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.

I am still the same: Cicero, Ad Atticum 3.5

 

Name:  Cicero Date:  106 – 43 BCE Region:  Rome [modern Italy] Citation:  Letters to Atticus 3.5

Cicero wrote this letter to Atticus when he was going into exile. It was one of the lowest points of his life, and his raw emotions are evident in his request for support.

 Atticus, Terentia gives you frequent and immense thanks, and I do, too. I am doing really badly and I’m overwhelmed with the greatest sorrow. I don’t even know what to write to you. If you’re at Rome, it’s too late to follow me; but if you’re already on the road, when you catch up to me, we can discuss what I’ve got to do. I beg you one thing: as you have always loved me, please keep the same level of support, for I am still the same person.  My enemies have taken away everything from me except myself. Please, take care of yourself.

Cicero Attico s.

Terentia tibi et saepe et maximas agit gratias. Id est mihi gratissimum. Ego vivo miserrimus et maximo dolore conficior. Ad te quid scribam nescio. Si enim es Romae, iam me adsequi non potes; sin es in via, cum eris me adsecutus, coram agemus quae erunt agenda. Tantum te oro ut, quoniam me ipsum semper amasti, ut eodem amore sis; ego enim idem sum. inimici mei mea mihi, non me ipsum ademerunt. Cura ut valeas.

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.

Apollo, Unlucky in Love: Lucian, Dial. Deorum. 17.2

Apollo, Unlucky In Love

Name: Lucian Date: 125 – 180 CE Region: [modern Turkey] Citation:  Dialogues of the Gods 15.2

I, Apollo, am unlucky in love. I have loved two people more than anyone: Daphne and Hyacinthus. But Daphne ran away from me, and hated me to the point that she would rather become a tree than love me; and Hyacinthus was killed by a discus, and now all I have left of them are crowns.

ἐγὼ μὲν καὶ ἄλλως ἀναφρόδιτός εἰμι ἐς τὰ ἐρωτικά: δύο γοῦν, οὓς μάλιστα ἠγάπησα, τὴν Δάφνην καὶ τὸν Ὑάκινθον, ἡ μὲν Δάφνη οὕτως ἐμίσησέ με, ὥστε εἵλετο ξύλον γενέσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ ἐμοὶ ξυνεῖναι, τὸν Ὑάκινθον δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ δίσκου ἀπώλεσα, καὶ νῦν ἀντ᾽ ἐκείνων στεφάνους ἔχω.

Apollo: Ego vero alias quoque habeo Venerem minus propitiam ad res amatorias; quippe etiam quos duos maxime praeter ceteros amavi, Daphne & Hyacinthum, illa quidem aufugit, atque odit me, adeo ut in lignum converti maluerit, quam mecum rem habere: hic autem a disco interfectus est, et nunc pro illis coronas habeo. Translated into Latin by Jacob Micyllus

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

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

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.

 

 

LUCIAN	MAP:
Name:  Lucianus Samosatensis Date:  125 – 180 CE Works: Dialogue of the Courtesans*                True History, etc.	REGION  4
BIO:	Timeline:
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.	ROMAN GREECE

 

Free from Cupid's Influence: The Muses, Greek Anthology 9.39

The Muses, Free of Love’s Influence

Name:   Musicius Date:    Unknown Region:  Unknown Citation: Greek Anthology 9.39

Aphrodite told the Muses: “Little girls, worship me,

Or I will make Eros attack you.”

The Muses replied: “Tell that chit-chat to Ares;

Your kid has no authority among us!”

ἁ Κύπρις Μούσαισι: κοράσια, τὰν Ἀφροδίταν τιμᾶτ᾽, ἢ τὸν Ἔρων ὔμμιν ἐφοπλίσομαι. χαἰ Μοῦσαι ποτὶ Κύπριν Ἄρει τὰ στωμύλα ταῦτα: ἡμῖν δ᾽ οὐ πέτεται τοῦτο τὸ παιδάριον.

Cypris Musis: “Puellulae, ait, Venerem Colite, aut Amorem ego in-vos amabo.” Et Musae ad Cyprin: “Marti dic pulchella ista; nobis vero non volat iste puerulus.” Translated into Latin by Johann Friedrich Duebner (1871)

Musicius [unknown] is one of the ancient poets preserved in the Greek Anthology, but unfortunately, nothing is known of this author beyond his name. 

Webinar: "LGBT MEETS SPQR: Resources..."

If you were unable to attend my webinar, "LGBT Meets SPQR: Resources and Lesson Plans for Including LGBTQIA+ Instruction into High School Latin Curricula"  hosted by Bolchazy-Carducci on March 23rd,  you can find a copy of the PowerPoint HERE.

Blurb: The purpose of this webinar is to provide lesson plans and authentic Latin and Greek sources on gender and sexuality in the ancient Greco-Roman world. High school appropriate materials will be provided to enhance representation and foster conversations on LGBTQIA+ topics in the classroom. Ancient terminology and voices on how the ancients defined themselves  will also be discussed.

A Gift to Pallas Athena: Greek Anthology vi.10

An Altar for Marriage-Shunning Athena

Name:  Antipater of Sidon Date:    2nd – 1st century BCE Region:     Sidon [modern Lebanon] Citation:     Greek Anthology 6.10

African born, our savior, marriage-shunning daughter of Jupiter,

Pallas Athena, virgin goddess in charge of her virginity,

Seleucus, obedient to Apollo's prophetic words, 

Has made this altar adorned with horns for you.

Τριτογενὲς, Σώτειρα, Διὸς φυγοδέμνιε κούρα, Παλλάς, ἀπειροτόκου δεσπότι παρθενίης, βωμόν τοι κεραοῦχον ἐδείματο τόνδε Σέλευκος, Φοιβείαν ἰαχὰν φθεγγομένου στόματος.

Tritogenia, Sospitatrix, Jovis filia lecti-genialis-inimica, Pallas, puerperii-expertis domina virginitatis, aram tibi cornibus-instructam posuit hanc Seleucus, Phoebeam vocem edente ore. Translated into Latin by Johann Friedrich Duebner

Antipater of Sidon [2nd – 1st century BCE, modern Lebanon] was a Greek poet who lived under Roman rule during the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. Dozens of his poems were preserved in the Greek Anthology.