IN CROTON BY PETRONIUS
In Croton is the name given on this website for ease of reference to the unnamed chapters 119 to 140 of the Satyricon by the Roman writer Petronius. It is the last of the seven parts of Greek love interest into which the Satyricon is here divided. A line of five ***** represents a gap of any length in the surviving text and what is likely to have been recounted in it must be deduced or guessed.
The translation is by Paul Dinnage for The Satyricon of Petronius published by Spearman & Calder of London in 1953, with one amendment explained in a footnote.
119 xx-xxvii
Brought to land, Encolpis, Giton and Eumolpus find themselves near Croton in Calabria. Eumolpus improvises what he says is exemplary verse, including the following:
| It is a Persian custom; they abduct young boys, scarcely pubescent[1]; the mutilating steel condemns them all to lust, and in this bid to stay the hurrying years and delay swift-changing age, Nature seeks her natural way and cannot find it. So for pleasure every man has a minion, with effeminate body and mincing gait, with flowing hair and heaps of novel-sounding clothes, the very things to entice a man. | [xx] Persarum ritu male pubescentibus annis surripuere viros exsectaque viscera ferro in venerem fregere, atque ut fuga nobilis aevi circumscripta mora properantes differat annos. quaerit se natura nec invenit. omnibus ergo [xxv] scorta placent fractique enervi corpore gressus et laxi crines et tot nova nomina vestis, quaeque virum quaerunt. |
127 i-iv
Arrived in Croton, Encolpius, using the name Polyaenus for his stay there, is brought by Chrysis, a maid, to meet her mistress, Circe, an extraordinary beautiful woman longing for sex with him.
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She [Circe] spoke, and the motion of her fingers led her voice eloquently along: “If you do not despise a woman of quality who has experienced the opposite sex for the first time this year, then, young man, I bring you a sister. You have, I know, a brother as well, for I did not hesitate to enquire, but why should you not gain a sister too?[2] I come in the same capacity. Deign to know my kiss, that alone, and only at your pleasure.” |
[127 i] mox digitis gubernantibus vocem “si non fastidis” inquit “feminam ornatam et hoc primum anno virum expertam, concilio tibi, o iuvenis, sororem. [ii] habes tu quidem et fratrem, neque enim me piguit inquirere, sed quid prohibet et sororem adoptare? eodem gradu venio. tu tantum dignare et meum osculum, cum libuerit, agnoscere.” [iii] “immo” inquam ego “per formam tuam te rogo ne fastidias hominem peregrinum inter cultores admittere. invenies religiosum, si te adorari permiseris. ac ne me iudices ad hoc templum [Amoris] gratis accedere, dono tibi fratrem meum.” [iv] “quid? tu” inquit illa “donas mihi eum sine quo non potes vivere, ex cuius osculo pendes, quem sic tu amas, quemadmodum ego te volo?” |
127 x – 128 v
Soon they are on the ground in each other’s arms:
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We were locked in one embrace on this bed of flowers, and exchanged a thousand kisses, all with an eye to lusty pleasure. *****[4] “What is it?” she said. “Has my kiss put you off? Is my breath offensive through fasting? Or is it some perspiration carelessly left under my arms? If it is none of these things, is it, as I think, Giton that you’re afraid of ?” ***** “Tell me, Chrysis, tell me true. Am I ugly? Am I slovenly? Has some natural defect blemished my beauty? Don’t lie to your mistress. I am to blame, but for what, I do not know.” |
[127 x] in hoc gramine pariter compositi mille osculis lusimus, quaerentes voluptatem robustam. ***** [128 i] “quid est?” inquit “numquid te osculum meum offendit? numquid spiritus ieiunio marcens? numquid alarum neglegens sudor? si, ut credo, haec non sunt, numquid Gitona times?” [ii] perfusus ego rubore manifesto etiam si quid habueram virium perdidi, totoque corpore velut laxato “quaeso” inquam “regina, noli suggillare miserias. veneficio contactus sum.” ***** [iii]“dic, Chrysis, sed verum: numquid indecens sum? numquid incompta? numquid ab aliquo naturali vitio formam meam excaeco? noli decipere dominam tuam. nescioquid peccavimus.” [iv] rapuit deinde tacenti speculum, et postquam omnes vultus temptavit, quos solet inter amantes usus fingere, excussit vexatam solo vestem raptimque aedem Veneris intravit. [v] ego contra damnatus et quasi quodam visu in horrorem perductus interrogare animum meum coepi, an vera voluptate fraudatus essem: |
128 vii – 130 vii
Continuing from the preceding after some verse and a bit of missing text:
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“And so on this account I have to thank you for loving me with true Socratic detachment. Alcibiades in his master’s bed was never respected like this.”[5] ***** “Believe me, brother, I do not realise I am a man, I don’t feel it. The part of my body that made an Achilles of me is dead and buried.’’[6] ***** The boy was afraid he would lay himself open to gossip if he were caught with me in private; he tore himself away, and fled to an inner room in the house. **** But Chrysis came into my room and gave me a letter from her mistress. This is what she wrote: “Circe to Polyaenus, greetings. If I were a sensual woman, I should complain that I had been deceived, but as it is I am grateful for your lethargy. I have idled too long in the shadow of pleasure.[7] But I would like to know how you are, and whether you got home on your own two feet; the doctors say men without sinews cannot walk. Let me tell you, young man, beware of paralysis. I have never seen a sick man in such great danger; upon my word, you are half dead already. If this coldness gets to your knees and your hands, you may as well send for the dead-march trumpeters. Well, what is to be done? Even if I have been deeply insulted by you, I cannot grudge a remedy for so bad a case. If you want to get better, ask Giton. I say you will recover your sinews if you sleep without your brother for three nights.[8] As for me, I am not afraid of finding someone who likes me less. My mirror and my reputation do not lie. Keep well, if you can.” ***** Chrysis was sent off with these promises. I took great care of my importunate body, dispensed with the bath, and made do with a light rubbing-down. Then I fed on some rather strong food, onions, that is, and the heads of snails prepared without sauce, with a sparing draught of wine. I settled myself with a brief walk before bed and went to my room without Giton. I was so fastidious to please her that I dreaded the least touch of my brother. |
[128 vii} “itaque hoc nomine tibi gratias ago, quod me Socratica fide diligis. non tam intactus Alcibiades in praeceptoris sui lectulo iacuit.” ***** [129 i] “crede mihi, frater, non intellego me virum esse, non sentio. funerata est illa pars corporis, qua quondam Achilles eram.” ***** [ii] veritus puer, ne in secreto deprehensus daret sermonibus locum, proripuit se et in partem interiorem aedium fugit. ***** [iii] cubiculum autem meum Chrysis intravit codicillosque mihi dominae suae reddidit, in quibus haec erant scripta: “Circe Polyaeno salutem. [iv] si libidinosa essem, quererer decepta; nunc etiam languori tuo gratias ago. in umbra voluptatis diutius lusi. [v] quid tamen agas, quaero, et an tuis pedibus perveneris domum; negant enim medici sine nervis homines ambulare posse. [vi] narrabo tibi, adulescens, paralysin cave. numquam ego aegrum tam magno periculo vidi: medius [fidius] iam peristi. [vii] quod si idem frigus genua manusque temptaverit tuas, licet ad tubicines mittas. [viii] quid ergo est? etiam si gravem iniuriam accepi, homini tamen misero non invideo medicinam. si vis sanus esse, Gitona relega. recipies, inquam, nervos tuos, si triduo sine fratre dormieris. vidi: medius fidius iam peristi. [vii] quod si idem frigus genua manusque temptaverit tuas, licet ad tubicines mittas. [viii] quid ergo est? etiam si gravem iniuriam accepi, homini tamen misero non invideo medicinam. si vis sanus esse, Gitona relega. recipies, inquam, nervos tuos, si triduo sine fratre dormieris. [ix] nam quod ad me attinet, non timeo ne quis inveniatur cui minus placeam. nec speculum mihi nec fama mentitur. vale, si potes.” [x] ut intellexit Chrysis perlegisse me totum convicium, “solent” inquit “haec fieri, et praecipue in hac civitate, in qua mulieres etiam lunam deducunt. [xi] itaque huius quoque rei cura agetur. rescribe modo blandius dominae animumque eius candida humanitate restitue. verum enim fatendum est: ex qua hora iniuriam accepit, apud se non est.” [xii] libenter quidem parui ancillae verbaque codicillis talia imposui: ***** [vii] dimissa cum eiusmodi pollicitatione Chryside curavi dilgentius noxiosissimum corpus, balneoque praeterito modica unctione usus, mox cibis validioribus pastus, id est bulbis cochlearumque sine iure cervicibus, hausi parcius merum. [viii] hinc ante somnum levissima ambulatione compositus sine Gitone cubiculum intravi. tanta erat placandi cura, ut timerem ne latus meum frater convelleret. |
131 xi – 132 iv
The next day Eumolpus went again to find Circe and met an old woman who, evidently on her instigation, cast a spell on him which gave him a strong erection. Then he found Circe, who blushed,no doubt remembering the insult of the day before.
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“Well, my paralytic,” she began, “have you come here the complete man today?” ***** The eloquent beauty of her body was an invitation to love itself. Our lips bruised in a hundred fierce kisses, our clasped hands devised all kinds of lovers’ tricks, our bodies grew to a single embrace that united our souls. ***** The lady was exasperated by my flagrant insults. She turned to do vengeance. She summoned her grooms and ordered me to be flogged. And the woman was not satisfied with this gross outrage, but called her seamstresses and the scum of the backstairs and had them spit on me. I covered my eyes with my hands. I did not burst out in any appeal, for I knew only too well what I deserved. Beaten and bespattered, I was kicked out of doors. |
[131 xi] “quid est” inquit “paralytice? ecquid hodie totus venisti?” “rogas” inquam ego “potius quam temptas?” totoque corpore in amplexum eius immissus non praecantatis usque ad satietatem osculis fruor. ***** [132 i] 132. {Encolpius de Endymione puero ipsa corporis pulchritudine me ad se vocante trahebat ad venerem. iam pluribus osculis collisa labra crepitabant, iam implicitae manus omne genus amoris invenerant, iam alligata mutuo ambitu corpora animarum quoque mixturam fecerant. ***** [ii] manifestis matrona contumeliis verberata tandem ad ultionem decurrit vocatque cubicularios et me iubet catomizari. [iii] nec contenta mulier tam gravi iniuria mea convocat omnes quasillarias familiaeque sordidissimam partem ac me conspui iubet. [iv] oppono ego manus oculis meis, nullisque precibus effusis, quia sciebam quid meruissem, verberibus sputisque extra ianuam eiectus sum. |
133 i-ii
Encolpius addresses bitter words to his impotent cock for letting him down. Then,
| After my soliloquy I called Giton and said, ‘“Tell me, brother, on your word of honour: that night Ascyltos took you from me, did he stay awake until he had done violence to you, or was he content with a night spent modestly on his own?” The boy touched his eyes and swore most precisely that Ascyltos had not used force on him.[9] | [133 i] hac declamatione finita Gitona voco et “narra mihi” inquam “frater, sed tua fide: ea nocte, qua te mihi Ascyltos subduxit, usque in iniuriam vigilavit an contentus fuit vidua pudicaque nocte?” [ii] tetigit puer oculos suos conceptissimisque iuravit verbis sibi ab Ascylto nullam vim factam. |
*****
134 viii-x
Encolpius goes to the temple of Priapus, prays and encounters an old woman who takes him to the priestess’s room and speaks thus to the priestess, when she arrives:
| “Oh, Oenothea,” said the old woman, “this young man you see here was born under an unlucky star; he cannot sell his goods to either boys or girls. You never saw anyone in such a state; he has no mainstay at all, he is not a man. The point is, what do you think of a man who left Circe’s bed without tasting pleasure at all?” | [134 viii] o” inquit “Oenothea, hunc adulescentem quem vides, malo astro natus est; nam neque puero neque puellae bona sua vendere potest. [ix] numquam tu hominem tam infelicem vidisti: lorum in aqua, non inguina habet. [x] ad summam, qualem putas esse qui de Circes toro sine voluptate surrexit?” |
140 iv-xiii
Legacy-hunting is the main occupation of the people of Croton, so Eumolpus has been taking care to fool them into believing him hopeful prey. A legacy-huntress called Philomela places her children with Eumolpus, ostensibly for their education (but unspokenly so that he can enjoy them sexually in return for a legacy).
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She left a most ravishing daughter and her young brother in his room, and made a pretext of going to the temple to name him in her prayers. Eumolpus, so chaste a man that even I appeared a likely lad to him, lost no time in inviting the girl to make a sacrifice to Venus Callipyge.[10] ***** “It is the more influential gods who have restored me whole. Surely Mercury himself, who leads souls across and brings them back again, has by his own goodwill returned to me what an angry hand cut off. You will see that I have been more handsomely rewarded than Protesilaus[12] was or any other of the ancients.” |
[140 iv] nec aliter fecit ac dixerat, filiamque speciosissimam cum fratre ephebo in cubiculo reliquit simulavitque se in templum ire ad vota nuncupanda. [v] Eumolpus, qui tam frugi erat ut illi etiam ego puer viderer, non distulit puellam invitare ad pygesiaca sacra. [… x] hoc semel iterumque ingenti risu, etiam suo, Eumolpus fecerat. [xi] itaque ego quoque, ne desidia consuetudinem perderem, dum frater sororis suae automata per clostellum miratur, accessi temptaturus an pateretur iniuriam. nec se reiciebat a blanditiis doctissimus puer, sed me numen inimicum ibi quoque invenit. ***** [xii] “dii maiores sunt qui me restituerunt in integrum. Mercurius enim, qui animas ducere et reducere solet, suis beneficiis reddidit mihi quod manus irata praeciderat, ut scias me gratiosiorem esse quam Protesilaum aut quemquam alium antiquorum.” [xiii] haec locutus sustuli tunicam Eumolpoque me totum approbavi. at ille primo exhorruit, deinde ut plurimum crederet, utraque manu deorum beneficia tractat. |
[1] The translator’s “scarcely of years”, which hardly makes sense, has been replaced by “scarcely pubescent” as a more accurate translation of male pubescentibus annis.
[2] Dinnage translates frater literally as “brother” throughout the Satyricon, but in a homosexual context it means a lover and it is thus translated in many other editions, as that is clearly the sense in which Giton was Encolpius’s “brother”. In this instance, Circe is playing on the double entendre, saying tongue in cheek that a kiss between her and Encolpius would be one of kinship and thus disguising a physically erotic proposal as something traditinally familial.
[3] NB. Another incident of fratrem, translated by Schmeling as “boy-partner”.
[4] It is implicit in what follows that in this lost part of the text, Encolpius has failed sexually, thus mortifying Circe.
[5] Giton to Encolpius [Translator’s footnote].
This alludes to Plato’s Symposium 219b-d, where Sokrates famously declined the boy Alkibiades’s attempt to seduce him, thus giving rise to the expression “Platonic love”. Like Circe, Giton, an unapologetically sensual boy, is offended by Encolpius’s impotence and is sarcastically thanking him for loving him platonically. [Website footnote]
[6] Encolpius to Giton [Translator’s footnote]
[7] Possibly this sentence can be interpreted as Circe taking on some of the blame by saying she had spent too much time on foreplay with Encolpius, a point to which he seemsto be replying in 130 v, when he says “[I] wasted my passion by delay.”
[8] Again, in thishomosexual context, “brother” (fratre) clearly means “lover”. Circe knows Giton is Encolpius’s loved boy and thinks Encolpius had exhausted himself sexually making love with him.
[9] Presumably he is thus confirming the first of the two alternative conclusions Encolpius had reached at the time, that “Giton either did not feel the outrage or pretended not to” (79 ix). The reader, however, may draw the second conclusion, making Giton like the youth in the story of the Pergamene Boy (85-87), where the humour rests on the boy clearly only pretending not to be awake even while being pedicated.
[10] “A sacrifice to Venus Callipyge” is a clever translation, conveying the idea of a sacrifice to Love represented by the buttocks. The Latin pygesiaca sacra, of which the first word derives from the Greek πυγή, meaning “buttocks”, could be translated literally as “callipygial sacrifice.” In any case. what is meant is that Eumolpus asked to pedicate her, though why he chose the girl rather than the boy if pedication was his preference is left mysterious.
[11] In other words, Encolpius was yet again thwarted by impotence, though he somehow gets over it in the immediately ensuing gap in the surviving text.
[12] Protesilaus was the first Greek killed at Troy. The gods took pity on his disconsolate wife and allowed Mercury, the god who conducted the dead to the underworld, to bring him back for three hours. Encolpius seems to think his potency (equated to life) has been permanently restored and thus that he has “been more handsomely rewarded than Protesilaus.”
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