Masculine, Feminine, Neuter: Greco-Roman Portrayals of the Myth of Hermaphroditus

Although intersex people were not treated well throughout Roman history [cf. Pliny NH vii.iii.34], Greco-Roman authors were fascinated by the concept of a person who could transcend the rigid gender roles imposed by society. The following examples show several authors' attempts to play with grammatical gender in their poems about intersex individuals /myths.

1A grammar teacher’s daughter got pregnant

And had a kid that was masculine, feminine, and neuter.

) Grammatici filia genuit amore mixta

sobole masculam, feminam, neutram.

γραμματικοῦ θυγάτηρ ἔτεκεν φιλότητι μιγεῖσα

παιδίον ἀρσενικόν, θηλυκόν, οὐδέτερον.

 --Palladas, Greek Anthology IX.489; Translated into Latin by Friedrich Duebner

 

 I am Hermes to men, and Aphrodite to women;

I wear the shape of both of my parents.

So it’s no wonder why they put me, the intersex Hermaphroditus,

In a bathhouse meant for all.

In Hermaphroditum in balneis stantem

Maribus Mercurius sum, feminis vero Cypris cernor:

utriusque autem fero in me signa parentis.

Ideo haud immerito me Hermaphroditum posuerunt in

communis-viris-et-feminis lavacro puerum ambiguum.

εἰς Ἑρμαφρόδιτον ἐν λουτρῷ ἱστάμενον

ἀνδράσιν Ἑρμῆς εἰμι, γυναιξὶ δὲ Κύπρις ὁρῶμαι

ἀμφοτέρων δὲ φέρω σύμβολά μοι τοκέων.

τοὔνεκεν οὐκ ἀλόγως με τὸν Ἑρμαφρόδιτον ἔθεντο

ἀνδρογύνοις λουτροῖς παῖδα τὸν ἀμφίβολον.

--Greek Anthology IX.783; Translated into Latin by Friedrich Duebner

It is said that when my mother bore me in her womb,

the gods debated what she would give birth to.

Phoebus said, “It’s a boy!”

Mars said, “It’s a girl!”

Juno said, “It’s neither!”

And now that I’m born, I’m Hermaphroditus.

When she asked how I would die,

The goddess said, “Death by the sword!”

Mars said, “Death by the cross!”

Phoebus said, “Death by water!”

And fate figured out the rest.

There was a tree that gave shade to the water;

I climbed it;

My sword fell;

And I fell on top of it;

My foot got caught on a branch;

My head fell into the water;

And so there I was

A man

A woman

Neither

Dying by water

Weapon

And cross.

I don’t know what the final outcome of my gender will be,

But I’ll be happy

If I understand that I was both.

Cum mea me mater gravida gestaret in alvo,

quid pareret, fertur consuluisse deos.

Phoebus ait, "puer est," Mars "femina," Iuno "neutrum,":

Iam, quom sum natus, Hermaphroditus eram.

Quaerenti letum dea sic ait "occidet armis."

Mars "cruce" Phoebus "aquis;" sors rata quaeque fuit.

Arbor obumbrat aquas: ascendo; labitur ensis,

quem tuleram, casu: labor et ipse super;

pes haesit ramis, caput incidit amne, tulique

vir mulier neutram flumina tela crucem.

Nescio quem sexum mihi sors extrema reliquit,

felix, si sciero cur utriusque fui.

--Codex Salmasianus 127