W/W: Philaenis' [Girl]friend: Martial, Epig. 7.70

 According to Greek lore, Philaenis was a woman author who wrote a treatise on erotic arts. Because of this, the name Philaenis was used for a stock character of a woman who exceeded Greco-Roman gender roles. Whether she showed excessive lust, same-sex desire, or had children out of wedlock, the name Philaenis was used as an umbrella-term to cover these "unladylike" behaviors.

A Girl’s Girl: Philaenis

Name: Martial Date: c. 40 – 100 CE Region: Bilbilis, Hispania [modern Spain] Citation: Epigrams 7.70

This pun plays on the double entendre of amica [both “friend” and “girlfriend”]:

 

Philaenis, everyone's favorite lesbian,
You call the girls you date your [girl]friend—and rightly so!

 

A Girl’s Girl: Philaenis

Ipsarum tribadum tribas, Philaeni,

recte, quam [viseris] *, vocas “amicam.”

* word has been redacted to fit the scope of this blog

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.

A Trans Woman: Leucippus, Antoninus Liberalis, Metam. XVII

Filia Eurytii F. Spartonis Galatea, Phaesti Critae nupsit Lampro Pandionis F. viro natalibus non obscuris, sed inopi. Is cum uxor gravida esset, voto masculam sibi prolem expetens, edixit mulieri, si filiam peperisset, uti ne eam tolleret: simul ad oves pascendas digressus: Galatea filiam partu edidit: &  miserta infantis, solitudinemque familiae reputans, insomniis adstipulantibus, et ariolis pro filio eam educatre iubentibus, Lamprum decepit, filium se enixam professa: puellamque nomine Leucippi affectam, tanquam filius si esset, enutriit. Cum adolevisset puella, & ineffabili esset pulchritudine, metuens sibi a marito Galatea, cum res diutius tegi non posset, in fanum Latonae confugit: multisque a Dea precibus contendit, si filia in marem mutari posset: sicut Caenis Atracis filia, Neptuni voluntate in Caeneum Lapitham abiit: & Tiresias ob interfectos in trivio coeuntes angues, de viro mulier fuit factus: rursusque virilem sexum adeptus est, quia draconem saepenumero Panastem autem & Hypermestram venditam pro muliere invenisse pretium: cum autem in virum esset mutata, alimenta Aethoni patri attulisse. Cretensem quoque Siproetam mutatum, cum inter venandum lavantem vidisset Minervam. Latona continenter lamentantem & deprecantem miserata est Galateam, puellamque in puerum mutavit.
--Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses XVII

Galatea, the Spartan daughter of Eurytius, married Lamprus, the son of Cretan King Pandion. Lamprus was from a famous, but poor family.
When Galatea became pregnant, Lamprus wanted a boy, and ordered her to expose the infant if she gave birth to a girl.
While Lamprus was out tending his flocks, Galatea gave birth to the girl. Swollen with milk and sleep deprived, Galatea thought about how empty their home was when Lamprus was away, and pitied the infant. She deceived Lamprus and said she gave birth to a boy.  She raised the girl with the name Leucippus, as if the girl were a son.
When the girl went through puberty and became astoundingly beautiful, Galatea could no longer hide what she had done and fled to the temple of Latona [mother of Diana and Apollo].
She laid out her case to the goddess with ceaseless prayers, praying that her daughter be transformed into a man and using the following precedents:

• Caenis, the daughter of Atrax, was changed into a man by the will of Neptune. 
• Tiresias, too, went from man to woman by slaying a pair of snakes mating by the side of the road; he then returned to being a man by slaying another snake. 
• Hypermestra sold herself as a woman to earn money for her father, and changed back into a man to bring the proceeds back to their father Aethon. 
• Siproetis, a Cretan lad, accidentally saw Minerva bathing while he was hunting and was transformed into a woman.

Latona pitied the woman's prayers and changed her daughter into a son.

ANTONINUS LIBERALIS	MAP:
Name: Antoninus Liberalis   Date:  2nd – 3rd c. CE Works:  Metamorphoses*	REGION  UNKNOWN
BIO:	Timeline:
Little is known about the life of the Greek author Antoninus Liberalis. His work, Metamorphoses, is similar to the works of Hyginus in that they provide brief summaries of Greek and Roman myths.	ROMAN GREECE

M/M: The Emperor's Beloved: Antinous, SHA Vit. Hadr. XIV.5-7

Antinoum suum, dum per Nilum navigat, perdidit, quem muliebriter flevit. de quo varia fama est, aliis eum devotum pro Hadriano adserentibus, aliis quod et forma eius ostetat et nimia voluptas Hadriani. et Graeci quidem volente Hadriano eum consecraverunt, oracula per eum dari adserentes, quae Hadrianus ipse composuisse iactatur.

--SHA Vita Hadriani XIV.5-7


While traveling down the Nile, [The Emperor Hadrian] lost his lover Antinous and mourned him excessively. There are several rumors about how it happened. Some say that Antinous was ritually sacrificed to preserve the Emperor’s life, while others consider the youth’s beauty and the Emperor’s passion for him and think it was the result of a lover’s quarrel. The Greeks even deified the youth at the Emperor’s behest, and claim that his spirit gave oracles, but many dismiss these as being written not by Antinous but the Emperor himself. 

<Anonymous>	MAP:
Name:  ??? Date:  4th c. CE Works:  Historia Augusta	REGION  UNKNOWN
BIO:	Timeline:
Little is known about the author(s) of the Historia Augusta; even internal evidence within the text is either falsified, skewed or utterly fictitious. Although attributed to six different authors, the text was likely written by a single author living during the 4th century CE. It is a series of imperial biographies modeled after the works of Suetonius; these biographies cover the reigns of the emperors Hadrian through Carus.	AGE OF CONFLICT

M/M: Money Can't Buy You Love: Martial Epig. 12.75

Everybody’s Got a Type

Name: Martial Date: c. 40 – 100 CE Region: Bilbilis, Hispania [modern Spain] Citation: Epigrams 12.75.1-2, 4-8

Polytimus chases after girls,

Hypnus only hesitantly admits he's into guys.

Dindymus is gay, but doesn't want to be.

Amphion could have been born a girl.

But, Avitus, I'd rather date one of these guys,

And deal with all their drama, all their over-the-top complaints,

Than marry a millionaire's snobby daughter.

Latin Text:

Festinat Polytimus ad puellas,

Invitus puerum fatetur Hypnus,...

Mollis Dindymus est, sed esse non vult;

Amphion potuit puella nasci.

Horum delicias superbiamque

et fastus querulos, Avite, malo

quam dotis mihi quinquies ducena.

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.

M/M: Unrequited: Catullus 99

Unrequited: Stolen Kisses and the Consequences

Name: Catullus Date:  84 – 54 BCE Region:  Verona / Cisalpine Gaul [modern northern Italy] Citation:  Poem 99

While you were distracted, sweet Juventius,
I stole a kiss from you.

It was sweeter than the sweetest honey.
But I didn't get away with it, for the next hour
I felt utterly tortured and alone.

For although I tried to apologize, my tears could not
Temper an ounce of your savage response.
As soon as I did it, you wiped the kiss off your lips,
Rubbing it off with each and every finger
So not a trace of my lips remained on yours,
As if I were contaminated and dirty.
You didn't hesitate to hurt me,

As I suffered from a love unreturned.
You tortured me in every way,
And now you turned a kiss, once as sweet to me as honey
Into something sad, the bitterest poison.
So now I've learned my lesson, I've paid my penalty,
And I’ll never steal another kiss again.

Unrequited: Stolen Kisses and the Consequences

Surripui tibi, dum ludis, mellite Juventi,

suaviolum dulci dulcius ambrosia.

Verum id non impune tuli: namque amplius horam

suffixum in summa me memini esse cruce,

dum tibi me purgo, nec possum fletibus ullis

tantillum vestrae demere saevitiae.

Nam simul id factum est, multis diluta labella

guttis abstersti omnibus articulis,

ne quicquam nostro contractum ex ore maneret,

tamquam commictae spurca saliva lupae.

Praeterea infesto miserum me tradere amori

non cessati omnique excruciare modo,

ut mi ex ambrosia mutatum iam foret illud

suaviolum tristi tristius elleboro.

Quam quoniam poenam misero proponis amori,

numquam iam posthac basia surripiam.  

Catullus [Gaius Valerius Catullus; 84 – 54 BCE, modern Italy] was a Roman statesman born in Verona [modern Italy] who lived during the tumultuous last days of the Roman Republic.  His poetry offers rare insight into the lives of people who lived during his time period. Like Propertius and Tibullus, Catullus used a pseudonym for the objects of his attention; many of his love poems were addressed to either “Lesbia” or “Juventius.”

M/M: A Groupie: Martial Epig. VIII.63

Thestylon Aulus amat sed nec minus ardet Alexin,
forsitan et nostrum nunc Hyacinthon amat.
I nunc et dubita vates an diligat ipsos,
delicias vatum cum meus Aulus amet.

--Martial VIII.63

Aulus loves Thestylus, but he burns for Alexis just as much,
perhaps he even loves my Hyacinthus, too;
Perhaps his true crush is the poets themselves
considering our Aulus loves all their boyfriends?

MARTIAL	MAP:
Name: Marcus Valerius Martialis Date:  40 CE – 104 CE Works:  Epigrammaton Libri XV*                De Spectaculis	REGION  2 (Hispania)
BIO:	Timeline:
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 epigrams provide valuable insight into the mores and private lives of men and women from all of the city’s social classes.	SILVER AGE ROME

Just Say No: Euripides' Hippolytus, 58-113

HIP: Hac me sequimini,
Cantu Deam modulemur:
Natam Iove Artemin
Dulci canentes voce:
Res nostrae huic sunt curae.
[Min]: Veneranda, o veneranda,
Casti plena pudoris,
Iovis aetherii certum germen,
Salve o virgineum decus,
Salve Latonae et Iovis
Inclyta filia:
Forma nympha decora
Omneis superas virgines,
Quotquot caeli spatiosa patris
degunt aula,
per Iovis aurea templa.
HIP. Salve o formosissima,
Cunctarum quae caelo degunt
Artemi formosissima virginum,
***
Tibi hanc coronam Diva contextam fero
e florido intactoque prato, numquam ubi
immissa pastor pecora pavit, falce nec
fuere secta gramina: ast apes vagae,
per verna solum tempora, herbas fertileis
alis pererrant mollibus; fluviatili
rore pudor irrigat. Facessat o procul
ex disciplina hausta indoles, natura quos
ad recta ducit, usque quos stipat pudor
nativus; his fas hinc sit herbas carpere:
praeclusus at sit aditus omnis improbis:
tuque Domina, mihi cara, amica a dextera
munus profectum vertici impone aureo.
 Soli hic mihi mortalium datus est honor,
ut verser una, unaque tecum colloquar,
vocem audiam, faciem tamen non conspicer:
vitae meae tu, quaeso, curriculum rege,
quemque institi liceat manere tramite.
ANC: O rex, Deos dominos vocare fas iubet:
tu consiline vis mei esse particeps?
HIP: Quidni? Recusans haud sapere possim argui.
ANC: At lex hominibus quae statuta sit es memor?
HIP: Ignoro. Sed quid est, quod ex me scire vis?
ANC: Superbiam exodisse, et aeque qui omnibus non sunt amici.
HIP: Sed quis aequo plus gravis
non omnium in sese illico vertat odia?
ANC: In comitate aliquodne consistit decus?
HIP: Magnum quidem, exiguaque cum molestia
ingens lucrum.
ANC: Affectos Deosne existimas
modo esse eodem?
HIP: Si quidem Deorum usque sumus usi legibus.
ANC: Cur fatuosae verba non facis Deae?
HIP: Cui? Os tuum ne erret, etiam atque etiam vide.
ANC: Ei, ante quae fores tuas stat, Cypridi.
HIP: Illam saluto castus eminus Deam.
ANC: Veneranda ea est atque inter homines nobilis.
HIP: Alii aliis Dii Hominesque curam impartiunt.
ANC: Beatus esse mente sana praeditus.
HIP: Nullus mihi placet Deum immortalium,
cuius sacra exercentur atris noctibus.
ANC: Dii sunt colendi consuetis ritibus.
HIP: Ite famuli iam intro; ut paratae sint dapes,
curate. Iucundae refertae dulcibus
mensae cibis sunt, assiduus ubi famem
venatus obsonavit. Equi etiam mei
sunt reficiendi, quo iugatos curribus
dape saturatus commodius exerceam.
Longum at tuam iubeo valere Cypridem.

Ἱππόλυτος
ἕπεσθ᾽ ᾁδοντες ἕπεσθε
τὰν Διὸς οὐρανίαν
Ἄρτεμιν, ᾇ μελόμεσθα.
Ἱππόλυτος καὶ θεράποντες
πότνια πότνια σεμνοτάτα,
Ζηνὸς γένεθλον,
χαῖρε, χαῖρέ μοι, ὦ κόρα
Λατοῦς Ἄρτεμι καὶ Διός,
καλλίστα πολὺ παρθένων,
ἃ μέγαν κατ᾽ οὐρανὸν
ναίεις εὐπατέρειαν αὐ-
λάν, Ζηνὸς πολύχρυσον οἶκον.
χαῖρέ μοι, ὦ καλά, καλ-
λίστα τῶν κατ᾽ Ὄλυμπον
[παρθένων, Ἄρτεμι].
Ἱππόλυτος
σοὶ τόνδε πλεκτὸν στέφανον ἐξ ἀκηράτου
λειμῶνος, ὦ δέσποινα, κοσμήσας φέρω,
ἔνθ᾽ οὔτε ποιμὴν ἀξιοῖ φέρβειν βοτὰ
οὔτ᾽ ἦλθέ πω σίδηρος, ἀλλ᾽ ἀκήρατον
μέλισσα λειμῶν᾽ ἠρινὴ διέρχεται,
Αἰδὼς δὲ ποταμίαισι κηπεύει δρόσοις,
ὅσοις διδακτὸν μηδὲν ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῇ φύσει
τὸ σωφρονεῖν εἴληχεν ἐς τὰ πάντ᾽ ἀεί,
τούτοις δρέπεσθαι, τοῖς κακοῖσι δ᾽ οὐ θέμις.
ἀλλ᾽, ὦ φίλη δέσποινα, χρυσέας κόμης
ἀνάδημα δέξαι χειρὸς εὐσεβοῦς ἄπο.
μόνῳ γάρ ἐστι τοῦτ᾽ ἐμοὶ γέρας βροτῶν:
σοὶ καὶ ξύνειμι καὶ λόγοις ἀμείβομαι,
κλύων μὲν αὐδῆς, ὄμμα δ᾽ οὐχ ὁρῶν τὸ σόν.
τέλος δὲ κάμψαιμ᾽ ὥσπερ ἠρξάμην βίου.
Θεράπωνἄναξ — θεοὺς γὰρ δεσπότας καλεῖν χρεών —
ἆρ᾽ ἄν τί μου δέξαιο βουλεύσαντος εὖ;
Ἱππόλυτοςκαὶ κάρτα γ᾽: ἦ γὰρ οὐ σοφοὶ φαινοίμεθ᾽ ἄν.
Θεράπωνοἶσθ᾽ οὖν βροτοῖσιν ὃς καθέστηκεν νόμος;
Ἱππόλυτοςοὐκ οἶδα: τοῦ δὲ καί μ᾽ ἀνιστορεῖς πέρι;
Θεράπωνμισεῖν τὸ σεμνὸν καὶ τὸ μὴ πᾶσιν φίλον.
Ἱππόλυτοςὀρθῶς γε: τίς δ᾽ οὐ σεμνὸς ἀχθεινὸς βροτῶν;
Θεράπωνἐν δ᾽ εὐπροσηγόροισίν ἐστί τις χάρις;
Ἱππόλυτοςπλείστη γε, καὶ κέρδος γε σὺν μόχθῳ βραχεῖ.
Θεράπωνἦ κἀν θεοῖσι ταὐτὸν ἐλπίζεις τόδε;
Ἱππόλυτοςεἴπερ γε θνητοὶ θεῶν νόμοισι χρώμεθα.
Θεράπωνπῶς οὖν σὺ σεμνὴν δαίμον᾽ οὐ προσεννέπεις;
Ἱππόλυτοςτίν᾽; εὐλαβοῦ δὲ μή τί σου σφαλῇ στόμα.
Θεράπωντήνδ᾽, ἣ πύλαισι σαῖς ἐφέστηκεν πέλας.
Ἱππόλυτοςπρόσωθεν αὐτὴν ἁγνὸς ὢν ἀσπάζομαι.
Θεράπωνσεμνή γε μέντοι κἀπίσημος ἐν βροτοῖς.
Ἱππόλυτοςοὐδείς μ᾽ ἀρέσκει νυκτὶ θαυμαστὸς θεῶν.
Θεράπωντιμαῖσιν, ὦ παῖ, δαιμόνων χρῆσθαι χρεών.
Ἱππόλυτοςἄλλοισιν ἄλλος θεῶν τε κἀνθρώπων μέλει.
Θεράπωνεὐδαιμονοίης νοῦν ἔχων ὅσον σε δεῖ.
Ἱππόλυτοςχωρεῖτ᾽, ὀπαδοί, καὶ παρελθόντες δόμους
σίτων μέλεσθε: τερπνὸν ἐκ κυναγίας
τράπεζα πλήρης: καὶ καταψήχειν χρεὼν
ἵππους, ὅπως ἂν ἅρμασιν ζεύξας ὕπο
βορᾶς κορεσθεὶς γυμνάσω τὰ πρόσφορα.
τὴν σὴν δὲ Κύπριν πόλλ᾽ ἐγὼ χαίρειν λέγω.

--Euripides, Hippolytus 58 - 113. Trans. Georgio Ratallero, 1822

HIPPOLYTUS: Join me, let us praise the goddess with hymns, singing sweetly of Jupiter's daughter Artemis, who looks after us.
ATTENDANTS: Holy one, Holy one,
chaste and pure one,
the true child of heavenly Jupiter,
Greetings, o Model of Womanhood.
Greetings, renowned daughter of
Latona & Jupiter.
You surpass all the ladies
with your youthful grace,
surpassing even the ageless nymphs
that dwell in the lofty halls
of their heavenly Father's palace.
HIPPOLYTUS: Greetings, gorgeous one,
most beautiful of all maidens who dwell in heaven,
Artemis, the most beautiful maiden of all!
I bring you this garland
woven with wildflowers
gathered in a faraway field,
where no shepherd has ever led his grazing flocks,
where no farmer has ever plowed or reaped;
where only meandering bees fluttered on soft wings
across the fertile brush in springtime's bloom,
which Chastity tends with waters collected from river-born dew.
The only ones permitted to pluck these blooms
are those who swarm around Abstinence,
whose inborn nature guides them
in a complete and perfect life of chastity.
Let this place be closed off from raunchy ones.
And you, Lady, dear to me,
my companion, take this offering from my right hand
and place it upon your golden brow.
Of all mortals, you alone honor me
that I may spend time together with you,
that I speak together with you,
that I hear your voice,
though I see not your face.
I beg you, guide the course of my life,
let me remain on my accustomed path.
SERVANT:  O King, the Natural Order of the Universe commands us to call upon the gods who rule us. Will you join me in doing this?
HIPPOLYTUS: Why not? It's hardly wise to argue with your words.
SERVANT: Do you not recall the commandments given to mankind?
HIPPOLYTUS: I'm not sure. But what is it? What do you want to speak with me about?
SERVANT: The law about hating the haughty, and those who aren't friendly to all.
HIPPOLYTUS: Is there anything worse than that? Who deserves everyone's hatred more than that one?
SERVANT: Isn't it proper to no exclude people?
HIPPOLYTUS: Of course! Interacting with people gives such a great reward from such a trivial inconvenience.
SERVANT: Shouldn't we treat the gods the same way?
HIPPOLYTUS: Well, yes, we should follow the same rule.
SERVANT: Why then do you not hail the Goddess of Pleasantries?
HIPPOLYTUS: Who? Watch your tongue, lest you regret your words.
SERVANT: Her, the one who stands beside you. Cyprian Venus. [Points to statue]
HIPPOLYTUS: [Addresses statue] Being chaste, I greet you from afar, Goddess.
SERVANT: She is revered and valued among mankind.
HIPPOLYTUS: To each their own, then.
SERVANT: A blessed man is gifted with a healthier perspective.
HIPPOLYTUS: I don't like any immortal god whose rites occur hidden under the veil of dark night.
SERVANT: But the gods must be worshipped in the way they choose.
HIPPOLYTUS: [Extricating himself from the conversation] Go then, attendants, I'm going inside. Get dinner ready. Set tables for our delicious meal, let the spoil of my hunt quiet our hungry bellies. See my horses to their stables, so they'll be ready when I yoke them to my chariot later. [Addresses servant] I bid you worship your Goddess far from me.

EURIPIDES	MAP:
Name:  Euripides Date:  480 – 406 BCE Works:  Hippolytus*                Ion                Medea                Trojan Women, etc.	REGION  5
BIO:	Timeline:
Euripides is considered one of the best tragedians of the ancient Mediterranean world. Although he wrote nearly a hundred Greek tragedies, only a handful have survived to the present day.	GOLDEN AGE GREEK