Just a Story of a Man and A Horse

October 16, 2018October 16, 2018 ~ sententiaeantiquae ~ Leave a comment

This story got in my head today somehow.

Aelian On the Nature of Animals, 4.8

“Eudêmos tells the story of how a groom lusted after a young mare, one who was the best of the whole herd, as if she was in fact a beautiful girl, even among the most attractive of all those in the land. In the beginning, he controlled himself; but eventually he dared to enter the foreign bed and have intercourse with her.

But that mare had a foal and it was noble. It was upset when it saw what was happening, as if his mother was being ruled terribly by a despot, and he jumped on the man and killed him. After that, it watched where he was buried, went there, dug him up, and desecrated the corpse, injuring it with every kind of injury.”

Λέγει Εὔδημος ἵππου νέας καὶ τῶν νεμομένων τῆς ἀρίστης ἐρασθῆναι τὸν ἱπποκόμον, ὥσπερ οὖν καλῆς μείρακος καὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ χωρίῳ ὡρικωτέρας πασῶν· καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐγκαρτερεῖν, τελευτῶντα δὲ ἐπιτολμῆσαι τῷ λέχει τῷ ξένῳ καὶ ὁμιλεῖν αὐτῇ. τῇ δὲ εἶναι πῶλον καὶ τοῦτον καλόν, θεασάμενόν γε μὴν τὸ πραττόμενον ἀλγῆσαι, ὥσπερ οὖν τυραννουμένης τῆς μητρὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ δεσπότου, καὶ ἐμπηδῆσαι καὶ ἀποκτεῖναι τὸν ἄνδρα, εἶτα μέντοι καὶ φυλάξαι ἔνθα ἐτάφη, καὶ φοιτῶντα ἀνορύττειν αὐτόν, καὶ ἐνυβρίζειν τῷ νεκρῷ καὶ λυμαίνεσθαι λύμην ποικίλην.

This story may not be entirely fantastic. In the US, an Oklahoma man was arrested for having sex with a pony in August (h/t to @donnacarrwest for this detail). A bit of detail: “Walton said it appeared Schlosser was a utility worker. Schlosser allegedly blamed his actions on medication. The sheriff added that, fortunately, his agency rarely encounters bestiality cases.”

Image result for ancient greek horse vase — Fragment of a red figure vase, c. 350 BCE. On sale on line without provenance.

Magical Papyri, 4.2545

“Horse-faced goddess…”

ἱπποπρόσωπε θεά

(h/t to .@@stuartwdean for this one)

Some Actual Greek Horse-Compounds for no particular reason

ἱππόβινος: “horse-fucker”
ἱππόβοτος: “horse-eaten”
ἱπποθυτέω: “to sacrifice a horse”
ἱππομανέω: “to be horse-mad”, i.e. “lustful”
ἱππομαχία: “horse fight”
ἱπποποίητος: “horse-made”
ἱππόπορνος: “Excessive prostitute
ἱππότιλος: “horse diarrhea”
ἱπποτυφία: “horse-pride”
ἵππουρις: “horse-tail”
ἱπποφοβάς: “horse-fear” (a plant)

For the Love of…A Goose?

July 22, 2018July 22, 2018 ~ sententiaeantiquae ~ Leave a comment

Everyone has heard about Leda and the swan. But have you heard about Amphilokhos and his gift-giving goose?

Aelian, De Natura Animalium 5.29

“In Aigion, in Akhaia, a goose was in love with a handsome boy, an Ôlenian named Amphilokhos. Theophrastus tells this story. The boy was under guard with the Olenian exiles in Aigion—there, the goose used to bring him gifts. In Khios, too, there was an especially beautiful woman named Glaukê, a harp player, and many men lusted after her—which is nothing big. But a ram and a goose loved her too, as I have heard.”

Ἐν Αἰγίῳ τῆς Ἀχαίας ὡραίου παιδός, Ὠλενίου τὸ γένος, ὄνομα Ἀμφιλόχου, ἤρα χήν. Θεόφραστος λέγει τοῦτο. σὺν τοῖς Ὠλενίων δὲ φυγάσιν ἐφρουρεῖτο ἐν Αἰγίῳ ὁ παῖς. οὐκοῦν ὁ χὴν αὐτῷ δῶρα ἔφερε. καὶ ἐν Χίῳ Γλαύκης τῆς κιθαρῳδοῦ ὡραιοτάτης οὔσης εἰ μὲν ἤρων ἄνθρωποι, μέγα οὐδέπω· ἠράσθησαν δὲ καὶ κριὸς καὶ χήν, ὡς ἀκούω, τῆς αὐτῆς.