A Transgender Man: Caeneus, Hyginus Fabulae XIV

Name: Hyginus   Date:  64 BCE – 17 CE Region:  Hispania [modern Spain] / Alexandria [modern Egypt]; Rome [modern Italy] Citation:  Fables 14

Caeneus: Some say that he was once a woman, whom Neptune granted as a courtship gift the transformation into a young man (iuvenem) and [flesh] impervious to weapons.

Caeneus, Elati filius Magnesius...hunc nonnulli feminam fuisse dicunt, cui petenti Neptunum propter connubium optatum dedisse ut in iuvenilem speciem conversus nullo ictu interfici posset.

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.