your head drooped forward against your shoulder

as you died. Apollo cried,

“Oh Hyacinthus, you perish, cheated out of your youth.

As I look at your wound, I blame myself.

You are my grief and my guilt:

I have your blood on my hands.

I am the reason that you died.

But what did I do wrong? Was it a crime

To exercise together?

Was it a crime to love you?

If only I could die with you, or

If only you could return to life!

Although you are mortal and must die,

You will always be with me,

I will always have you in my heart.

I shall sing of you with my lyre

And with my voice,

And a new flower will cry out for you in imitation of my grief.

There will be a time, when a brave hero

Will also be associated with this flower, and recognized by its petals.”

 As Apollo was speaking, the youth’s blood

which spread upon the ground

 was blood no longer! Prettier than Tyrian purple

 a flower bloomed and took a shape like a lily

except this was purple, and that was silvery.

But Apollo wasn’t done—upon its petals he wrote

His own lament, and the petals now have the words “ALAS! ALAS!”

And Sparta isn’t ashamed of Hyacinthus:

He is honored even today, and every year

They celebrate a festival in his honor.

* in the absence of elastic waistbands, ancient Greeks and Romans would exercise nude. They used olive oil as a form of antiperspirant / deodorant.

 'Te quoque, Amyclide, posuisset in aethere Phoebus,      

tristia si spatium ponendi fata dedissent.             

qua licet, aeternus tamen es, quotiensque repellit           

ver hiemem, Piscique Aries succedit aquoso,       

tu totiens oreris viridique in caespite flores.        

te meus ante omnes genitor dilexit, et orbe        

in medio positi caruerunt praeside Delphi,           

dum deus Eurotan inmunitamque frequentat    

Sparten, nec citharae nec sunt in honore sagittae:              

inmemor ipse sui non retia ferre recusat,             

non tenuisse canes, non per iuga montis iniqui   

ire comes, longaque alit adsuetudine flammas. 

iamque fere medius Titan venientis et actae       

noctis erat spatioque pari distabat utrimque,       

corpora veste levant et suco pinguis olivi              

splendescunt latique ineunt certamina disci.       

quem prius aerias libratum Phoebus in auras      

misit et oppositas disiecit pondere nubes;           

reccidit in solidam longo post tempore terram     

pondus et exhibuit iunctam cum viribus artem.  

protinus inprudens actusque cupidine lusus        

tollere Taenarides orbem properabat, at illum    

dura repercusso subiecit verbere tellus 

in vultus, Hyacinthe, tuos. expalluit aeque             

quam puer ipse deus conlapsosque excipit artus,              

et modo te refovet, modo tristia vulnera siccat, 

nunc animam admotis fugientem sustinet herbis.             

nil prosunt artes: erat inmedicabile vulnus.         

ut, siquis violas rigidumve papaver in horto           

liliaque infringat fulvis horrentia linguis,

marcida demittant subito caput illa vietum          

nec se sustineant spectentque cacumine terram:             

sic vultus moriens iacet et defecta vigore             

ipsa sibi est oneri cervix umeroque recumbit.       

"laberis, Oebalide, prima fraudate iuventa,"       

Phoebus ait "videoque tuum, mea crimina, vulnus.          

tu dolor es facinusque meum: mea dextera leto

inscribenda tuo est. ego sum tibi funeris auctor.

quae mea culpa tamen, nisi si lusisse vocari           

culpa potest, nisi culpa potest et amasse vocari?

atque utinam tecumque mori vitamque liceret   

reddere! quod quoniam fatali lege tenemur,      

semper eris mecum memorique haerebis in ore.

te lyra pulsa manu, te carmina nostra sonabunt,  

flosque novus scripto gemitus imitabere nostros.             

tempus et illud erit, quo se fortissimus heros      

addat in hunc florem folioque legatur eodem." 

talia dum vero memorantur Apollinis ore,            

ecce cruor, qui fusus humo signaverat herbas,     

desinit esse cruor, Tyrioque nitentior ostro          

flos oritur formamque capit, quam lilia, si non    

purpureus color his, argenteus esset in illis.         

non satis hoc Phoebo est (is enim fuit auctor honoris):   

ipse suos gemitus foliis inscribit, et AI AI  

flos habet inscriptum, funestaque littera ducta est.          

nec genuisse pudet Sparten Hyacinthon: honorque         

durat in hoc aevi, celebrandaque more priorum

annua praelata redeunt Hyacinthia pompa.   

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.