M/M: Like Superheroes to Those In Need: Ptolemy and Galetes, Aelian VH 1.30

Πτολεμαῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐρώμενον εἶχε Γαλέτην ὄνομα, ἰδεῖν κάλλιστον. ἀμείνων δὲ ἦν ἄρα τούτῳ τῷ μειρακίῳ ἡ γνώμη τῆς μορφῆς. πολλάκις γοῦν αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ Πτολεμαῖος ἐμαρτύρει, καὶ ἔλεγεν ῾ὦ [p. 13] ἀγαθὴ κεφαλή, κακοῦ μὲν οὐδεπώποτε οὐδενὶ γέγονας αἴτιος, πολλοῖς δὲ καὶ πολλὰ ἀγαθὰ προυξένησας.᾿ ὅ μὲν οὖν ἵππευε σὺν τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸ μειράκιον: ἰδὼν δὲ πόρρωθεν ἀγομένους τινὰς τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ, οὐ ῥᾳθύμως εἶδεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔφη πρὸς τὸν Πτολεμαῖον ῾ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἐπεὶ κατά τινα δαίμονα τῶν ἀγομένων ἀγαθὸν ἐπὶ ἵππων ἐτύχομεν ὄντες, φέρε, εἴ σοι δοκεῖ, τὴν ἔλασιν ἐπιτείναντες καὶ συντονώτερον ἐπιδιώξαντες Διόσκοροι τοῖς δειλαίοις γενώμεθα, σωτῆρες ἐσθλοὶ κἀγαθοὶ παραστάται, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ λεγόμενον ἐπὶ τῶν θεῶν τούτων. ὃ δὲ ὑπερησθεὶς αὐτοῦ τῇ χρηστότητι καὶ τὸ φιλοίκτιρμον ὑπερφιλήσας, καὶ ἐκείνους ἔσωσε καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον προσέθηκε τῷ φίλτρῳ τοῦ κατ᾽ αὐτὸν ἔρωτος.

 

Ptolemaeus rex amasium habebat Galetem, pulcherrima forma praeditum. Animus vero iuvenis longe formam superabat: persaepe igitur etiam Ptolemaeus testimonium ei perhibebat, inquiens, o benignum caput! nulli tu unquam ullius auctor incommodi fuisti, sed contra multis multa bona procurasti. Hic aliquando cum Rege adolescens equitabat. Quum vero procul aliquos ad supplicium trahi vieret, non oscitanter in haec verba regem affatus est: sed o rex, inquie ad Ptolemaeum, quandoquidem prospera quadam fontium istorum fortuna, in equis nunc sumus, age, si tibi gratum est, calcaribus admotis & velocius persequentes appareamus miseris quasi Dioscuri salvatores & opiferi salutem ferentes, quod communi proverbio de his diis vulgatum est. ille vero maxmimam voluptatem capiens ex eius bonitate & propensum ad misericordiam animum amplectens, tum nocentes servavit, tum amoris vim, quo cum deperibat, confirmavit & auxit.

--Aelian, VH 1.30; Translated into Latin by Joannis Schefferi [Second Edition 1662]

King Ptolemy had a boyfriend named Galetes, who was exceedingly good looking, but the youth’s intelligence was even better than his good looks. Often Ptolemy would declare, “O noble mind, you are have never brought evil upon anyone; rather, you have bestowed many good deeds upon many people.”

One day the youth was riding with the king when he spotted in the distance some men being led to their execution. Unable to bear the sight, he told Ptolemy, “Oh king, since some blessed spirit has led us to be on horseback at this moment, and able to be helpful for those men, (if you’d like) let’s whip up the horses and charge forward to catch up with them, appearing to them as superheroes like the Dioscuri,* and help them out!”

Ptolemy was overjoyed by Galetes’ sympathy, and not only saved the men’s lives, but also fell even more in love with the youth.

* The Dioscuri, "sons of Zeus," are Castor & Pollux, the twin brothers of Helen & Clytemnestra who later become the constellation Gemini