A Lover’s Praise: Musaeus, Hero and Leander 79-81

“I would happily die on the spot if I could but climb into Hero’s bed; I would not even desire to be an Olympian god if I had Hero as my wife at home.”

αὐτίκα τεθναίην λεχέων ἐπιβήμενος ῾Ηροῦς.

οὐκ ἂν ἐγὼ κατ’ ῎Ολυμπον ἐφιμείρω θεὸς εἶναι

ἡμετέρην παράκοιτιν ἔχων ἐνὶ δώμασιν ῾Ηρώ.

One thought on “A Lover’s Praise: Musaeus, Hero and Leander 79-81

  1. This is similar to what Anchises says in the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite (153-4):

    “If I mounted your bed once, I would be willing to go straight to Hades’ home”

    βουλοίμην κεν ἔπειτα… σῆς εὐνῆς ἐπιβὰς δῦναι δόμον Ἄιδος εἴσω.

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