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 ^Joseph J. Mooney 
 
 A 
 
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HO^IDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY 
 "MEDEA" 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY 
 "MEDEA" 
 
 A VERGILIAN CENTO 
 
 LATIN TEXT WITH METRICAL TRANSLATION 
 BY 
 
 JOSEPH J. MOONEY 
 
 APPENDED IS 
 
 AN OUTLINE OF ANCIENT ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 BIRMINGHAM 
 CORNISH BROTHERS LTD 
 
 Publishers to the University 
 
 39 New Street 
 
 1919 
 
 
LONDON : PRINTED AT THE CHISWICK PRESS 
 TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE 
 
 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY 
 ^' MEDEA" 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 CENTOS, or patchwork poems made up of lines and 
 half-lines from the works of some standard poet, usually 
 Vergil, were very popular in the later centuries of the Roman 
 Empire. According to Quintilian (vi, 3, 96) Ovid made a 
 cento on Bad Poets from the tetrastichs of Aemilius Macer: 
 both the Tetrastichs and Cento are lost. Hosidius Geta 
 seems to be the earliest cento maker whose production is 
 still extant. Nothing is known about him beyond what Ter- 
 tuUian says ("de praescrip. haeret.," 39) that he had then lately 
 made up a tragedy called " Medea " entirely out of materials 
 extracted from the works of Vergil. He must therefore have 
 lived about the end of the second century a.d. Ausonius, 
 who flourished about a.d. 350 made a " Cento Nuptialis " 
 from Vergil running to 130 lines, which is a very clelver 
 specimen of the work. 
 
 Falconia Proba, who lived at the end of the fourth century 
 A.D., made a cento from Vergil on subjects selected from the 
 Old and New Testaments. This she dedicated to the 
 Emperor Honorius subsequent to a.d. 393. 
 
 Several centos appear in the Latin Anthologies edited by 
 
 5 
 
6 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 Meyer and by Riese under the name of Mavortius, who is 
 supposed to have been the Mavortius who was consul a.d. 527. 
 
 Luxorius, who also flourished in the early part of the sixth 
 century, made a " Cento Nuptialis " from Vergil, which is also 
 published in the Anthologies above mentioned. It is very 
 inferior to that of Ausonius. 
 
 The makers of these centos somewhat resemble those 
 more modern countrymen of theirs who quarry anew the 
 stones and materials wherewith to build their cottages from 
 the magnificent old edifices of their forefathers. Like a piece 
 of patchwork these centos have the drawback that the seams 
 are often too visible. 
 
 The story of Medea was a very favourite subject for a 
 tragedy among the old Romans. Ennius wrote one on the 
 subject as Cicero testifies (" de Fin.," i, 2). Nonius and Pris- 
 cian give quotations from one on the same subject by 
 Accius. Ovid wrote a tragedy " Medea " (" Amores," ii, 18, 3 ; 
 Quint., vii, 98) and so did Seneca and Lucan (" Vit. Luc"). 
 Another by Curiatus Maternus is mentioned in the "Dialogue 
 on Oratory " by Tacitus. All the above are lost except the 
 one by Seneca. This extends to nearly 1,100 lines, one 
 quarter of which is occupied by declamatory monologue and 
 another quarter taken up by the Chorus, leaving about a half 
 for dialogue and the necessary action of the drama. Of course 
 neither Seneca's nor Geta's " Medea " was ever meant to be 
 presented on the stage. They belong to the class which we 
 call chamber-dramas, like Milton's " Samson Agonistes," Ar- 
 nold's " Merope " or Taylor's " Philip van Artevelde." No 
 doubt Hosidius Geta modelled his tragedy on one or more 
 of those on the same subject by his predecessors, which were 
 then in existence. His characters are the same as those of 
 Seneca's " Medea." The scene between Cveon and Medea 
 
INTRODUCTION 7 
 
 occurs in the drama of Euripides, and from that was trans- 
 ferred into the drama of Ennius as well as that of Seneca. 
 It is necessary to explain how by her unjust treatment Medea 
 got worked up to a paroxysm of rage. In Seneca's "Medea" 
 she asks Jason to let her take the children with her if she 
 must go and he refuses, so she thinks it will vex him if she 
 kills them. But if this were the only thing she wanted to do 
 it would have vexed him just as much for her to have taken 
 them with her despite his refusal to allow her to do so (ff. 
 H. G. " Med.," 397), and there would have been no crime in 
 the action. The real reason seems to be that it was necessary 
 for her to kill them to secure the co-operation of the hellish 
 powers in her scheme of vengeance and escape {cf. v, 408). 
 A similar episode occurs in the Fifth Epode of Horace, 
 where the sorceresses kill a boy in order to secure something 
 wherewith to purchase the co-operation of the fiends in 
 bringing back to her the paramour of one of them who had 
 forsaken her. Compare also the self-devotion of the Decii 
 to secure the aid of the powers below in destroying the 
 enemy (Aur. Vict., "Vir. 111.," 27). The ghost of Absyrtus in 
 Seneca's drama demands their lives as an expiatory offering 
 though he does not appear and speak, but Medea relates his 
 demand. In Geta's drama the ghost rather seems to warn her 
 of the consequences of her evil deeds, but in vain. In spite 
 of Horace's prohibition (" Ars Poet.," 185), "let not Medea 
 slay her children before the people," our author commits the 
 same impropriety as Seneca in making Medea murder her 
 children upon the stage. Though perhaps to people used to 
 the sights of the amphitheatre there would be no particular 
 impropriety in it. In Seneca's " Medea " she kills them at an 
 upper window or on the roof of a house before Jason's eyes, 
 and then flies away. 
 
8 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 Though there are many resemblances to Seneca's drama 
 Geta probably followed that of Ovid for the most part. 
 Although this has been lost the story of Medea is fully told 
 by him elsewhere ("Metamorphoses," vii, 1-424; "Tristia," 
 iii, 9, 6, seq. ; " Heroides," xii). The story as given in these 
 places bears a strong -resemblance to this tragedy, and Ovid 
 would probably give the same story in his drama as he tells 
 elsewhere. 
 
JASON AND MEDEA 
 
 THE following outline of their story only touches upon 
 the things mentioned in the drama. Jolcos was a city 
 near the coast in Thessaly. Its king was named Pelias. This 
 king ordered Jason to go to Colchis, a country at the eastern 
 extremity of the Black Sea, and fetch back from there the 
 Golden Fleece. Thereupon Jason got a ship built, which he 
 called the " Argo," and set out on his voyage with fifty heroes 
 as companions. After many adventures they arrived at 
 Colchis. The king of this country was named Aetes, and 
 from him they demanded the Fleece. He promised to give 
 it to them if Jason could yoke two fire-breathing bulls with 
 brazen hoofs to a plough, and plough with them the field of 
 Mars. Here he was then to sow some dragon's teeth, and 
 conquer the armed men which would begin to spring up 
 from them. The prospect seemed hopeless. However, Medea 
 the daughter of Aetes fell in love with Jason. This princess 
 was a celebrated enchantress, and Jason having promised to 
 marry her, she gave him drugs and herbs which would enable 
 him to do the tasks prescribed. By her aid he successfully 
 accomplished them. Aetes, however, refused to give up the 
 Fleece, and planned to destroy Jason and his companions. 
 Having learned this, Medea gave a potion to the dragon 
 which guarded the tree on which the Golden Fleece was hung, 
 in order that Jason might take it down while he slept. This 
 having been done, Medea fled with Jason to his ship, taking 
 
 9 
 
10 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 her young brother Absyrtus with her, and they immediately 
 set sail. 
 
 Next morning her father discovered what they had done, 
 and started in pursuit of them. As he seemed likely to catch 
 them, Medea killed and dismembered her young brother to 
 delay her father by the collection of the remains and so to 
 facilitate their escape. Her plan was successful and they got 
 away. After sailing to the upper end of the Adriatic by way 
 of the Danube, and thence by way of the Po to the Gulf of 
 Genoa, they coasted down Italy and passed Scylla and 
 Charybdis. Thereafter, when they were in the Libyan Sea, a 
 violent storm arose which Medea suppressed. Next they 
 were cast away on the Syrtes, monstrous sandbanks on the 
 north coast of Africa, from which they escaped by the aid of 
 Triton, and after more adventures they arrived at Jolcos. 
 Here, angered by the treatment Jason and his family had 
 received from Pelias, Medea resolved to destroy that monarch, 
 who was now an old man. She killed an old ram, and having 
 boiled the body in a brazen cauldron with magic herbs it 
 came forth young again. She persuaded the daughters of 
 Pelias to kill their father and do the same with him. She did 
 not help them, however, and he was no more. 
 
 Being driven from Jolcos on account of this they came to 
 Corinth. Creon, who was king of this city, received them 
 kindly and allowed them to dwell there. For ten years they 
 lived there happily and had two sons. Then Jason wanted 
 to marry Creiisa, the daughter of Creon, so he cast Medea 
 aside, and Creon ordered her to quit Corinth forthwith. 
 Moreover she was forbidden to take her sons with her. 
 Distracted with grief, Medea entreated Jason to give Creiisa 
 up, and as he refused to do this, she planned to get revenge 
 before she went away. She sent Creiisa a crown containing 
 
JASON AND MEDEA ii 
 
 naphtha. The princess wore this while sacrificing, and it 
 caught fire from the flames on the altar. Water would not 
 put out the flame and she was burned to death; her father 
 sharing her fate in attempting to save his daughter. Medea 
 then killed her sons and flew away through the air to Athens 
 in a chariot drawn by winged dragons. 
 
HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 
 
 TRAGOEDIA 
 
 Medea 
 
 ESTO nunc Sol testis et haec mihi Terra precanti 
 Et Dirae ultrices et tu, Saturnia Juno ! 
 Ad te confugio, nam te dare jura loquuntur 
 Connubiis. si quid pietas antiqua labores 
 Respicit humanos, nostro succurre labori, 
 Alma Venus ! quicumque oculis haec aspicis aequis, 
 Accipite haec meritumque malis advertite numen ! 
 Quid primum deserta querar? connubia nostra 
 Reppulit et sparsos fraterna caede Penates. 
 Quid Syrtes aut Scylla mihi, quid vasta Charybdis 
 Profuerit mediosque fugam tenuisse per hostes? 
 Improbe amor, quid non mortalia pectora cogis? 
 Jussa aliena pati iterumque revolvere casus, 
 Ire iterum in lacrimas. sed nullis ille movetur 
 Fletibus, infixum stridit sub pectore vulnus. 
 Extinctus pudor atque immitis rupta tyranni 
 Foedera et oblitus famae melioris amantis 
 Oblitusve sui est : lacrimae volvuntur inanes. 
 Nusquam tuta fides, vana spa lusit amantem 
 Crudelis. quid, si non arva aliena domosque 
 Ignotas peteret, pro virginitate reponit ? 
 Heu pietas, heu prisca fides ! captiva videbo 
 13 
 
14 HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 
 
 Reginam thalamo cunctantem ostroque superbo — 
 Haut impune quidem, si quid mea carmina possunt ! 
 
 Chorus Colchidarum 
 25 ' Rerum cui sumnia potestas, 
 
 Precibus si flecteris uUis 
 
 Et si pietate meremur, 
 
 Nostro succurre labori. 
 
 Et tu Saturnia Juno, 
 30 Cui vincla jugalia curae, 
 
 Oculis haec aspicis acquis? 
 
 Nemorum Latonia custos 
 
 Triviis ululata per urbes, 
 
 Sic nos in sceptra reponis? 
 35 Quid, o pulcherrime conjunx, 
 
 Potuisti linquere solam. 
 
 Per tot discrimina rerum 
 
 Nequiquam ereptepericlis? 
 
 Manet alta mente repostum, 
 40 Quam forti pectore et armis 
 
 [Pelago decvirrit aperto,' 
 
 Medioque ex hoste recepit] " 
 
 Quaesitas sanguine dotes. 
 
 Felix, heu nimium felix, 
 45 Dum fata deusque sinebant ! 
 
 Nescis heu perdita necdum. 
 
 Quae te dementia cepit 
 
 Caput objectare periclis, 
 
 Haec nos suprema manebant? 
 5° Hoc ignes araeque parabant? 
 
 ' Added by me from " Aen.,'' v, 212. 
 
 ^ Added by Burmann from "Aen.," vi, iii. 
 
HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 15 
 
 Nostram nunc accipe mentem : 
 Vaginaque eripe ferrum 
 Ferroque averte dolorem ! 
 
 Creon. Medea 
 Creon. Femina, quae nostris erras .in finibus hostis, 
 5; Flecte viam velis; neque enirn nescimus et urbetn 
 Et genus invisum et non innoxia verba; 
 Hostilis fades [ne] occurrat et omina turbet.' 
 
 Medea. Nullae hie insidiae nee tanta superbia victis, 
 Non ea vis animo, nee sic ad praelia veni. 
 60 Creon. Non ut rere meas effugit nuntius aures, 
 Unde genus ducis varium et mutabile semper. 
 Tu potes unanimes armare in praelia fratres 
 Funereasque inferre faces et cingere fiamma, 
 Pacem orare manu et vertere sidera retro 
 65 Atque odiis versare domes, tibi nomina mille, 
 Mille nocendi artes [mutas],' fecundaque poenis 
 Viscera [sunt],' notumque furens quid femina possit. 
 Cede locis pelagoque volans da vela patenti. 
 
 Medea. Rex, genus egregium, liceat te voce moneri. 
 70 Pauca tibi e multis, quoniam est oblata facultas, 
 Dicam equidem, licet arma mihi mortemque mineris. 
 Ne pete connubiis natam — meminisse juvabit ; 
 Dissice compositam pacem; miserere tuorum. 
 
 Creon. Ne tantos mihi finge metus neve omine tanto 
 75 Prosequere: causas nequiquam nectis inanes. 
 Stat sua cuique dies, non ipsi exscindere ferro 
 
 ' " Aen.," iii, 407, ne inserted by Burmann from preceding line. 
 ' Mutas added by me from "Aen.," xii, 397. Instead, Burmann 
 adds semper, Oudendorp testor. 
 ' Sunt added by Burmann. 
 
i6 HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 
 
 Caelicolae valeant, fati quod lege tenetur. 
 Nee mea jam mutata loco sententia cedit. 
 
 Medea. Non equidem invideo genero dignisque hymenaeis,, 
 £o Non jam conjugium antiquum, quod prodidit, oro : 
 Tempus inane petoj liceat subducere classem; 
 Extremam banc oro veniam. succurre relictae, 
 Dum pelago desaevit hiems, miserere parentis, 
 O genitor, et nos aliquod nomenque decusque 
 85 Gessimus [et] scis ipse neque est te fallere quidquam. 
 Nunc victi tristes (quoniam fors omnia versat) 
 Submissi petimus terram, litusque rogamus 
 Innocuuni, neque te uUius violentia vincat. 
 
 Creon. Quid causas petis in me exitiumque meorum? 
 90 Quidquid id est, timeo vatum praedicta priorum. 
 Eja age, rumpe moras ; quo me decet usque teneri ? 
 Medea. Quern sequimur? quove ire jubes? ubi ponere 
 
 sedes? 
 Creon. Ire ad conspectum cari genitoris et era, 
 Dum curae ambiguae, dum spes incerta futuri. 
 95 Medea. Nunc scio quid sit amor, hospitio prohibemur 
 arenae. 
 Nee spes uUa fugae, nulla hinc exire potestas, 
 Quassataeque rates, geminique sub ubere nati, 
 Et glacialis hiems aquilonibus asperat undas. 
 Si te nulla movet tantae pietatis imago, 
 100 Indulge hospitio noctem non amplius unam. 
 Hanc sine me spem ferre tui ; audentior ibo. 
 
 Creon. Desine jam tandem : tota quod mente petisti, 
 Largior et repetens iterumque iterumque monebo : 
 Si te his attigerit terris Aurora morantem, 
 10; Unum pro multis dabitur caput. 
 
HOSIDII GETAE «' MEDEA" 17 
 
 Vox DEiNTUs. Chorus 
 Vox. O digno conjuncta viro, dotabere virgo. 
 Ferte facis propere, thalamo deducere adorti. 
 Ore favete omnes et cingite tempera ramis. 
 Chorus. Velamus fronde per urbem 
 "" Votisque incendimus aras. 
 
 Heu corda oblita tuorum 
 Vatum praedicta priorum, 
 Fati sortisque futurae! 
 Spe multum captus inani 
 "5 Mactat de more bidentes 
 
 Phoeboque patrique Lyaeo^ 
 Cui vincla jugalia curae, 
 Cumulatque altaria donis. 
 Tremere omnia visa repente, 
 «»« Fibrae apparere minaces, 
 
 Vox reddita fertur ad aures : 
 " Thalamis neu crede paratis, 
 Funus crudele videbis." 
 Carpebant membra quietem, 
 >»5 Animalia somnus habebat, 
 
 Ferali carmine bubo 
 In fletum ducere voces : 
 Tristes denuntiat iras. 
 Quae tanta insania, cives, 
 •3» Velati tempora ramis? 
 
 Thalamo deducere adorti 
 Quaeso miserescite regis, 
 [moniti et non temnere divos].' 
 Recubans sub tegmine fagi 
 'JS Divino carmine pastor 
 
 ' Added by me from " Aen.," vi, 620. 
 B 
 
140 
 
 i8 HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 
 
 Vocat in certamina divos : 
 Ramo frondente pependit. 
 Quae te dementia cepit, 
 Saxi de vertice pastor, 
 Divina Palladia arte 
 Phoebum superare canendo? 
 Raptim secat aethera pinnis 
 Fugiens Minoia regna 
 Ausus se credere caelo 
 
 145 Vitamque relinquit in auras. 
 
 Demens videt aginina Pentheus, 
 Incensas pectore matresj 
 Vocat agmina saeva sororunj : 
 Caput a cervice revulsum, 
 
 150 Juvenem sparsere pier agros. 
 
 Medea. Nutrix 
 Medea. En quid ago? Vulgi quae vox pervenit ad aures? 
 
 Obstipui magnoque irarum fluctuat aestu 
 
 Durus amor; taedet caeli convexa tueri. 
 
 Quae potui infelix ! quae memet in omnia verti, 
 I'iS Cui pecudum fibrae, caeli cui sidera parent? 
 
 Heu furiis incensa feror ! stat gratia facti. 
 
 Ilium ego per flammas et mille sequentia tela, 
 
 Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum 
 
 Eripui leto. fateor, arma impia sumpsi. 
 «6o Sed quid ego haec autem nequiquam ingrata revolvo? 
 
 Quid loquor aut ubi sum? ictum jam foedus et omnes 
 
 Compositae leges, credo mea vulnera restant. 
 
 Nutrix. Non hoc ista sibi tempus spectacula poscit, 
 
 Sed cape dicta memor, duri solacia casus. 
 
HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 19 
 
 165 Sensibus hie imis nostram nunc accipe mentem : 
 Heu fuge crudeles terras, fuge litus avarum. 
 
 Medea. Cara mihi nutrix, claudit nos objice pontus, 
 Deest jam terra fiigae ; rerum pars altera adempta est. 
 Hac gener atque socer patriaque excedere suadet. 
 170 Nutrix. Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito; 
 Et quo quemque modo fugiasque ferasque laborem, 
 Tu modo posce deos veniam, tu munera supplex 
 Tende petens pacem causasque innecte morandi 
 Carminibus: forsan miseros meliora sequentur. 
 17s 7l/<?^«a. Nunc oblita mihi tot carmina. voxfaucibushaesit;' 
 Mens immota manet et caeco carpitur igni. 
 Carmina vel caelo possunt deducere lunam, 
 Sistere aquam fluviis, deducere montibus ornos. 
 Has herbas atque haec Ponto * mihi lecta venena 
 180 Ipse dedit; nihil ille deos, nil carmina curat. 
 
 Nutrix. Quid struis? aut qua spe inimica in gente 
 
 moraris? ' 
 [Medea.] * Aut pugnam aut aliquid jam dudum invadere 
 magnum 
 [Mens agitat: mistus dolor et pudor armat in hostes]' 
 Seu versare dolos, seu certae occumbere raorti. 
 
 Jason. Satelles 
 igj Jason. Quod votis optastis, adest : timor omnis abesto. 
 Hie domus, haec patria est, nullum maris aequor arandum. 
 Solvite corde metum tandem tellure potiti 
 
 ' There is a long syllable too many in this line. 
 
 ' Cf. Medeaex eodem Ponto profugisse. Cicero, "Imp. Pomp.," ix, 22. 
 
 ' Struit and moratur, " Aen.," iv, 235. 
 
 ' Medea added here by Riese. 
 
 • Line supplied from "Aen.," ix, 187 and x, 398. 
 
20 HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 
 
 Per varios casus, bene gestis corpora rebus 
 
 Procurate, viri; juvat indulgere choreis. 
 1 90 Satelles. Unde tremor terris ? qua vi maria alta tumescunt ? 
 
 Quid tantum Oceano properent se tingere soles? 
 
 Nescio quod certum est: in nubem cogitur aer. 
 
 Aspice convexo nutantem pondere mundum, 
 
 Et fratris radiis obnoxia surgere luna. 
 19s Jason. Media fert tristes sucos infecta venenis, 
 
 Quo thalamum eripiat atque ossibus implicet ignem. 
 
 Fare age quid venias jam istinc et comprime gressum. 
 Medea. Ad te confugio, precibusque inflectere nostris. 
 
 O dulcis conjunx, non haec sine numine divum 
 200 Eveniunt, [et nos fas extera quaerere regna.] ' 
 
 Tanta meae si te ceperunt taedia laudis, 
 
 Hos cape fatorum comites, his moenia quaere. 
 Jason. Non fugis hinc praeceps, dum praecipitare potestas 
 
 Jam propiore deo?' nescis, heu perdita, nescis, 
 105 Nee quae te circumstent deinde pericula, cernis. 
 
 Medea. Hanc quoque deserimus sedem. tibi ducitur uxor — 
 
 Cui pater et conjunx quondam tua dicta relinquor? 
 
 Et sedet hoc animo, dotalis regia cordi est 
 
 Externique iterum thalami. 
 110 Mene fugis? hoc sum terraque marique secuta? 
 
 Hie labor extremus ? longarum haec meta viarum ? 
 
 Hi nostri reditus expectatique triumphi ? 
 
 Quid tua sancta fides ? iterum crudelia retro 
 
 Fata vocant. tantis nequiquam e'repte periclis, 
 »iS Mene fugis? per ego has lacrimas, per si quis amatae 
 
 • Added by me from " Aen.," iv, 350. 
 
 ' This could be lea.d. profiora die on the analogy of "Aen.," vi, $1; 
 propiora from "Aen.," v, 168, die from "Georg.," iv, 466 and other 
 places. 
 
HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" ai 
 
 Tangit honos animum, et mensas quae advena adisti. 
 
 Per connubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos 
 
 Te precor: O miserere animi non digna ferentis. 
 
 Namque aliud quid sit, quod jam implorare queamus? 
 220 Ipse mihi nuper Libycis tu testis in undis: 
 
 Turn rauca assiduo longe sale saxa sonabant, 
 
 lonioque ^ mari tantis surgentibus undis, 
 
 Luctantes ventos tempestatesque sonoras 
 
 Compressi, et rabiem tantam caefique marisque. 
 225 Unius in miseri exitium proque omnibus unum 
 
 Objeci caput, id sperans fore munus amanti. 
 
 Sed quid ego ambages et longa exorsa revolve? 
 
 Nil super imperio moveor j speravimus ista 
 
 Tempore quo primum fortes ad aratra juvencos 
 230 Objeci, et tauros spirantes naribus ignem, 
 
 Seminibusque satis immanis dentibus hydri 
 
 Exoritur ' legio, et campo stetit agmen aperto, 
 
 Telorum seges et jaculis increvit acutis. 
 
 Ferrea progenies duris caput extulit arvis. 
 235 Illi inter sese magna vi vulnera miscent, 
 
 Gsnfixique suis telis et pectora duro 
 
 Transfossi ligno animasque in vulnera ponunt. 
 
 Auro ingens coluber servabat in arbore ramos 
 
 Nee visu fEucilis nee dictu affabilis ulli. 
 2+0 Ille manum patiens immania terga resolvit. 
 
 Ut me conspexit flammantia lumina torquens, 
 
 Cervicem inflexam posuit somnosque petivit. 
 
 Si te nulla movet tantarum gloria rerum, 
 
 ^ Riese's reading from " Aen.," v, 193. 
 
 ' The manuscript gives eripUt. " Georg.," ii, 280, whence the line 
 comes, has explicuit; but neither is appiopriate. Exoritur is found 
 "Aen.," V, 765 f^ a/. 
 
22 HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 
 
 Sin absumpta salus nee habet fortuna regressutn, 
 
 245 Si nulla est regio miseris quam det tua conjunx, 
 I decus i nostrum, faciat te prole parentem 
 Egregia interea conjunx melioribus, opto, 
 Auspiciis ! possem hinc asportare Creusam : 
 Spero equidem mediis, si quid pia numina possunt, 
 
 250 Supplicia hausurum scopulis; dabis, improbe, poenas 
 Quod minima reris, rebus jam rite paratis. 
 
 Jason. Desine meque tuis incendere teque querellis. 
 Nam mihi parta quies, nullum maris aequor arandum, 
 Nee veni, nisi fata loeum sedemque dedissent. 
 
 255 \Medea?[ ^ Heu tot incassum fusos patiere labores. 
 Nee venit in mentem fumans sub vomere taurus, 
 Jam gravior Pelias et aena undantia flammis 
 Squamosusque draco et quaesitae sanguine dotes? 
 In regnis hoc ausa tuis — 
 
 260 \J'asonI\ " Haec loea non tauri spirantes naribus ignem, 
 [Invertere satis immanis dentibus hydri ;] ^ 
 Nee galea densisque virum seges horruit hastis, 
 Nee vim tela ferunt : mitte banc de pectore curam. 
 
 [Medea.] Nam quis te, juvenum eonfidentissime, nostras 
 
 265 Jussit adire domos ? pelagine erroribus actus 
 An fratris miseri letum ut crudele videres ? 
 
 Jason. Sive errore viae seu tempestatibus acti 
 [Quo deus et quo dura vocat Fortuna seeuti.] ^ 
 Quis deus in fraudem, quae [te] ' dementia cepit 
 
 270 Commaculare manus, fraterna caede Penates? 
 
 ' Medea added by Riese. 
 
 ' Jason added by Riese, the next Medea following added by Burmann. 
 
 ' This line was added by Meyer from " Georg.," ii, 141. 
 
 * Added by me from " Aen.," xii, 677 and "Georg.," iv, 219. 
 
 ° Added by Burmann. 
 
HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 23 
 
 Aut ego tela dedi aut vitam cotnmittere ventis 
 Hortati sumus ? [aut] ^ quae dura potentia nostra ? 
 
 Medea. Nil nostri miserere, nihil mea carmina curas ; 
 Efficiam, posthac ne quemquam voce lacessas. 
 175 Nee dulces natos Veneris nee praemia noris. 
 
 Jason. Quid causas petis [quid] " et irrita jurgia jactas ? 
 Jamque vale, melior quoniam pars acta diei est.' 
 Medea. Utere sorte tua, susceptum perfice munus. 
 Jason. Nunc iter ad regem nobis, quod te alloquor, hoc est 
 1*0 Medea. Num fletu ingemuit nostro aut miseratus amantem 
 est? 
 Et dubitamus adhuc ? lacrimantem et multa volentem 
 Dicere deseruit rapidusque in tecta recessit. 
 Quid labor aut benefacta juvant ? mea tristia fata 
 Fessa jacent. ubi nunc nobis deus ille magister 
 2*5 Et Furiis agitatus amor et eonscia virtus? 
 
 Nam quid dissimulo aut quae me ad majora reservo ? 
 Stat casus renovare omnes, dare lintea retro, 
 Rursus et casus abies visura marinos. 
 Te sine, frater, erit. quod si mea numina non sunt, 
 290 Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo ! 
 
 Chorus 
 Dictis exarsit in iras 
 Insani Martis amore, 
 Poenorum qualis in arvis 
 Venantura saepta corona 
 295 Fulva cervice leaena, 
 
 Qualis mala gramina pastus 
 
 ' Added by Bunnann from "Aen.," x, 69. 
 
 " This line is short here by a long syllable; should this second quid 
 be added ? ' This est does not appear in " Aen.," ix, 156. 
 
300 
 
 24 HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 
 
 Tractu se colligit anguis, 
 
 Tumidum quern bruma tegebat ; 
 
 Caput altum in proelia toUit, 
 
 Linguis micat ore trisulcis: 
 
 [Qualis teloque secutus,] ' 
 
 Furiis agitatus, Orestes 
 
 Armatam facibus matrem ; 
 
 Ardens agit aequore toto 
 305 Patriasque obtruncat ad aras: 
 
 Qualis trieterica Baccho 
 
 Triviis ululata per urbem 
 
 Inter deserta ferarura, 
 
 Palla subcincta cruenta 
 3,0 Vocat agmina saeva sororum : 
 
 Qualis Philomela sub umbra 
 
 Pectus signata cruentum 
 
 Late loca questibus implet, 
 
 Maerens miserabile carmen 
 jjj Cantu solata laborem : 
 
 [Qualis miserabilis Orpheus] ' 
 
 Graviter pro conjuge saevit 
 
 Deserti ad Strymonis undam ; 
 
 Te solo in litore secum 
 520 Anima fugiente vocabat, 
 
 Scirent si ignoscere Manes. 
 
 Creon. Nuntius 
 Nuntius. Quo feror? unde abii? [rumpitj'pavor ossaque 
 et artus 
 
 ' Added by me from " Aen.," iv, 143 and ix, 959. 
 
 ' Added by Schrader from " Georg.," iv, 454. 
 
 ' Rumpit was added by Burmann from "Aen.," vii, 458. 
 
HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 25 
 
 Perfudit toto proruptus corpore sudor. 
 
 Genua labant, [gelidus] ' oculos stupor urget inertes, 
 325 Arrectaeque horrore comae et vox faucibus haesit. 
 
 Creon. Quo res summa loco ? unde haec tarn clara repente 
 
 Tempestas sine more furit ? maria omnia caelo 
 
 Miscuit, ingeminant abruptis nubibus ignes. 
 
 Fare age mihique haec edissere vera roganti. 
 330 Nuntius. Aedibus in mediis quaeque ipse miserrima vidi 
 
 Horresco referens. palla subcincta cruenta 
 
 In medioque focos noctumas inchoat aras, 
 
 Intenditque locum sertis et fronde coronat 
 
 Funerea, crinem vittis innexa cruentis, 
 335 Unum exuta pedem vinclis, in veste recincta, 
 
 Spargens humida mella soporiferumque papaver. 
 
 Sparserat et latices simulatos fontis Averni, 
 
 Sanguineam volvens aciem, manibusque cruentis 
 
 Pro molli viola cassiaque crocoque rubenti 
 3+0 Urit odoratum nocturno in lumine cedrum 
 
 Scillamque elleborosque graves et sulfura viva, 
 
 Obscuris vera involvens lacrimisque coactis 
 
 Voce vocans Hecaten ; et non memorabile numen ' 
 
 Ferro accincta vocat. 
 345 Haec effata silet, oculis micat acribus ignem, 
 
 Expectans, quae signa ferant, ignara futuri. 
 
 Eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque, 
 
 Et tremefacta solo tellus; micat ignibus aether. 
 
 Continue auditae voces vagitus et ingens : 
 350 Visus adesse pedum sonitus et saeva sonare 
 
 Verbera ; [turn] ' visaeque canes ululare per umbras 
 
 > Gelidus added by Riese from " Aen.," xii, 905. 
 
 = Or nomen may be read, i. e. , the name of Demiourgos or Demogorgon. 
 
 ' Turn added by Oudendorp from "Aen.," vi, 558. 
 
26 HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 
 
 Adventante dea, refluitque exterritus amnis 
 Et pavidae matres pressere ad pectora natos. 
 Exhinc Gorgoneis AUecto infecta venenis 
 
 355 Exsurgitque facem attoUens atque intonat ore: 
 
 Respice ad haec ; adsum dirarum ab sede sororura, 
 Bella manu letumque gero. 
 Talia cernenti ^ tandem sic orsa vicissim : 
 Venisti tandem mecum partire laborem, 
 
 360 Tu dea, tu praesens animis illabere nostris. 
 Dissice compositam pacem, sere crimina belli 
 (Naraque potes), colui vestros si semper honores. 
 Talibus AUecto dictis exarsit in iram 
 Horrendum stridens rabidoque haec addidit ore : 
 
 365 " O germana mihi, mitte banc de pectore curam. 
 Et nunc si bellare paras et luctu miscere hymenaeos ' 
 Funereasque inferre faces et cingere flamma, 
 Quidquid in arte mea possum, meminisse necesse est, 
 Quantum ignes animaeque valent — absiste precando." 
 
 370 Dixerat ; attoUit stridentes anguibus alas, 
 
 Ardentes dare visa faces, supera ardua linquens. 
 Ilia dolos operi flammisque sequacibus iras 
 Jungebat, duplicem gemmis auroque coronam 
 Consertam squamis serpentum; flamma volantem 
 
 .375 Implicat, involvitque domum caligine caeca 
 
 Prospectum eripiens oculis. mihi frigidus horror 
 Membra quatit gelidusque coit formidine sanguis : 
 Improvisum aspris veluti qui sentibus anguem 
 Aut videt aut vidisse putat, metuensque pericli 
 
 380 Incipit efFari, nee vox aut verba sequuntur. 
 
 Idque audire sat est, quo me decet usque teneri ? 
 Vadite et haec regi memores mandata referte. 
 
 ' Burmann iea.ds Jacianii. '■' This line is overloaded. 
 
HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 27 
 
 Medea. Nutrix 
 Nutrix. Hoc habet. haec melior magnis data victima 
 divis. 
 Talia conjugia et tales celebrent hymenaeos. 
 385 Medea. Tu secreta pyram natorum maxima nutrix 
 Erige, tuque ipsa pia tege tempora vitta, 
 Verbenasque adole pingues nigrumque bitumen. 
 Sacra Jovi Stygio, quae rite incepta paravi, 
 Perficere est animus finemque imponere curis. 
 390 Nutrix. Discessere omnes medii spatiumque dedere. 
 Medea. Heu stirpem invisam et fatis contraria nostris ! 
 Hue ades, o formose puer. qui spiritus illi ! 
 Sic oculos, sic ille manus, sic ora ferebat ! 
 Perfidus et cuperem ipse parens spectator adesset. 
 395 Fil. Parce pias scelerare manus ! aut quo tibi nostri 
 Pulsus amor? si juris materni cura remordet, 
 Natis parce tuis et nos rape in omnia tecum; 
 Quo res cumque cadunt, unum et commune periclum. 
 \Uvibrai\ ' Aspice nos. adsum dirarum ab sede sororum, 
 400 Infelix simulacrum [ac] laniatum corpore toto. 
 
 [Omnibus umbra locis adero : dabis, improba, poenas.] ' 
 Medea. Quid dubitas? audendum dextra, nunc ipsa vocat 
 res.' 
 Auctor ego audendi. fecundum concute pectus. 
 Si concessa peto, si poenas ore reposco, 
 +05 Nullum in caede nefas ; et amor non talia curat. 
 
 Fil. Hostis amare, quid increpitas mea tristia fata? 
 Medea. Suggere tela mihi finemque impone labori. 
 Sanguine quaerendi reditus. 
 
 ' Added by Riese. 
 
 = Added by me from " Aen.," iv, 386. Compare v, 474, Germaimm 
 fugtens. Improbe {foe. cit. ), improba from ii, 80. ' Overloaded line. 
 
28 HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 
 
 Fil. Nee te noster amor pietas nee mitigat uUa, 
 +10 Nee venit in mentem [parvos educere natos?^ 
 
 Numina nulla premunt] " natorum sanguine matrem 
 
 Conmaculare manus. nostri tibi cura reeessit 
 
 Et matri praereptus amor? 
 
 Medea. Crimen amor vestrum spretaeque injuria formae 
 415 His mersere malis. fratrem ne desere frater. 
 
 Poenarum exhaustum satis est, via faeta per hostes, 
 
 Et genus invisum dextra sub Tartara misi. 
 
 Jamjam nulla mora est currus agitare volantes. 
 
 Jason, Nuntius. Medea ex alto 
 Jason. Ei mihi, quid tanto turbantur moenia luetu? 
 420 Quaecumque est fortuna, mea est; quid denique restat? 
 
 Die age, namque mihi fallax haut ante repertus. 
 Nuntius. En perfecta tibi promissa conjugis arte 
 
 Munera ! ingentem luctum ne quaere tuorum. 
 
 Sed si tantus amor menti, si tanta cupido est, 
 425 Expediam dictis et te tua fata docebo. 
 
 Conspectu in medio eum dona imponeret aris 
 
 (A virgo infelix !) oculos dejecta decoros, 
 
 Undique conveniunt per limina laeta frequentes 
 
 Matres atque viri cumulantque altaria donis. 
 430 Religione patrum biforem dat tibia cantum. 
 
 Cum subito dictuque oritur mirabile monstrum. 
 
 Ecce levis summo descendit corpore pestis," 
 
 Incipit ae totis Vulcanum spargere teetis, 
 
 Regalesque aecensa comas, accensa coronam 
 435 Membra sequebantur, artus sacer ignis edebat. 
 
 ^ Added by me from "Aen.," viii. 
 
 ' Added by me from " Aen.," x, 375. 
 
 ' Cf. Vulcania pestis-=ignis (Sil. Ital., xvii, 505). 
 
HOSIDII GETAE "MEDEA" 29 
 
 Diffugiunt comites et quae sibi quisque timebat. 
 Tecta metu petiere, et sic ubi concava furtim 
 Saxa petunt, furit immissis Vulcanus habenis. 
 Nee vires heroum infusaque flumina prosunt, 
 
 440 Quaesitaeque nocent artes, miserabile dictu ! 
 
 Ilia autem per populos aditumque per avia quaerit,' 
 Arte nova speculata locum; [in nubila fugit^ 
 Et juncti currum dotninae subiere dracones/ 
 Squamam incendebat fulgor] paribusque revinxit * 
 
 445 Serpentum spiris ventosasque addidit alas, 
 Ense levis nudo, perfusos sanguine currus. 
 
 Tason. Quo sequar ? aut quid jam misero mihi denique 
 restat? 
 Me, me, adsum qui feci, in me omnia tela 
 Conjicite, banc animam quocumque absumite leto ! 
 
 450 Funeris heu tibi causa fui ; dux femina facti. 
 
 Medea. Hue geminas nunc fleete acies et conde sepulcro 
 Corpora natorum, cape dona extrema tuorum. 
 Et tumulum facite et tumulo super addite carmen : 
 Saevus amor docuit natorum sanguine matrem 
 
 455 Commaculare manus, luctu miscere hymenaeos 
 Et super aetherias errare licentius auras. 
 
 Jason. Crudelis mater, tanton me crimine dignum 
 Duxisti et patrios foedasti funere vultus? 
 Arma, viri, ferte arma ! date tela, ascendite muros ! 
 
 460 Medea, Quo moriture ruis? thalamos ne desere pactos! 
 Hortator scelerum, nostram nunc accipe mentem. 
 
 ' "Aen.,"vii, 561; "Georg.," iv, 562; "Aen.,"ix, 58. Higtius 
 suggests ilia per et scopulos from " Georg.," iii, 276. 
 '' Added by me from "Aen.," xii, 256. 
 ' Added by me from "Aen.," iii, 113 and ii, 225. 
 * Added by me from " Aen.,'' v, 88. 
 
30 HOSTDII GETAE "MEDEA" 
 
 Sive animis sive arte vales, [si pectore robur ' 
 
 Concipis,] et si adeo dotalis regia cordi est; 
 
 [Perge, decet. forsan regnumque et regia conjunx ' 
 465 Parta tibi; lacrimas dilectae pelle Creusae. 
 
 Jason. Quid struis ? aut qua spe gelidis in nubibus haeres ? 
 
 Ventum ad supremum est.] nostrasne evadere demens 
 
 Sperasfi te posse manus ? opta ardua pinnis 
 
 Astra sequi clausumque cava te condere terra 
 +70 Et famam extingui veterum sic posse malorum? 
 
 Medea. Haec via sola fuit, haec nos suprema manebat 
 
 Exitiis positura modum. 
 
 Sat fatis Venerique datum est. feror exul in altum, 
 
 Germanum fugiens et non felicia tela, 
 475 Ultra anni solisquevias. quid denique restat? 
 
 Et longum, formose, vale, et quisquis amores 
 
 Aut metuet dulces aut experietur amaros. 
 
 * Added by Burmann from " Aen.," xi, 368. 
 ' Added by me from "Aen,," xii, 153; ii, 783 and 784; xii, 796 
 and 803. 
 
 FINIS 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY 
 "MEDEA" 
 
 DRAMATIS PERSONAE 
 
 Creon, king of Corinth. Medea, the wife of Jason, 
 
 Jason, thehusband of Medea. whom he casts aside in 
 
 Jason's attendant. order to marry the daugh- 
 
 Messenger. ter of Creon. 
 
 Medea's sons. Her nurse. 
 
 Ghost of Absyrtus. Chorus of Colchian women. 
 
 Scene — Ax Corinth 
 
 Enter Medea. 
 
 Medea. O Sun be thou my witness now, and Earth 
 At my entreaty witness this, and ye 
 Avenging Furies and, from Saturn sprung 
 O Juno, thou. I fly to thee, for they 
 Assert that thoii dost rights to wedlock give. 
 If old affection doth at all regard 
 Our human labours, then our effort aid, 
 O kindly Venus. Whosoe'er the god 
 That lookest down on this with kindly eyes, 
 Receive these words and turn thy wrath deserved 
 On evil deeds ! Deserted, what shall be 
 My first lament? Our marriage and the gods 
 O' th' hearth besprinkled with a brother's blood 
 He 's cast aside. What benefit to me 
 
 3' 
 
32 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 15 Has been the Syrtes, Scylla, or the vast 
 
 Charybdis, aye, or through the midst of foes 
 To have pursued our flight? O wicked Love, 
 What dost thou not the hearts of mortals force 
 To do? Thouforcest them to tolerate 
 
 JO A foreign lord's commands, to pass again 
 Through mishaps, and again to fall to tears, 
 But he 's by no amount of weeping moved; 
 Beneath his breast there creaks a deep-thrust wound. 
 My chastity is lost, and broken is 
 
 25 The ruthless monarch's covenant, and he's 
 Forgetful of a lover's better fame. 
 Or else has been forgetful of his own. 
 My tears are shed in vain. Undoubted faith 
 Is nowhere to be found and cruel, he 
 
 30 Has mocked his loving wife with idle hope. 
 Why thus doth he requite my maidenhead. 
 Unless he 's seeking someone else's land. 
 And houses not to him at present known? 
 Ah piety, ah faith of olden times ! 
 
 35 A captive woman I shall see the queen 
 In bedroom lingering in purple bright — 
 But not indeed escaping punishment 
 If aught of power my incantations hold. 
 
 Chorus of Colchian Women 
 O thou to whom the highest power 
 40 Of all the universe belongs. 
 
 If thou wilt yield to any prayers 
 And if by piety we may 
 Deserve'it, then our effort aid. 
 And Juno, Saturn's daughter, thou 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 33 
 
 1.5 Whose care the ties of marriage are, 
 
 Dost see these things with kindly eyes? 
 
 O Dian, guardian of the groves, 
 
 Invoked with cries at night throughout 
 
 The cities where the roads are forked, 
 50 Dost thou for thrones reserve us thus ? 
 
 O handsomest of husbands how 
 
 Couldst thou thus leave her desolate, 
 
 O man from dangers snatched away 
 
 In vain, amid the turning points 
 55 So many of thy past career? 
 
 For deep in mind remaineth stored 
 
 How he with valiant heart and arms 
 
 [Has sailed upon the open sea 
 
 And has from 'mid the foe reta'en] 
 60 ' A dowry ' which was bought with blood. 
 
 Ah fortunate, too fortunate. 
 
 While god and fate did that allow ! 
 
 Ah lost one, yet thou'rt ignorant ! 
 
 What madness has deluded thee 
 65 To dangers to expose thy life? 
 
 Were these the last things waiting us ? 
 
 Were fires and altars this to bring ? 
 
 Now pay attention to our plan 
 
 And snatch the sword from out its sheath 
 70 And turn aside thy grief with steel. 
 
 Enter Creon. 
 
 Crion. O woman who art wandering within 
 Our territories as an enemy, 
 By sail your course divert; for neither are 
 ^ I.e., the Golden Fleece. 
 C 
 
34 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 Thy city and thy hateful race and spells 
 75 Maleficent unknown to us. Let not 
 
 Thy hostile face intrude and spoil our signs. 
 Medea. No stratagems are here, nor insolence 
 
 So great in conquered folks, and not in mind 
 
 Of mine is vigour such, nor have I thus 
 So To battles come. 
 
 Creon. The news has not escaped 
 
 My ears as thou dost think, from whence thou dost 
 
 Derive thy race, an ever changeable 
 
 And fickle one. United brethren canst 
 
 Thou arm to strife, canst fun'ral torches bring 
 85 On men and canst encircle them with flame, 
 
 With branches in thy hand canst plead for peace. 
 
 Yet backward turn the stars and overturn 
 
 Our homes with hate. Thou hast a thousand names, 
 
 A thousand silent arts of injuring, 
 90 A heart exuberant in punishments. 
 
 And known it is what frenzied woman can. 
 
 Depart from these localities and spread 
 
 In flight thy sails upon the open sea. 
 
 Medea. O king, illustrious the race that's thine, 
 95 It is permissible for thee to be 
 
 Admonished by my voice. Of many things 
 
 A few to thee I'll mention, seeing that 
 
 An opportunity has offered, though 
 
 It is within thy right to threaten arms 
 100 And death to me. In wedlock don't desire 
 
 To join thy daughter, it will benefit 
 
 Thee later to remember this. Annul 
 
 The compact that's been made: commiserate 
 
 Thine own. 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY " MEDEA " 35 
 
 Creon. Don't conjure up such terrors great 
 105 For me, nor follow me with omen dire, 
 
 Thou weav'st in vain a chain of idle pleas, 
 
 His day is fixed for each. Whate'er is held 
 
 By th' law of Fate the dwellers in the sky 
 
 Themselves do not avail to cleave with steel. 
 1 10 Nor is my resolution altered now. 
 
 Nor doth it from the post it's tc^en withdraw. 
 Medea. I've no ill-will towards thy son-in-law 
 
 And nuptials worthy him. No longer do 
 
 I plead the ancient marriage which he has 
 115 Forsworn: 'tis time alone that I request, 
 
 And grant me leave to draw my ships ashore. 
 
 This final favour do I beg. Assist 
 
 A woman left alone, commiserate 
 
 A mother while the winter on the sea 
 120 Doth rage! O father we as well have borne 
 
 Some reputation and distinction too. 
 
 And thou thyself dost know it, nor can aught 
 
 Deceive thee. Now we vanquished, sad, (because 
 
 The wheel 0/ Fortune turnelh everything) 
 125 Upon the earth submissive fall and ask 
 
 A harmless strip of land, the violence 
 
 Of anyone may not subdue thee ihere. 
 
 Creon. Why seekest thou for pretexts such against 
 
 Myself, and for the ruin of my folks ? 
 130 Whate'er it is I fear the prophecies 
 
 Of former seers. Now come ! Cut short delays ! 
 
 How long does it become me to be kept ? 
 
 Medea. But whom are we to follow ? Whither dost 
 
 Thou bid us go ? Or where to place our homes ? 
 135 Creon. To thy dear father's sight and presence / 
 
36 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 Would bid thee go, while fears are unfulfilled 
 
 And while uncertain is the future's hope. 
 
 Medea. What love consisteth of I now do know ! 
 
 We're e'en denied the welcome of the sand, 
 ,40 Nor is there any hope of flight nor power 
 
 To go from here, for battered are my ships, 
 
 And sons, a pair of them, I have in arms, 
 
 And icy winter with the north wind's blasts 
 
 Doth ruiHe up the waves. If any show 
 145 Of piety so great do move thee not. 
 
 For not beyond a single night resign 
 
 Thyself to hospitality ! Oh let 
 
 Me have this hope of thine, I'll bolder go ! 
 
 Creon. And now at length have done. What thou with all 
 150 Thy wit hast sought I grant, and saying it 
 
 Again and yet again will warning give — 
 
 If dawn shall find thee ling'ring in this land 
 
 A single life for many shall be given. {Exit Creon. 
 
 A Voice within is heard. 
 
 Voice. O maiden wedded to a worthy lord 
 155 Thou shalt be dowered. Torches quickly bring, 
 Ye men engaged to lead her from her room. 
 Then do ye all be well disposed in speech. 
 With twigs and leaves of trees your temples wreathe. 
 
 Chorus 
 We deck us with a wreath of leaves 
 ,6a Throughout the city, and with vows 
 
 We kindle altars. Ah ! ye hearts 
 Unmindful of the prophecies 
 Of former predicants of yours, 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY " MEDEA ^' 37 
 
 Of fate, and of your future lot ! 
 • 65 Deluded much by empty hope 
 
 He slaughters sheep as is the wont 
 
 To Phoebus, and to Bacchus who 
 
 From care delivers, and to her 
 
 Whose care the bonds of wedlock are, 
 '70 And piles their altars with his gifts. 
 
 When on a sudden everything 
 
 Appeared to tremble, fibres ' too 
 
 Of import threatening appeared, 
 
 A hollow voice is to my ears 
 "75 Inborne, "No trust do thou repose 
 
 In bridal chambers all prepared, 
 
 A cruel funeral thou'lt see ! " 
 
 The limbs of men were taking rest, 
 
 And sleep possessed the animals; 
 iSo With funereal song the owl 
 
 Doth into wailing draw its notes, 
 
 It thus denounces sullen wrath. 
 
 O citizens what frenzy great 
 
 Has seized you that you have your brows 
 185 With leafy chaplets covered o'er? 
 
 Ye men who are engaged to lead 
 
 Her from her bedroom have, I beg. 
 
 Compassion on your sov'reign lord! 
 
 [And we have been admonished not 
 190 Contemptuously to treat the gods.] 
 
 Reclining 'neath a canopy 
 
 Of beech the shepherd with a song 
 
 ^ I.e., the muscular fibres of the internal organs of the victims which 
 had been sacrificed. From the appearance of these the diviners drew 
 their auguries. 
 
3? HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 Divine to contests challenges 
 
 The gods : he hung from leafy bough.'' 
 
 195 What madness has deluded thee, 
 
 O shepherd, from the boulder's top 
 In singing Phoebus to surpass 
 Though by Minerva's skill divine?' 
 He hastily doth cleave the sky 
 
 200 With wings, as, fleeing from the realms 
 
 Of Minos, to the sky be dared 
 To trust himself, and leaves his life 
 Amid the breezes der the sea.^ 
 Beside himself doth Pentheus see 
 
 205 The bands of Maenads, mothers fired 
 
 In heart, he calls the cruel bands 
 Of sisters to a saner mind: 
 His head was torn from neck away 
 The man they scatter through the fields. 
 
 Enter Nurse 
 
 210 Medea. Behold! of what avail is what I do. 
 What utterance o'th' mob doth reach my ears? 
 Amazed I was, and love adverse doth flow 
 With monstrous tide of wrath : it wearies me 
 To look upon the vault of heaven. What more 
 
 ' The legend relates that Phoebus hung Marsyas from a bough and 
 flayed him alive. 
 
 ' Alluding to Marsyas playing on the flute or pipe which had been 
 thrown away by Minerva, but still retained powers of producing heavenly 
 music from the fact that she had used it. 
 
 ' Icarus flew. too high according to the legend, and the sun, melting 
 the wax with which his wings were fastened to him, he fell into the- sea 
 and was drowned. 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 39 
 
 Z15 Could I, unfortunate, accomplish? I, 
 
 Who into everything myself have turned, 
 
 Whom victim's fibres, stars of heaven, obey ! 
 
 Alas J by Furies fired I'm borne along ! 
 
 The favour of my deed doth stand. Through flames 
 220 And through a myriad aftercoming darts, 
 
 Through varied mishaps, through so many risks 
 
 Of things that man I've snatched away from death. 
 
 I've taken impious arms, I do confess.' 
 
 But why, however, uselessly do I 
 225 Unroll these thankless things ? What do I say? 
 
 Or where am I ? The marriage contract now 
 
 Is ratified and all conditions are 
 
 Arranged. My wounds, I think, are left behind. 
 Nurse. The present time doth not demand such sights 
 230 As those, but mindful hear the words I say. 
 
 The consolations of thy lot severe. 
 
 And here and now within thine inmost soul 
 
 Receive my thought. Oh flee these cruel lands, 
 
 Oh flee in haste this avaricious shore. 
 23s Medea. O nurse to me so dear, the sea doth shut 
 
 Us with a barrier in, already land 
 
 Is lacking for our flight; the other part 
 
 O' th' Universe is ta'en away. From this 
 
 Their land the father and the son-in-law 
 240 Do recommend me now to get me gone. 
 
 Nurse. By evils don't be overcome, but thou 
 
 Against them must more boldly go, and thus 
 
 Thou mayest every toil both shun and bear. 
 
 For pardon do thou only ask the gods, 
 245 And suppliant do thou present thy gifts 
 i I.e., opposed to her father. 
 
40 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 Desiring peace, and causes of delay 
 
 Inweave with charms : and haply better things 
 
 Will follow in the track of wretched men. 
 
 Medea. Forgotten now by me are num'rous charms; 
 250 My voice is stifled in my throat : unmoved 
 
 My mind remains and by a hidden fire 
 
 Is wasted. Charms can even draw the moon 
 
 From heaven, stay the water in the streams, 
 
 From mountains drag the ash-trees. He himself 
 Z55 These herbs, these juices too, in Pontus cuU'd 
 
 Did give to me. He careth nought for gods 
 
 And nought for charms. 
 
 Nurse. What plannest thou or with * 
 
 What hope dost linger 'midst a hostile race ? 
 
 Medea. [My mind 's been scheming] now some little time 
 260 To enter on a fight or something great, 
 
 [And mingled grief and shame against my foes 
 
 Do arm me] whether to effect my guile 
 
 Or sink to final rest in certain death. 
 
 [Exit Nurse. Mehea goes to side of stage. 
 
 Enter Jason and Attendant 
 
 Jason. What ye with vows have sought is present here ; 
 
 265 Ye must away with every fear. This house. 
 This country 's yours, no surface of the sea 
 You need to plough. From heart dispell your dread. 
 You've gained the land at length through various risks : 
 Things having been accomplished well, refresh 
 
 2-0 Your bodies, men : you like to join in dance. 
 
 Attendant. From whatdoth come this trembling in the land? 
 By what compulsion do the deep seas swell ? 
 Why bastes the sun so much to dip himself 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 41 
 
 1' th' ocean ? What is fixed to happen know 
 275 I not : the air is thickened into mist. 
 
 Observe the nodding world with pond'rous vault, 
 
 And th' moon, to brother's rays indebted, rise. 
 Jason. A land imbued with poisons, Media bears 
 
 Some juices harsh, and one by them may snatch 
 280 A bridal bed away and in the bones 
 
 A fire implant. [Medea comes forward.'] Now say why thou 
 dost come, 
 
 And on that very spot restrain thy step. 
 
 Medea. I fly to thee, to bend thee with my prayers 
 
 O husband sweet ! these things do happen not 
 185 Without the will o' th' gods. [And right it is 
 
 For us to make for realms outside of this.] 
 
 If weariness so great of praise of mine 
 
 Has seized thee, take as comrades of thy fate 
 
 These men, with them procure thy walls. 
 290 Jason. Dost not from here precipitately flee 
 
 While yet there is the power to haste, with day 
 
 Already somewhat near ? Thou knowest not, 
 
 Ah, lost one, knowest not nor dost perceive 
 
 The dangers which thereafter circle thee. 
 29s Medea. This home as well we leave. To thee a wife 
 
 Is being brought. To whom is left thy sire, 
 
 To whom am I abandoned, once declared thy spouse ? 
 
 And this is settled in thy mind, a throne 
 
 By way of dowry to thy liking is 
 300 And foreign bridal beds again. Dost flee 
 
 From me ? And have I followed this by land 
 
 And sea ? Is this my final toil ? Is this 
 
 The goal of journeys long? Are these to be 
 
 Our hoped for triumphs, this our coming back? 
 
42 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA' 
 
 305 What worth is now thy sacred faith ? Again 
 The cruel Fates are summoning me back. 
 
 man from so great dangers snatched in vain, 
 Dost flee from me ? By these my tears, by thy 
 Regard if any for a girl beloved 
 
 310 Doth touch thy soul, and by the board to which 
 Thou camest a stranger, by our wedlock too 
 And by the Hymeneal rites begun, 
 
 1 do entreat thee, pity take upon 
 
 A soul enduring what is undeserved. 
 
 315 For what is there beside which now I can 
 Implore ^r aidl In Libyan waters thou 
 Thyself a witness lately wast to me : 
 The hollow rocks were then resounding far 
 With unremitting surge, and with the waves 
 
 310 So great arising from th' Ionian Sea: 
 
 The struggling winds and sounding tempests I 
 Suppressed, and th' monstrous rage of sky and sea. 
 Against the death of one unfortunate 
 And on behalf of all a single life 
 
 325 Did I oppose expecting this would be 
 A service to my love. But why do I 
 These devious things and lengthy prefaces 
 Unroll? About the sov'reign power I'm not 
 Concerned: I hoped for that what time I first 
 
 330 The bullocks strong and bulls exhaling fire 
 From out their nostrils to the plough did put. 
 And having sown the monstrous hydra's teeth 
 As seeds a host arose, and th' legion stood 
 Upon the open plain, and there a crop 
 
 335 Of darts with pointed javelins grew. Its head 
 An iron progeny did rear from fields 
 
HOSIDIUS G ETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 43 
 
 As hard. They wounds exchange between themselves 
 
 With mighty force, with missiles of their own 
 
 They're pierced, and through their breasts transfixed by wood 
 340 That 's hard they in their wounds lay down their Uves. 
 
 The branches with their gold upon a tree ^ 
 
 A mighty snake was guarding; hard it is 
 
 For any to endure the sight of him. 
 
 Of him unpleasant Uis to speak. But he, 
 345 Enduring hand of mine, his monstrous back 
 
 Relaxes. Whirling round his flaming eyes 
 
 As he beheld me, down his drooping neck 
 
 He laid and courted sleep. If thee no fame 
 
 Of things so great doth move, if safety 's ta'en 
 350 Away and Fortune has no backward step, 
 
 If country none there be which spouse of thine 
 
 To wretched ones may give — go, go, our pride ! 
 
 A parent by her offspring meanwhile let 
 
 Thy spouse distinguished make thee, but I hope 
 355 With better auspices. Creiisa hence 
 
 I may be able to transport : at least. 
 
 If righteous deities avail for aught, 
 
 I hope that thou i' th' midst of rocks wilt drain 
 
 Thy punishment; thou'lt pay the penalty, 
 360 O villain, though thou little thinkest it. 
 
 Already things have duly been prepared. 
 Jason. Oh cease to aggravate thyself and me 
 
 With thy complaints. For I have gained my rest; 
 
 No surface of the sea I need to plough. 
 365 I had not hither come unless the Fates 
 
 Had granted me a place and settlement. 
 
 ' I.e., the branches of the tree upon which the Golden Fleece was 
 hung. 
 
44 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 Medea. Alas ! wilt thou endure so many toils 
 
 Expended uselessly, and doth the bull 
 
 Beneath the ploughshare smoking, Pelias 
 370 The monarch somewhat weighted down withyears 
 
 And th' brazen cauldrons bubbling on the flames, 
 
 The scaly dragon and the dowry bought 
 
 With blood no longer come across thy mind ? 
 
 And this I dared in realms thine own ' 
 
 375 Jason. These regions have no bulls exhaling fire 
 
 From out their nostrils [ploughed for th' planted teeth 
 
 Of monstrous hydra], nor the harvest field 
 
 With helmets bristled and the crowded spears 
 
 Of men, nor do our weapons purpose force. 
 3S0 Dismiss this trouble therefore from thy breast. 
 
 Medea. But who had bidden thee, most impudent 
 
 Of men, to come to my abode ? Didst come 
 
 There driven by the sea's uncertainties, 
 
 Or that my wretched brother's cruel death 
 385 Thou mightest see? 
 
 Jason. We, whether driven by 
 
 Uncertainty o' th' way or by the storms, 
 
 Have whither god and whither Fortune hard 
 
 Doth call us, followed. Into crime what god 
 
 Impelled thyself, what madness thee possessed 
 '390 To both pollute thy hands and household gods 
 
 With brother's blood ? Did I the weapons give ? 
 
 Or did we bid thee cast his life to th' winds ? 
 
 Or what unyielding sway is this of ours ? 
 
 Medea. For me thou nought of pity hast, my spells 
 
 ' " To set thee up " she was going to add when Jason interrupts. 
 She alludes to the legend that Jason's father, Aeson, was the rightful 
 king of Jolcos. 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 45 
 
 395 Thou carest nothing for : I'll make it come 
 To pass that after this thou no one dost 
 Excite with voice of thine. Nor darling sons 
 Nor Venus's rewards shalt thou possess. 
 Jason. Why pretexts seekest thou, and handiest 
 400 Thy bootless bickerings ? And now farewell 
 Since now the better part o' th' day is spent. 
 
 Medea. Thy fortune use; the work begun complete. 
 Jason. The way to th' king is now the one for me; 
 And what I tell thee, that is what I mean. 
 
 \Exit Jason and attendant. 
 405 Medea. At all my weeping did he sigh, or did 
 He any pity show for one who loves ? 
 And do we further hesitate ? He left 
 Me weeping and desiring many things 
 To say, and swift he into th' house withdrew. 
 410 What benefit are toils and kindly deeds ? 
 My melancholy fates do wearied lie. 
 
 where is now that god who was to me 
 Instructor, where the love disquieted 
 
 By Furies, where my conscious fortitude ? 
 415 For why do I dissemble, or for what 
 
 Far greater things do I reserve myself ? 
 
 To meet anew all chances doth remain. 
 
 To spread my sails for journey back, and th' fir 's ^ 
 
 Again about to see the haps o' th' sea. 
 420 'Twill be without thee, brother ; yet if mine 
 
 The powers are not, if those above to bend 
 
 1 am unable, hell below I'll move. [Exit Medea. 
 
 ' I.e., the fir of which her ship was built. 
 
46 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY " MEDEA " 
 
 Chorus 
 She at the words doth into wrath 
 Outflame with love of raving Mars,"^ 
 425 As used in Carthaginians' fields 
 
 The lioness with yellow neck 
 Hemmed by a ring of hunters in. 
 
 As fed on baneful herbage doth 
 A snake collect his length to coils, 
 430 Whom swollen, winter covered o'er, 
 
 His head for fights he 's lifted high 
 And darts from mouth his triple tongue. 
 
 [As], being by the Furies vexed 
 Orestes [with his dart pursued] 
 435 His mother armed with burning brands, 
 
 Excited over all the plain 
 He driveth her, and close before 
 His father's altars takes her life. 
 As every third recurring year 
 440 To Bacchus through the city howled 
 
 The Maenad^ at the crossing roads, 
 Amid the desert haunts of beasts. 
 With bloody garment gathered up 
 She calls the cruel sister's bands. 
 445 As 'neath the shade the nightingale ' 
 
 Distinguished by its bloody breast 
 With its complaints doth fill the parts 
 Around, lamenting doleful strains 
 Distress it solaced with its song. 
 ' I.e., of mad slaughter. 
 
 ' The Maenads were frenzied female votaries of Bacchus, who cele- 
 brated his orgies every third year. 
 
 " For the story of Philomela being transformed into a nightingale see 
 Ov., "Met.," vi, 424 seq. 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 47 
 
 ♦50 [As wretched Orpheus] greviously 
 
 Doth rage by reason of his wife 
 
 At solitary Strymon's wave, 
 
 On thee ^ he all alone did call 
 
 Upon its desert shore, thy soul 
 +55 The while escaping if the gods 
 
 Below had knowledge to forgive. 
 
 Enter Crkon '' and Messengilr 
 
 Messenger. Oh whither am I borne ? whence have I come ? 
 
 For fear doth rend me, sweat has broken forth 
 
 On all my body and doth bathe my bones 
 460 And limbs. My knees are trembling, torpor cold 
 
 My sluggish eyes is weighing down. My hair 
 
 Doth stand from fear, my voice sticks in my throat. 
 Creon. In what position is the power o' th' state ? ' 
 
 Whence rageth unrestrained this tempest loud 
 4.65 So suddenly ? It 's mingled every sea 
 
 With sky, the lightnings flash from riven clouds. 
 
 Then speak and true these things to me explain. 
 Messenger. I shudder while relating all the sad 
 
 Afiairs that I myself have seen i' th' midst 
 470 O'th' house. With bloody garments gathered up 
 
 Nocturnal altars she inaugurates 
 
 And hearths * i' th' midst, and strews the place with wreaths 
 
 And crowns herself with funereal leaves. 
 
 She twined her hair with bloody wreaths and freed 
 475 A foot from sandal, sprinkling honey moist 
 
 ' I.e., his wife Eurydice. 
 
 ' ? Jason. See first line of first speech of ? Creon and lines at end of 
 
 scene. 
 
 ' This question is asked because atmospheric disturbances of various 
 kiads were supposed to portend disasters to royalty. * I.e., braziers. 
 
48 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 And poppies drowsy with her garment loose. 
 And water she had sprinkled which would seem 
 To be the fountain of Avernus's, 
 And rolling bloodshot eyes, with bloody hands 
 
 4S0 Instead of gentle violet and bark 
 Of Cassia and the crocus golden red, 
 Upon her brazier for a light i' th' night 
 She burns the perfumed cedar and the squill 
 And heavy hellebore and sulphur live, 
 
 485 Enshrouding real things in gloom, and forced 
 To tears, invoking Hecat with her voice. 
 And girt with steel she calls upon a god 
 Unmentionable.' 
 These being uttered she her peace doth hold 
 
 490 And flashes fire from out her gleaming eyes, 
 Awaiting, ignorant of what 's about to come. 
 The portents which they bring. Then suddenly 
 Do clouds remove the sky and day, and th' earth 
 From its foundations trembled; th' aether doth 
 
 495 With lightning flashes gleam. Immediately 
 
 Are voices heard and wailing loud; there seemed 
 To be a sound of feet at hand and swish 
 Of cruel lashes; then amid the gloom 
 The dogs appeared to howl as nearer came 
 
 500 The goddess, and the river terrified 
 
 Doth backward flow, and frightened mothers pressed 
 Their children to their breasts. And hereupon 
 AUecto, in Gorgonean poisons steeped, 
 Arises, brandishing her torch and out 
 
 505 She thunders, "Give thou heed to these my words 
 I'm present from th' abode of Sisters fell, 
 
 ' I.e., Demiourgos or Demogorgon, 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 49 
 
 Within my hand I carry wars and death." 
 
 At length to her determining such things 
 
 She ' thus replied in turn: "Thou'rt come at last 
 510 To share the toil with me, O goddess, now 
 
 In person here do thou inspire my soul. 
 
 In sunder tear the pact arranged and sow 
 
 The crimes of war (for thou art able) if 
 
 I've always on thine honours care bestowed." ' 
 515 At words like these AUecto into rage 
 
 Outflamed, and hissing terribly she this 
 
 From raving mouth did add : " O sister mine. 
 
 Dismiss this care from out thy breast, and now 
 
 If thou art ready war to wage and mix 
 520 Their marriage rites with mourning, and to bring 
 
 The fun'ral torches in and wreathe with flame. 
 
 Whatever through my art is possible 
 
 'Tis only requisite to bear in mind;" 
 
 As much as flames and blasts avail — desist 
 525 From praying for." She this had said and wings 
 
 She raises hissing with their snakes and seemed 
 
 To give her burning brands,' departing from 
 
 The upper heights of air. The other guile 
 
 And wrath with its pursuing flames attached 
 530 To th'work she had in hand, a double crown 
 
 With gems and gold and scales of serpents bound : 
 
 A flame enfolds her flying off, and then 
 
 In blinding darkness doth she shroud the house, 
 
 The view removing from one's eyes : as one 
 535 Who either sees or thinks he saw among 
 
 The brambles rough an unexpected snake, 
 
 ' /.*., Medea. ^ I.e., thou canst have it for the asking. 
 
 ' /.«., seemed to give burning brands to Medea as she was departing. 
 
 D 
 
50 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 And fearful of the danger doth begin 
 To speak but neither voice nor words ensue 
 Was I. Enough to hear is this.' Till when 
 540 Doth it become me to be kept? Depart, 
 
 And mindful bear these gleanings to the king. \Exeunt. 
 
 Ejifer Medea and Nurse 
 
 Nurse. He 's hit by this. Presented to the great 
 Divinities this better victim is. 
 And let them celebrate such nuptial rites, 
 545 Such wedlock too, as theirs is like to be. 
 
 Medea. Do thou, O Nurse, my children's fun'ral pile 
 Erect, but with the greatest secrecy. 
 And thou thyself with sacred fillet bind 
 Thy brows, set fire to sacred branches rich 
 550 And dusky pitch. The rites to Stygian Jove, 
 Which duly entered on I have prepared. 
 It is my purpose to complete and put 
 An end to troubles. 
 
 Nurse. All the middle ones 
 
 O' th' crowd have drawn aside and left a space. 
 
 Enter Medea's sons. 
 
 555 Medea. Ah! hated race and things to Fates of mine 
 Opposed ! Come hither, O my handsome lad. 
 What spirit he possesses ! Thus was he 
 To bear his eyes, his hands, his features wont! 
 And I could wish his faithless father might 
 
 560 Himself be present as spectator here. 
 
 ' This would be spoken by Jason, if Jason were substituted for 
 Cceon throughout the scene. 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 51 
 
 Son. Forbear to criminate thy pious hands; 
 Or whither has thy love of us been driven? 
 If watchfulness of mother's rights disturb ' — 
 Thy children spare and take us off with thee 
 565 In spite of everything. However things 
 Befall, iAere then would be for each of us 
 A single common danger. 
 
 Enter tJie Ghost of Absyrtus 
 
 Ghost. Look on me! 
 
 I from the dwelling of the sisters fell 
 Am present here : a hapless phantom / 
 570 My body all to pieces torn. [A ghost 
 I'll present be to thee in every place : 
 Thou'lt pay the penalty, O wicked one.] 
 
 [Ghost fades away. 
 
 Medea. [To Aerse/f] Why hesitatest thou? It must be dared 
 By my right hand. The thing itself now calls. 
 575 The author of what must be dared am I. 
 Exhaust your ingenuity. If I 
 Do ask for lawful things, if I with lips 
 Do claim a man for punishment there is 
 No guilt in slaying him, and love doth not 
 5S0 Regard such niceties. 
 
 Son. O bitter foe 
 
 Why dost thou rail about my doleful fate? 
 
 Medea. The weapons bring to me and put an end 
 To this distress. In blood our going back 
 Is to be sought. 
 
 Son. Does neither love of ours 
 
 ' He means if she was worried about losing her mother's rights by 
 leaving them with Creusa as it had been decided she shciild. 
 
S2 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 585 Nor any justice soften thee, nor comes 
 
 It into mind of thine [to lead away 
 
 Thy little sons? No deities do press] 
 
 A mother with her children's blood to foul 
 
 Her hands. Has care of us forsaken thee, 
 590 And love been from a mother snatched away ? 
 
 Medea. Your crime — 'tis love and slighted beauty's 
 wrong — 
 
 They've plunged you into these calamities. [Stabs him. 
 
 A brother shouldn't from a brother part. [Stabs the other also. 
 
 Enough of punishment has been secured 
 595 And through the foe a way is made, and I 
 
 With my right hand have sent the hated race 
 
 To lowest Tartarus. Now, now there need 
 
 Be no delay to drive my flying car. [Exeunt onines. 
 
 Enter Jason and Messenger 
 
 Jason. Ah me ! why are the walls disturbed with grief 
 600 So loud? Whate'er th' misfortune is, 'tis mine. 
 
 What finally awaits me? Say, for thou 
 
 To me before was not deceitful found. 
 
 Messenger. Behold ! accomplished by thy spouse's art 
 
 The presents promised thee! Nor ask about 
 605 Thy people's monstrous grief. But if so great 
 
 A love within thy mind, so great desire 
 
 There is, thy fate I'll teach thee and unfold 
 
 In words. For when in view of all around 
 
 Upon the altars did she place her gifts 
 610 (Ah, hapless damsel !) with her beauteous eyes 
 
 Downcast, from every side together come 
 
 Through joyful portals men and matrons too 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 53 
 
 In crowds, and heap the altars with their gifts. 
 The pipe in th' worship of our fathers used 
 
 615 Its double strairis doth give, when suddenly 
 Appears a portent wonderful to tell. 
 Behold ! a swift destruction passes down 
 From th' highest portion of her frame and doth 
 Begin to scatter fire on all her clothes ; 
 
 620 Her royal locks were fired, her crown was fired, 
 Her members followed and the sacred fire 
 Devoured her limbs. Companions scattered fly. 
 And each was these things fearing for herself. 
 They make for shelters in' their fear, and thus 
 
 625 When stealthily they seek the hollowed rocks 
 The fire is raging unrestrained. Nor are 
 The strength of heroes and the streams upon 
 Her poured of use and, wretched to relate I 
 The arts they sought are but injurious. 
 
 630 Moreover that one ' through the peoples, through 
 The trackless parts, access doth seek, by art 
 That 's new she watched the plape, [she into th' clouds 
 Doth flee and harnessed dragons take upon 
 Themselves the chariot of their mistress, she 
 
 63 s (A bright refulgence lighted up their scales)] 
 With equal coils of serpents fastened them, 
 And added wings of wind ; with naked sword 
 She 's lightly armed, her car was stained with blood. 
 Jason. O whither shall I follow thee ? or what 
 
 6^0 Doth now remain at last for wretched me? 
 Me, me, for here am I who did the deed, 
 Together all your weapons hurl on me ! 
 This life destroy by any kind of death. 
 
 ' I.e., Medea. 
 
54 HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 
 
 Alas ! I've been the cause of death to thee ; 
 645 A woman was directress of the deed. 
 
 MsDEA appears above in her chariot drawn by flying dragons. 
 
 Medea. Now hither bend the gaze of both your eyes, 
 
 And lay our children's bodies in the grave ; 
 
 Receive the final gifts of kin of thine, 
 
 And make a tomb and on it add the verse: 
 650 " Ferocious Love a mother taught to stain 
 
 Her hands, with blood that's from her children twain. 
 
 With grief to mingle nuptials, and to stray 
 
 Above the winds of heaven in freer way." 
 Jason. O cruel mother, hast thou reckoned me 
 655 Deserving of so great a crime, and hast 
 
 Thou in their death defiled a father's eyes ? 
 
 Arms, men, bring arms ! serve out darts, mount the walls ! 
 Medea. O whither dost thou rush to seek thy death ? 
 
 The promised bridal-chambers don't forsake ! 
 660 Encourager of crimes, now learn my mind, 
 
 If thou by either bravery or skill 
 
 Hast power, [if strength is fostered in thy breast,] 
 
 And if a kingdom 's so much to thy heart 
 
 As dowry, [onward go as it behoves. 
 665 Perhaps a kingdom and a royal bride 
 
 May be prepared for thee, so banish tears 
 
 For thy beloved Creiisa. 
 Jason. What dost thou 
 
 Contrive ? or with what hope dost thou remain 
 
 I' th' chilly clouds ? The final moment 's come.] 
 670 Devoid of wit hadst thou the hope that thou 
 
 Couldst reach on wings the lofty stars desired. 
 
HOSIDIUS GETA'S TRAGEDY "MEDEA" 55 
 
 Or hide thyself enclosed in hollow earth, 
 
 And that thou thus wert able to annul 
 
 The infamy of evil doings old ? 
 675 Medea. This was the only way, this was the last 
 
 Awaiting me to set a bound to hurts. 
 
 Enough to Venus and the Fates is given. 
 
 I'm borne away an exile on the deep, 
 
 My brother shunning, and unlucky darts, 
 6«o Beyond the pathways of the year and sun. 
 
 Then what remains at last ? O handsome one. 
 
 And whosoe'er shall either fear the sweets 
 
 Or taste the sours of love, a long farewell ! 
 
 FINIS 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 IN the middle ages Vergil came to be considered a kind 
 of master magician (Vincent of Beauvais, the fifty-seventh 
 tale of the " Gesta Romanorum," etc.). This may have been 
 due to the father of Vergil having, according to the " Life of 
 Vergil" ascribed to Donatus, married the daughter of a 
 certain Magius or Magus. Among other works of magic 
 ascribed to him, he was said to have made and set up at 
 Rome a brazen statue for each Roman province. Each of 
 these statues was provided with a magic bell, and if a pro- 
 vince meditated a revolt, the statue which represented it 
 struck its bell. On this account, and because charms and 
 magic are mentioned so much both in this tragedy and the 
 Vergil from which its words are derived, I thought a short 
 outline of what is known concerning the magic believed in 
 and practised by the ancient Romans might be acceptable. 
 There were books then specially dealing with the subject 
 (Hor., " Ep.," xvii, 4), but as none of the Latin ones, at any 
 rate, have come down to us, we have to piece our knowledge 
 of the subject together from allusions in Latin literature 
 generally. Belief in it was almost universal in those days. 
 Just before this cento was made, Apuleius was publicly put 
 on his trial for obtaining a rich wife by magic arts, and the 
 speech he made in his own defence is still extant. That this 
 was no trivial charge is shown by the fact that a certain 
 Marinus, an advocate, was put to death on the same charge 
 (Amm. Marcell., xxviii, i, 14) at a later period. 
 
 57 
 
5 8 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 A law prohibiting the practice of magic arts is found in the 
 Twelve Tables (450 B.C.), and though it was always forbidden, 
 it nevertheless continued to flourish as long as Rome existed. 
 
 I have arranged the subject under the following heads: 
 
 I. The powers and agencies invoked in the exercise of 
 the magic art. 
 II. The persons who practised it. 
 
 III. The ceremonies they used in doing so. 
 
 IV. The materials used in these. 
 
 V. The purposes to which they applied the magic art. 
 VI. Magic in medicine. 
 
 I. Most of the ancient Roman magic consisted of necro- 
 mancy, which is quite understandable when we consider that 
 the powers invoked were the rulers of the realms below, 
 where the departed spirits dwelt. So great was the connec- 
 tion between magic and the deities of the Lower World, that 
 the latter were called "di magici" (Lucan, vi, 577; Tib., i, 
 2, 62). These were propitiated by the sacrifice of black 
 victims in trenches at night, and everything connected with 
 them was involved in darkness and dread. They werq: 
 
 Chaos, Night, and Erebus (Verg., " Aen.,"iv, 510; Ov., 
 " Met.," xiv, 404). According to Hyginus (" Praef."), Chaos 
 was the son of Darkness, and by Darkness was the father of 
 Night and Erebus. 
 
 Night was represented as coming from her abode in 
 Erebus and mounting the heaveri in her light two-horse 
 chariot " with star-producing reins " and calling back the 
 constellations when the sun had set (Mart. Cap., ii, init. ; 
 Verg., "Aen.," v, 721; Tib., ii, i, 87; Val. Flac, iii, 210). 
 Her offspring are thus given by Cicero ("N. D.," iii, 17): 
 " Aether and Day, and their brothers and sisters who are 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 59 
 
 thus named by the ancient genealogies, Love, Grief, Fear, 
 Toil, Envy, Fate, Old Age, Death, Darkness, Misery, Com- 
 plaint, Grace, Fraud, Obstinacy, the Parcae, the Hesperides, 
 and Dreams, all which they relate to have been born of 
 Night and Erebus." She was also the mother of the Furies 
 by Dis (Verg., " Aen.," vii, 327). Cocks were sacrificed to 
 her(Ov, "Fasti," i, 455). 
 
 Dis, Stygian Jove, or Pluto was the ruler of the Under- 
 worldj but was only invoked in incantations on special 
 occasions (Verg., "Aen.," vi, 252; Ov., "Met.," vii, 249). 
 Bulls with dark fillets and garlanded with yew were sacrificed 
 to him (Val. Flac, i, 775), and the number 2 was sacred to 
 him (Ov., " Met.," xiv, 386). He was the possessor of a 
 helmet which rendered the wearer invisible, and which was 
 sometimes lent to other gods and to men (Hyginus, " Ast.," 
 ii, 12). 
 
 Hecate, a mighty and terrible but mysterious divinity, 
 was the one principally invoked by witches and wizards. 
 She was supposed to roam about at night accompanied by 
 Stygian hounds, and appears to have personified the night 
 side of nature. She also had the surname Brimo. Arnobius 
 (ii, 71 and iii, 29) represents her as being the mother of 
 Saturn, Ops, and Janus by Coelus, thus putting her in the 
 place occupied by Terra in the ordinary genealogies. The 
 name of Brimo is given by Arnobius to Ceres (" Adv. gentes," 
 v, 20), but Ceres was the earth goddess (Eurip., "Bacch.," 
 276 and Diod. Sic), particularly the productive earth was 
 under her sway, and her. rites resembled those of Tellus or 
 Terra. Earth, Hecate, Ceres, and Proserpine have the same 
 things told of them and assigned to them, in many cases 
 indifferently. 
 
 Many accounts of her parentage are given, but all associate 
 
6o OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 her with the darkness. Bacchylides says she was the daughter 
 of Night. Musaeus says she was the daughter of Asteria 
 (the Star-maid) by Jupiter. But the generally received 
 account was that she was the daughter of Asteria by Perses 
 (Ov., "Met.," vii, 74), and therefore niece to Leto (the 
 Dark-maid), or Latona (Cic, "N. D.," iii, 18). She was 
 generally represented as the final phase of the triple Diana 
 (Ov., "Fasti," i, 387). These phases were: Luna above, 
 Diana or Trivia on the earth, and Hecate below it. Lucan 
 (vi, 700) identifies the last phase with Proserpina, while 
 Macrobius ("Sat.," i, 18, 23) identifies Luna and Ceres. 
 Vergil ("Aen.," vi, 257) calls her "Hecate, a queen in 
 heaven and in hell," and (" Aen.," iv, 609) " Hecate invoked 
 by howling at the three ways by night." Statues of her with 
 three heads, those of a horse, a woman, and a dog, were 
 placed at the point of meeting of three roads, " Thou seest 
 the faces of Hecate turning towards three directions that she 
 may guard the paths divided into three roads " (Ov., " Fasti," 
 i, 141). Hence she is called " triceps " (Ov., " Met," vii, 
 194). Sometimes she was represented with three bodies 
 also, back to back, " triformis " (Ov., " Met.," vii, 94) or 
 " tergemina " (Verg., "Aen.," iv, 509). These triple heads 
 and bodies were, of course, an allusion to the three phases 
 already mentioned. 
 
 By Phorcys she was said to have been the mother of 
 Scylla. In Thrace her worship was associated with that of 
 Bendis (the moon goddess) and Cotys, and Horace ("Epod., 
 xvii, 56-59) mentions the Cotyttia in connection with witch- 
 craft. Dogs, perhaps because they bay at the moon and 
 were thought to announce her approach, or because Diana 
 was a huntress, and black lambs were offered to her (Hor., 
 "Sat.," i, 8, 27). So was honey. 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 6i 
 
 The Furies were ancient goddesses, the daughters of 
 Night and Dis (Verg., " Aen.," vii, 327), and were three in 
 number. Their names were AUecto, Tisiphone,and Megaera 
 ("Aen.," xii, 845). They wore black garments, and their 
 hair was wreathed with black snakes (Hor., "Odes," ii, 13, 
 26), and they had " wings of wind." They were ministers of 
 vengeance, and carried a whip of serpents and a torch. 
 They inflicted their vengeance on earth by wars, dissensions, 
 and pestilence; in hell by unceasing floggings and torments. 
 They were much invoked by witches and wizards in order 
 to obtain the infliction of punishment on those on whom 
 they wished to wreak their vengeance. 
 
 Mercury is included among the "di magici," as he was 
 wont to conduct the souls of the departed to the Lower 
 World and bring them back from there when they were 
 summoned to earth again by enchantments (Petr. Arbiter, 
 140; Verg., "Aen.," iv, 242; Stat., "Theb.," i, 306), and 
 was the sender of dreams. These powers he exercised by 
 virtue of his wand. He was also the inventor of magic 
 (Macrob. and Mart. Cap.). Apuleius mentions him thus 
 ("Apol.," 31): "Mercury the conveyer of incantations, 
 Venus alluring the mind, Luna knowing the secrets of the 
 night, and Trivia the mistress of the ghosts are wont to be 
 summoned to the ceremonies of the magicians." Mercury 
 seems to have been chiefly concerned with hydromancy or 
 water magic (Apul., "Apol.," 42). 
 
 In the last resort the mighty and mysterious Demogorgon 
 was invoked by the sorcerers. Concerning him see the 
 second- extract from Lucan in III. Lactantius Placidus on 
 Stat., " Thebaid.," iv, 516, speaks thus about him : " The god 
 Demiourgon whose name it is not permissible to know. But 
 an infinity of philosophers and magicians, the Persians also, 
 
62 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 confirm that there really is a chief and very great god besides 
 those known gods who are worshipped in temples. ... It 
 may be that the Magi have seals which they deem to contain 
 the name of the god, but his name cannot be known to any 
 mortal." C/; this tragedy, v, 343. From this place it would 
 appear that, contrary to the practice in regard to other gods 
 of the Lower World, the person invoking him had to be girt 
 and have a steel weapon in the belt. 
 
 Larvae were the ghosts of dead people which were unable 
 to rest either on account of their own guilt (Apul., " de deo 
 Soc"; Isid., " Orig.," viii, 11, loi), or from having met with 
 some indignity, such as a violent death (Apul., " Met.," ix, 
 29; this tragedy, v, 400, 474; Ov., "Ibis,"' 155-160). They 
 acted as agents to do injury to the living. They, too, were 
 the " devils " that were supposed to cause madness in the 
 living by taking "possession" of them (Plaut., "Capt.," iii, 
 4, 66; " Amph.,"ii, 2, 145). Lemureswere similar spectres. 
 " They call the spirits of the silent ones Lemures " (Ov., 
 " Fasti," V, 483). They also took possession of houses which 
 were thus "haunted." See Pliny, "Epist.," vii, 27. Ovid 
 (" Fasti," V, 429) gives a formula for exorcising them. The 
 ancient Romans conceived of ghosts as black (Pers., v, 
 185), whereas the moderns imagine them white. They were 
 thought to be of greater size than human beings. " They 
 say that ghosts larger than men have wandered through the 
 groves" (Sen., "Oed.," 175). 
 
 II. Magic was practised chiefly ,by women. Indeed, Pliny 
 (" N. H.," XXV, 2) says they were the more able and fit for it 
 of the two sexes. Circe and Medea were the most celebrated 
 practitioners of the art; others were Erichtho (Lucan), 
 Mycale (Ovid Seneca, and Nemesian), Perimede (Prop.). 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 63 
 
 The enchantresses or witches were for the most part old 
 women, and, probably because they were so much resorted 
 to for love philters and thus obtained many opportunities, 
 most of them were either prostitutes or procuresses (Ov,, 
 "Amor.," i, 8, 19; Mart., ix, 29, 10; Hor., "Epod.," v; 
 Prop., iv, s). In fact, the word saga (wise woman) became 
 synonymous with procuress (Amm. Marcell.). In the same 
 way the word venefica meant either a witch or a poisoner, for 
 the woman who followed the one profession often followed 
 the other (Pliny, xxx, 2, 17). Women whose eyes had double 
 pupils were thought to have the " evil eye." " Phylarchus 
 relates that the race of the Thibii in Pontiis and many others 
 are of the same nature, whose marks are a double pupil in 
 one eye and the likeness of a horse in the other, and more- 
 over that they cannot sink in water even when weighted 
 down by their clothes. . . . Among us Cicero is the author 
 of the statement that all women indeed who have double 
 pupils injure by their glance everywhere" (Pliny, "N. H.," 
 vii, 2, 17). This "double pupil" was probably a secondary 
 aperture or coloboma, as it is called, in the iris or coloured 
 curtain of the eye. Cf. Ovid, "Am.," i, 8, 15, "a double 
 pupil also flashes from her eyes and the light comes from a 
 twin globe." Also cf. PUny, xi, 37. 
 
 Women had, however, by no means a monopoly of the 
 art. Apuleius ("ApoL," 90) mentions the following cele- 
 brated male exponents of it: "Carmendas, Damigeron, 
 Belus, Moses, Jannes, Apollobex or even Dardanus himself." 
 In many cases the calling was not taken up casually, but lads 
 were articled to it as to a regular trade or profession (Am. 
 Marcell., xxvi, 3). 
 
 Both witches and wizards exercised their calling for money 
 as well as for personal gratification (Apuleius, ix, 29). The 
 
64 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 skin of any person practising the art had to be free from 
 freckly eruptions, as their divinities would neither appear to 
 nor obey such (PHny, "N. H.," xxx, 2, 16), neither would 
 they heed a man who had just left the embraces of a woman 
 (Aug., "Civ. Dei,"x, 11). 
 
 III. Their ceremonies were always performed at night. 
 The feet of the person officiating, or at any rate one of them, 
 had to be bare (this tragedy, v, 335), so as to avoid having 
 any fastening on the foot, the hair had to flow loose, and 
 they wore a single loose black garment without any girdle. 
 There had to be no constriction of any sort about the person, 
 not even a ring on the finger. " Amid the tombs does she 
 wander ungirt with flowing hair" (Ov., "Her.,'' vi, 89). "I 
 myself saw Canidia with a black cloak thrown round her go 
 with bare feet and flowing hair howling along with the elder 
 Sagana" (Hon, "Sat.," i, 8, 23). "With hair thrown in all 
 directions and with feet bare according to custom " (Stat, 
 "Theb.," ix, 572). "Veiled in linen with robes unbound I 
 paid nine vows to Trivia in the silent night" (Tib., i, 5, 15, 
 16). We sometimes find magic rites performed by naked 
 women, especially at a menstrual time. "It is said that 
 hailstorms and whirlwinds are driven away by the monthly 
 flow of a woman being laid bare to them and this avails 
 against the lightnings themselves, in this way can the violence 
 of the heavens be averted in navigating, indeed tempests 
 also, without the monthly period being on the woman. . . . 
 At a menstrual time -if wometi stripped naked go through 
 the harvest field the caterpillars, worms, beetles, and other 
 noxious insects drop down. Metrodorus Scepsius records that 
 this was found out in Cappadocia owing to the multitude of 
 Spanish fly. They cause menstruating women therefore to go 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 65 
 
 through the middle of the fields with their clothes pulled up 
 above their buttocks. In other places heed is taken that they 
 go with naked feet and hair and clothing loose " (Phny, 
 "N. H.," xxviii, 7, 77). Columella (x, 357-366) says: "But 
 if no remedy avails to avert the plague [of insects] the 
 arts of Dardanus come into play and thrice around the 
 garden's beds and fence, but with her bosom bare and bared 
 her feet and downcast with her tresses flowing loose, is led 
 a woman, one who is for the first time acted on by the regular 
 laws of youth and shamefaced obscaeno cruore manat. When 
 she walking as described has purified this, (wondrous sight !) 
 not otherwise than as a shower either of round apples or of 
 nuts covered with husk rains from a shaken tree, do the 
 caterpillars fall on to the ground with distorted body." 
 
 As a general rule, however, all magic rites had to be per- 
 formed in a garment (Colobium, " Isid. Orig.," xix, 22, 24). 
 "The Magi forbid our private parts to be bared in front of 
 the sun and moon, or anyone's shadow to be besprinkled 
 with urine by himself" (Pliny, " N. H.," xxviii, 6-end). This 
 is one of the features which distinguish them from rites to 
 the gods above which were frequently performed naked, e.g., 
 the Lupercalia (Ovid, " Fasti," ii, 267-302), the rite to Apollo 
 described Pliny, " N. H.,'' xxvi, 9, 60. See also page 70. In 
 the practice of the art they used incantations, which were 
 invocations in set form of the powers of the lower world or 
 other occult powers, accompanied by fumigations and the 
 sacrifice of appropriate victims (Hor., "Sat.," i, 8, 27; Tib., 
 i, 2,61; Ov., "Met.,"x, 243; Verg., "Aen.,"iv, 509). These 
 incantations they made in a sort of barking howl (Lucan, 
 vi, 688; Ovid, "Met.," xiv, 405), "magic screeching" 
 Tibullus calls it (xii, 47), and they were often unintelligible 
 to those listening. Thus Ovid (" Met.," xiv, 366), speaking 
 
66 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 of Circe, says : " She calls on unknown gods with unknown 
 charms." Lucan (vi, 695-7 1 1 ) gives the following as Erichtho's 
 incantation to recall the spirit of a dead man for the purpose 
 of getting a knowledge of the future : 
 
 O Furies, monster of the Styx, and ye 
 The Punishments of guilty ones, and thou 
 O Chaos covetous of jumbling up 
 Unnumbered worlds, and th' Ruler of the earth 
 Whom that the death o' th' gods has been deferred 
 To lengthy centuries torments, O Styx, 
 And Fields Elysian that no witch deserves, 
 Persephone, who heaven and mother bolh 
 Didst hate, our Hecate's remotest phase, 
 Through whom the intercourse of silent tongue 
 Exists betwixt the spirits and myself. 
 And th' Keeper of the dooi 0' th' wide abode 
 Who throws our entrails to the savage dog, 
 And Sisters soon to break the thread restored. 
 And thou O Ferryman o' th' burning stream 
 Already wearied, aged man, with ghosts 
 Returning to the world above and me ; 
 Regard my prayers, if I do you invoke 
 With mouth enough polluted and accursed. 
 If I from human flesh ne'er fasting chant 
 These charms, if I have often teeming breasts 
 Bestowed and entrails bathed with tepid brains. 
 If any infant which has placed its head 
 And entrails on your dishes would have lived, 
 Do you obedience yield to this my prayer. 
 
 This spell having failed of its effect, she has recourse to 
 threats (v, 730-749): 
 
 Furies, heedless of my voice do ye 
 Delay the wretched spirit through the void 
 Of Erebus with cruel whips to drive? 
 
 1 now will raise you by your real name 
 And, Stygian bitches, leave you in the light 
 Above : as keeper will I follow you 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 67 
 
 Amid the graveS) amid the fun'ral rites, 
 I'll turn you out of tombs and drive you off 
 From all the urns. And Hecate, I'll thee 
 To th' gods display with pallid form and thin ; 
 To them dissembling thou art wont to go 
 In other guise, and I'll prohibit thee 
 Appearing other than thou dost in Hell. 
 O Maid of Enna, I'll declare what feasts 
 Detain thee 'neath the monstrous bulk of earth, 
 On what agreement thou the gloomy king 
 Of night dost love, and those defilements which 
 Submitted to by thee became the cause 
 Why Ceres didn't wish to call thee back. 
 O vilest ruler of the universe. 
 Thy caverns being burst I'll send the Sun 
 To thee, and thou shall stricken be with day 
 Unlooked for. Do ye now obey? Or will 
 That being have to be addressed upon 
 Whose invocation ever doth the Earth 
 Alarmed begin to quake? Who contemplates 
 The Gorgon openly exposed, and doth 
 The trembling Fury with his lashes beat. 
 Who holds the depths of Tartarus, to you 
 Invisible : to whom you're those above : 
 Who sweareth falsely by the Stygian waves ? 
 
 This threatening address proved immediately successful. 
 Being troubled with fearful visions and spectral appearances 
 after he had murdered his brother Geta, Caracalla believed 
 himself bewitched by the spells of his enemies, and resorted 
 to magic arts in order to ascertain from the dead what 
 remedy could be had, but none answered his call save the 
 kindred spirit of Commodus. 
 
 For the spells to be efficacious they had always to be used 
 in the set form. In fact, charms or spells are forms of words 
 which were thought to possess some occult power or influence 
 over spirits to compel them to do what those using the spells 
 
68 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 desire. Until the practice was introduced from the east^ 
 particular powers were seldom named in ordinary charms. 
 The demon whose business it was to do what was required 
 being compelled thereto by the mere form of words and the 
 accompanying ritual. Pliny discusses the pros and cons of 
 whether and why charms are of any avail in book 28, chap. ii. 
 The charms themselves were often a nonsensical jingle, or 
 altogether unintelligible, or in a foreign language {e.g., 
 Greek). Thus Lucan, referring tp the hieroglyphic languages 
 of Egypt (iii, 224), calls them " magic tongues.'' The charm 
 had to be repeated a certain number of times, usually three 
 or nine, but occasionally three times nine times, and the 
 person repeating it had to spit at each repetition, and perhaps 
 do other things. 
 
 Numbers thus played an important part in magic. Besides 
 the charms having to be repeated a certain number of times, 
 the number of victims, altars, libations, etc., was of import- 
 ance. Pliny (xxviii, 2, 23) says: "Why do we believe odd 
 numbers to be more forceful for everything? " "God delights 
 in an uneven number " (Verg., " Eel.," viii, 75). On this plan 
 Servius says that " an odd number is immortal because it 
 cannot be divided and an even one mortal because it can 
 be, although Varro says the Pythagoreans think that an un- 
 even number has an end and the even is infinite, and that 
 on this account odd numbers are observed for the purpose 
 of healing and many matters; for, as said above, the gods 
 above delight in odd, the gods below in even numbers." He 
 says the same on "Aen.," iii, 305, also on " Aen.," v, 77 
 and 78. 
 
 The number two was sacred to Pluto, the number four to 
 Mercury (Macr., "Sat.," i, 19, 14). See Pliny, xxviii, 6. 
 
 Allied to the power of forms of words is the occult power 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 69 
 
 supposed to be exerted on one another by things of similar 
 names, properties, or the like. Thus Pliny (" N. H.," xxii, 
 iS> 39) : " The herb scorpion gets its name from analogy, for 
 it has a seed looking like a scorpion's tail and few leaves, 
 and it is of use against the animal its namesake." Again 
 (xxiv, 19, 106): "A herb growing on the head of a statue 
 collected into a rag of anyone's clothing and applied wrapped 
 in red linen is reported to relieve headache immediately." 
 Again (xxvi, 9, 92) : " Panax (all-heal) heals pani (lumps or 
 swellings in the groin)." Again (xxvii, 12, 131): "About 
 Ariminum a herb is known which they call reseda. It dis- 
 perses all abscesses and inflammations. But those who cure 
 these things with it add these words : ' Reseda, reseda (allay) 
 these diseases, kiiowest thou, knowest thou what black disease 
 has driven its roots here? Let it have neither head nor feet.' 
 They say this three times and spit on the ground as often." 
 Allied also to spells and charms are talismans. Instead 
 of repeating a charm or spell every time it was required, the 
 wearing of the talisman ensured the operation of the spell 
 bound up with it or engraved upon it being constant. An 
 example of the talisman is found in the well-known Ring of 
 Gyges. The story of it is thus told by Cicero (" de Off.," 
 iii, 9) : " When from certain heavy rains the earth h^d 
 yawned asunder, Gyges descended into that chasm and, as 
 the story goes, observed a horse of brass in the side of 
 which was a door. Having opened this, he saw the body of 
 a dead man of extraordinary size and a gold ring on his 
 finger. As he took this off he put it on his own finger and 
 then betook himself to the assembly of the shepherds, for 
 he was the king's shepherd. There, when he turned the 
 bezel of this ring to the palm of his hand, he was seen by 
 none, though he himself saw everything. And so he made 
 
70 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 use of this advantage of the ring and brought dishonour on 
 the queen and with her assistance slew the king his lord and 
 removed those whom he judged likely to oppose him; nor 
 could anyone discover him in these crimes. So by the aid 
 of the ring he suddenly became King of Lydia/' 
 
 The celebrated girdle of Venus was also a permanent 
 charm or talisman (" Iliad," xiv, 214; Martial, vi, 13, 8; xiv, 
 206 and 207; Claud., "de Nupt. Hon. etMar.," 124), com- 
 pelling everyone to love its wearer. See also extract from 
 Pliny, "N. H.," xiii, 25, in Cap. IV, A, below. 
 
 Allied to talismans were amulets, which were stones, 
 plants, insects, or .portions of animals, or inscribed scraps 
 of paper or parchment worn suspended from the neck or 
 tied to any other pyart of the body to prevent or cure disease 
 or avert the evil eye. A phallus was often used for the latter 
 purpose. Varro says ("L. L.,'' vi, p. gg, Bipont ed.): "A 
 certain disgraceful little thing is hung from the necks of boys 
 that by reason of its good omen nothing may harm them." 
 Pliny says the same (" N. H.," xxviii, 4), and adds that it 
 was hung under a triumphing general's chariot for the same 
 reason. It has also been found painted on the walls of 
 houses in Pompeii and represented in obscene figures on 
 lamps for the same reason, that it averts witchcraft from the 
 place and returns the effects of the evil eye on the giver of 
 the envious glance. Largely for this reason Priapi were set 
 up in gardens (Pliny, "N. H.," xix, 4, ig). All obscene 
 sights, motions, and actions were against witchcraft. 
 
 To reverse a spell or undo the effect of an enchantment the 
 charm was repeated backwards and the person touched with 
 the reverse end of the wand (Ov., " Met.,'' xiv, 300), or the 
 magic wheel was turned in the opposite direction (Hor., 
 " Epod.," xvii, 7). 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 71 
 
 IV. We may consider the things used for the purposes of 
 magic under three heads: A, botanical; B, zoological; C, 
 inanimate. 
 
 A. Herbs or plants were extensively used for magic pur- 
 poses and were believed to possess great potency, but 
 although they are frequently spoken of in a general way in 
 this regard they are seldom named individually. Though 
 believed to have such powers they were often simple, every- 
 day plants. Thus violet, cassia, and crocus ("Medea," v, 
 339), narcissus ("Ciris," v, 370) were used in charms to se- 
 cure love; poppies, cypress, hellebore, and squills ("Medea," 
 V, 336 and 341) in charms of more direful import. 
 
 Laurel was used in love charms (Verg., "Eel.," viii, 82; 
 Prop., iii, 25). As it burned in the flame of the bitumen or 
 sulphur, it was supposed to make the person named burn in 
 like manner for the one who fired it. Infusions of laurel 
 leaves were used as a wash, together with a draught of dill, 
 to restore witches to their proper shape after they had been 
 transformed as owls (Apul., " Met.," iii, 23). 
 
 Roses would restore a transformed ass to his proper shape 
 (Apul., "Met," iii, 25). 
 
 Black beans were used in exorcising ghosts (Ov., " Fasti," 
 ii, 576 and v, 436). 
 
 Fucus (Auson. Mosel., 309) was probably used because 
 of the way litmus changes its colour, being red in the pre- 
 sence of acids, blue in the presence of alkalies. 
 
 The herbs of Thessaly and Pontus were regarded as 
 especially potent for magical purposes. 
 
 The following examples of the use of herbs for magic or 
 as love charms are culled from Pliny's "Nat. Hist.": 
 
 xiii, 25. " Fruits and trees are also produced in the sea . . . 
 Juba relates that round the islands of the Troglodytes 
 
-ji OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 there is one which is called chariton blapharon {i.e., 
 eyelids of the Graces), and that as it is efficacious in 
 love matters women make bracelets and necklaces of 
 it " (/.«., coral). 
 
 xxii, 8. "What is reported about this herb (Eryngion, a 
 kind of thistle) is marvellous, namely, that its root bears 
 the likeness of the genital organs of one or the other 
 sex. It is rarely found, but if the male is found by men 
 they are sure to become objects of love. On this ac- 
 count was Phaon of Lesbos loved by Sappho." 
 
 xxiii, 6. " If anyone, freed from every constriction of belt, 
 of shoes, and even of ring, shall pluck one of these 
 (pomegranate blossoms) with two fingers, namely, the 
 thumb and fourth finger of the left hand, and having 
 purified his eyes with a light touch of it shall put it into 
 his mouth and swallow it in such a way that it does not 
 touch on the teeth, it is affirmed that he will suffer 
 from no weakness of the eyes in that year." 
 
 xxiv, 1 7. "The herb Aglaophotis (Ppeony) which has received 
 this name from the admiration of men for its distin- 
 guished colour . . . the Magi use this when they wish 
 to call up the gods." 
 
 " Anacampseros (? stonecrop) ... at whose very touch 
 loves have returned, even when laid aside with hatred." 
 
 XXV, 9. " The Magi rave about this plant (vervain) that those 
 anointed all over with it are able to obtain what they 
 like, to drive away fevers, to reconcile estranged friend- 
 ships, and to heal the disease of anyone. They say that 
 it ought to be gathered about the rising of the Dog Star, 
 in such a way that neither sun nor moon may see // 
 done, honeycombs with their honey having beforetime 
 been offered to the Earth as an atonement: that, a 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 73 
 
 mark being made round it with steel, it is to be dug up 
 with the left hand and raised up high, and to be dried 
 in the shade, leaves, stalks, and roots separately. They 
 say that if a supper room be sprinkled with water in 
 which it has been soaked, the banquets will be made 
 more vivacious." 
 
 xxvi, 4. " The Magi said ' that streams and pools could be 
 dried up by the herb Aethiopis, and all closed places 
 could be opened by a touch by those made fragrant 
 with it.'" 
 
 xxvii, 8. "Catanance is a Thessalian herb ... it is only 
 used for love potions . . . and chosen for this purpose 
 by inference, for the reason that in drying it curves it- 
 self in after the fashion of a dead kite's claws." There- 
 fore it seems they thought it ought to catch the beloved 
 object and hold it fast. 
 
 " Cemos is used for the same purpose." Some think 
 this plant was our Lady's smock, others dodder. 
 
 xxvii, 12. " As for phyteuma [groundsel] . . . its only use is 
 for love potions." 
 
 Herbs for use in incantations had to be reaped at midnight 
 with a brazen or bronze sickle (Verg., " Aen.," iv, 573; Ov., 
 " Met," vii, 227 ; Macr., v, 8-13). For this use of bronze, a 
 relic probably of times before the iron age, compare the use 
 of the bronze skewer (Ov., "Fasti," ii, 577, quoted chap. V, v) 
 and brazen goblets (Ov., " Met.," vii, 247). 
 
 To increase the magic potency of the herbs the witches 
 claimed to have the power to call down the moon, which 
 then hovered as it were over and shed a poisonous foam on 
 the herbs beneath (Lucan, vi, 506 and 669). This " foam " 
 was also used to make other objects baleful e.g., Harmonia's 
 
74 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 necklace (Stat., " Theb.," ii, 284). This bringing down the 
 moon was supposed to be accomplished by the magic 
 rhombus. " Who now will know how to draw down the 
 moon with Thessalian rhombus? " (Mart., ix, 29, 9. See also 
 xii, S 7, 1 7 and Prop., ii, 28, 35). On the rhombus see C, g, of 
 this chapter. By the commonalty it was thus thought that 
 magic was the cause of eclipses of the moon, and that these 
 could be averted by the clanging of brazen vessels or cymbals 
 (Tib., i, 8, 21; Juv., vi, 442 and 3, and many places). 
 
 B. With regard to animal products used in magic it is 
 safe to say that the more disgusting a thing was, the more 
 likely was it to be used and the greater virtues ascribed to it 
 by the magicians. Numerous examples may be foundin Pliny 
 ("N. H.," 28). The articles used may be classified as follows; 
 
 (a) Various portions of dead bodies, skulls, bones, hands, 
 blood, etc. (Apul., "Met.," iii, 17; Hor., "Sat.,"i, 8; 
 Ov., "Her.," vi, 90; Tac, "Ann.," ii, 69). To get 
 these the witches frequented tombs and funeral pyres. 
 
 (i) Things causing death, as nails with which persons had 
 been fastened to crosses (Apul., "Met.," iii, 17), arrows 
 with which someone had been shot and killed. " Thus 
 also Orpheus and Archelaus write that arrows drawn out 
 of a body and placed under people lying down are an 
 incentive to love if they have not touched the ground " 
 (PUny, " N. H.," xxviii, 4). 
 
 (c) Portions of living bodies, as hair (Apul., "Met.," iii, 16), 
 
 nail parings (Pliny, " N. H.," xxviii, 7, 86).- 
 
 (d) Hippomanes. This was by far the best known and most 
 used ingredient of love potions. The name was applied 
 to several different things. 
 
 (i) An excrescence on the forehead of a new-born 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 75 
 
 foal (Verg., "Aen.," iv, 515; Pliny, "N. H.," viii, 42, 
 165; Solinus, 57). 
 
 (ii) The discharge from the genitals of a mare in 
 heat (Verg., "Georg.," iii, 280; Ov., "Am.," i, 8, 8; 
 Tib., ii, 4, 58), or that from a pregnant mare, according 
 to Prop., iv, s, 18. 
 
 (iii) A plant which acted as an aphrodisiac on mares 
 ("Serv. in Georg.," iii, 281). 
 
 («) Wolf's beard (Hor., "Sat.," i, 8, 42), entrails (Ov., 
 "Met.," vii, 270). 
 
 (/) Stag's liver (Ov., "Met.," vii, 273), marrow (Lucan, vi, 
 673)- 
 
 {g) Hyaena, parts (Lucan, vi, 672). The magicians made 
 much use of parts of the hyaena. See Pliny, " N. H.," 
 xxviii, 8. 
 
 (A) Snakes (Lucan, vi, 677-679), their teeth (Hon, "Sat.," 
 i, 8, 42), sloughed skins (Ov., "Met," vii, 272), 
 poisonous saliva (Sen., "Med.," 732), bones (Prop., 
 iii, 6, 28). 
 
 (i) Frogs (Hon, "Epod.," v, 19; Juv., iii, 44; Prop., iii, 
 6, 27). 
 
 (j) Owls' wings (Ov., " Met.," vii, 269), feathers (Prop., iii, 
 6, 29; Hon, "Epod.," v, 20), heart and viscera (Sen., 
 "Med.," 733). 
 
 (/6) Eggs (Hon, "Epod.,"v, 19). 
 
 (/) Milk. On Verg., " Aen.," iii, 68 and v, 78, Servius says 
 that the spirits of the departed take particular pleasure 
 in offerings of blood and warm milk, and that for this 
 reason mourning women lacerate their faces and beat 
 their breasts to force the milk out of them. After say- 
 ing that a witch had assembled crowds of ghosts by her 
 magic howhng, TibuUus (i, 2, 48) goes on, " now having 
 
76 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 sprinkled them with milk, she bids them retire." In 
 Stat., " Theb.," iv, 453, warm milk is one of the offer- 
 ings made in calling up spirits. 
 
 (m) Saliva. See Pliny, "N. H.," xxviii, 4. Human saliva 
 was considered a great averter of witchcraft and mis- 
 chances. Thus, when they met a witch it was customary 
 to spit in her eyes, and any person they met who 
 limped or was lame in the right foot they treated in a 
 similar manner. If they saw a person in an epileptic fit 
 they spat on him to escape the contagion. They spat 
 into their right shoe before they put it on in a morning 
 and upon any place where they had formerly been in 
 danger as they passed it. They also spat on the ground 
 to fortify the action of a charm, and by a person spitting 
 into the hand with which he had given a blow the pain 
 of the person struck was believed to be at once assuaged. 
 Frogs and toads were believed to burst asunder if one 
 spat on them, so were serpents if one spat into their 
 mouths as they gaped. Fasting saliva was believed to 
 be especially potent and a sure preservative against the 
 poison of serpents. 
 
 («) Honey (H. G., "Med.," 336; Stat., "Theb.,"iv, 453; 
 Sil. Ital., xiii, 432). 
 
 (o) Wax, in lumps or figures for use with corresponding ones 
 of clay, or made into figures into which needles were to 
 be stuck (see chaps. IV, C, a, and V, ii), or as tablets 
 on which a name might be written. 
 
 C. The following materials drawn from inanimate nature 
 were used in magic : 
 
 (a) Clay. A small moulded lump of clay was placed beside 
 a fire along with A corresponding one of wax, and as the 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 77 
 
 same fire hardened the lump of clay and melted the 
 lump of wax, so the charmer hoped that the heart of 
 the person whom she sought to influence would be 
 hardened towards other girls and softened towards her 
 (Verg., "Eel.," viii, 81 and 82). 
 
 (b) Sulphur (H. G., " Med.," 342 ; " Ciris," 369). In 
 magic, as stated in v. 342 of the " Medea," its chief use 
 seems to have been to veil things in obscurity during 
 the rites. As everything in the Lower World is repre- 
 sented as sulphurous (Stat., "Theb.," i, 91, and else- 
 where, especially Albericus Philosophus on Pluto), per- 
 haps it was supposed to provide a more home-like 
 atmosphere for the spirits called up. It was also largely 
 used in purificatory rites, probably to atone in a mild way 
 as it were for the person on whose behalf they were per- 
 formed not being in the sulphury regions altogether. 
 Thus, if anyone was recovering from illness and thus 
 cheating the di Manes, a purification was necessary 
 (Tib., i, 5, 11). Flocks were purified by it in case they 
 should have eaten the grass off graves (Ov., " Fasti," 
 iv, 735). And a purification for the whole state was 
 made to Februus, another name for Pluto, in February 
 each year (Macr., "Sat.," i, 13). 
 
 {c) Bitumen, or pitch, was probably used on account of its 
 black colour as well as its combustible properties. Bay 
 twigs were burned with it, and it was supposed to cause 
 the person on whose account it was lit to burn for the 
 one who lit it in the same vigorous way as it burned 
 (Hor., "Ep.," V, 52; Prop., iii, 25; Verg., "Eel.," viii, 
 82). Explaining " et fragiles incende bitumine lauros " 
 (" Eel.," viii, 82), Servius says: " That is, burn the bays 
 with divine fire, for bitumen is said to be produced 
 
78 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 from lightning. Therefore because lightning frequently 
 falls there, a lake near Babylon abounds with this sub- 
 stance to such an extent that Semiramis was said to 
 have made her walls of it. And since it sticks together 
 and burns well it is taken up for the purposes of magic 
 in order that the husband may be stuck together to and 
 burn towards his love.'' 
 
 (li) Lead. Tablets were made of this 'on which names of 
 persons were inscribed. Through these tablets a nail 
 was then driven {defixid) and the tablet thrown into a 
 stream or buried. The person named on it was thus 
 bewitched (see chap. V, ii). 
 
 («) Pebbles. "Stones fetched from the most distant East 
 and sand which the ebbing tide of oceans has washed " 
 (Ov., "Met.," vii, 266) were used by Medea. 
 
 Precious stones of various sorts. "They say that 
 appearances of the gods are called out in hydromancy by 
 anancitis " (a precious stone). (Pliny, " N. H.,'' xxxvii, 
 II) 73-) Several instances in chap, x of the same book. 
 
 (/) Threads of three different colours (see Verg., " Eel.," 
 viii, 7 7 ; Nemesianus, quoted chap. V, iii). 
 
 " She brought a skein twisted from threads of different 
 colours out of her bosom and tied it round my neck. 
 Next she took up some dust mixed with her spittle and 
 marked my forehead with it in spite of my resistance. 
 Having done this with a charm she bade me spit thrice 
 and throw pebbles which she herself had charmed and 
 wrapped in purple into my bosom three times. Then, 
 having applied her hands to me she began to try the 
 strength of my groins. Quicker than speech the nerves 
 responded to her power and filled the little old woman's 
 hand ingenti motu" (Petr. Arb., 131). 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 79 
 
 (g) Rhombus. Exactly what this was is not known. It was 
 something that whirled and that was used in connection 
 with threads (Ov., " Am.," i, 8, 7). " He is drawn by the 
 thready wheel of the rhombus " (Prop., iii, 6, 26). It was 
 probably of brass or bronze and of the shape implied 
 by its name. 
 
 It is usually translated "magic wheel." Horace 
 (" Epod.," xvii, 7) refers to it as " turbinem," and it was 
 used for causing attraction. Thus it was used to draw 
 down the moon from the heavens (Prop., ii, 28, 35; 
 Martial, ix, 29, 9; xii, 57, 17). 
 
 It is supposed to have been the same as the Greek 
 juyj which was used for the same purposes (Theocritus, 
 "Idyl.," ii; Xen., " Mem.," iii, 11). A whirling object 
 draws threads or the like round itself as it whirls, hence 
 probably the idea that such an object possessed powers 
 of attraction. 
 
 (A) Wands do not appear to have been much used in Roman 
 magic; Circe is the only person mentioned as using one 
 (Verg., "Aen.," vii, 190, where her wand is described 
 as golden; Ovid, " Met.," xiv, 278). 
 
 (?) Chafing dishes, braziers, or cressetts, in which perfumed 
 woods were burned (H. G., "Medea," 352, and Verg., 
 "Aen.," vii, 13), partly for light and partly for the 
 smoke which gave a desired obscurity. 
 
 (/■) Lamps, probably burning perfumed oil, were used some- 
 times merely for light, at other times to furnish a point 
 of light reflected on the surface of water in a basin or 
 the like, at which anyone could gaze intently until he 
 mesmerized himself (Apul., "Apol.," 42). "As Os- 
 thanes relates, there are more kinds of it {i.e., magic). 
 For a female soothsayer foretells both by water and 
 
So OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 globes and air and stars and lamps and basins and axes 
 and many other ways besides the conversations of 
 ghosts and spirits from below" (Pliny, "N. H.,"xxx, 2). 
 (k) Water. " On the people of Tralles consulting the magic 
 art in an enquiry about the issue of the Mithridatic 
 war, a boy while contemplating the reflection of an 
 image of Mercury on some water chanted the things 
 which would come to pass in 160 lines of verse " (Apul., 
 " Apol.," 42). The water in this case would be used in 
 a basin or other vessel on account of its reflecting sur- 
 face. The waters of magic wells were similarly used, 
 and there the surface reflected what it was desired to 
 know or see. I don't know of any mention of magic 
 wells in Latin literature, though doubtless they existed 
 in Italy as they did in Greece (Pausanias) and the East 
 (Melito). 
 
 " Or which a ghost from the dead indicates in a vessel 
 fli/ed mth magic waters" (Prop., iv, i, 106). Probably 
 refers to water used as above described. 
 
 Water from Lake Avernus, real or pretended, was 
 used in magic rites on account of its deadly properties 
 (H. G., "Medea," 337, and Verg., "Aen.," iv, 512). 
 " Sagana having her gown tucked up and sprinkling the 
 waters of Avernus throughout the dwelling" (Hor., 
 " Epod.," V, 26). 
 
 Enchantresses were also in the habit of sprinkling 
 their victims with water. Diana (Ovid, " Met.," iii, 189) 
 and Proserpina (Ovid, " Met.," v, 544) do the same 
 previous to transforming those who had offended them. 
 
 For water as an enchanting agent, see also chap. V, ix. 
 (/) Mirrors were probably used in magic from their resem- 
 blance to the surface of water in magic wells, etc. 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 8r 
 
 " There was besides this folly in Julianus, that through 
 the magicians he avoided very many things by which 
 he had thought that the hatred of the people would be 
 softened down or the arms of the soldiers held in check. 
 For they both sacrificed certain victims not consistent 
 with Roman rites and chanted profane charms; and 
 those things which they say are done at the mirror, in 
 which blindfolded boys are said to see the future in a 
 charmed whirl, Julianus did. And then the boy is said 
 to have seen both the coming of Severus and the de- 
 cease of Julianus" ("Script. Hist. Aug. Did. Jul.," 7).; 
 These mirrors may have had designs drawn on them 
 which were invisible when the mirror was bright but 
 which came into view when it was breathed upon or 
 otherwise clouded with moisture. 
 (»;) Drawings, sometimes fanciful, sometimes copied from the 
 motions of the heavenlybodies (Aug., "Civ. Dei," x, 1 1). 
 
 "V. Arnobius ("Adv. Gentes," i, 43) gives a good sum- 
 mary of the purposes to which magic arts were applied. 
 These were: 
 
 (i) To know things impending beforehand. For examples 
 of this see Lucan, "^harsalia," vi, 430 to end; Amm. 
 Marcel., xxix, i, 29-32. This was usually done by the 
 ordinary methods of augury. Magic being as a rule only 
 resorted to in extraordinary cases. 
 
 (ii) To inflict a deadly and wasting disease on whom they 
 chose. This was accomplished by making an image of 
 wax which was supposed to represent the person to be 
 afflicted. "The images of wax she pierces too, and 
 into the wretched liver does she thrust the fine needles " 
 (Ov., " Her.," vi, 91). As the image melted away in the 
 r 
 
8z OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 warmth of the fire beside which it was placed, so the 
 person it represented was supposed to waste away, and 
 when a needle was thrust into the figure they were sup- 
 pyosed to feel pain in that part of their bodies corre- 
 sponding to the part of the figure pierced. Sometimes 
 two effigies were used, one of wool, which was prob- 
 ably black and represented the cloudy powers of the 
 Lower World, and the other of wax to represent the in- 
 dividual whom by means of the witch's incantations the 
 former was set to persecute. " There was also an effigy 
 of wool and another of wax,, the woollen one was the 
 larger, and was to crush the smaller one with punish- 
 ments. The waxen one was standing submissively as 
 one which was already about to perish by methods used 
 for slaves" (Hor., "Sat.," i, 8, 30). 
 
 The written name of the person answered the same 
 purpose as an image of him. The name was usually 
 written on a leaden tablet and, a nail having been driven 
 into it, it was buried in the ground. Numbers of these 
 leaden tablets have been found with names on them and 
 nails driven through them. This was called "defixio." A 
 waxen tablet might be used for the same purpose. "Does 
 my body languish devoted by a Thessalian drug? Does 
 charm and herb injure wretched me? Or has a witch 
 nailed down my name in Punic wax, or has she driven 
 the fine needles into the midst of my liver?" (Ov., 
 "Amores," iii, 7, 29). A person's footprints would 
 answer the same purpose as his name. Pliny (" N. H.," 
 xxviii, 6, 63) says that epilepsy may be thus nailed 
 down and a sufferer freed from it by driving a nail into 
 the spot of ground touched first by his head when he fell. 
 
 Tacit^is (" Ann.," ii, 69) gives an account of magic 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 83 
 
 arts used to compass the death of Germanicus: "And 
 certainly there were found hidden in the floor and in the 
 walls of his apartment disinterred remains of human 
 bodies, incantations and spells, and the name of Ger- 
 manicus inscribed on leaden tablets, half-burnt cinders 
 smeared with blood, and other horrors by which in 
 popular beUef souls are devoted to the gods below." 
 
 (iii) To sever the affections of relatives or lovers. " What 
 wise woman, what wizard, what god will be able to free 
 thee with Thessalian drugs?" (Hor., " Od.," i, 27, 21). 
 " This same witch actually told me that she could dis- 
 solve my love by incantations or herbs " (Tib., i, 2, 59). 
 An example where it failed is given here: 
 
 " Mopsus: What does it benefit me that the mother 
 of the rustic Amyntas has purified me thrice with filletts, 
 thrice with a sacred bough, thrice with the vapour of 
 frankincense, burning the crackling laurels with live 
 sulphur and pours the ashes out into the stream with 
 averted face, when thus wretched I am every way in- 
 flamed for Meroe. 
 
 " Lycidas : These same things, the many-coloured 
 thread also hceoe been done for me, and Mycale has 
 carried round me a thousand unknown herbs. She has 
 chanted the charm by which the moon swells, by which 
 the snake is burst, by which the rocks run and standing 
 corn removes and the tree is plucked up. Lo! my 
 handsome JoUas is nevertheless more, is more to me " 
 (Nemesianus, " Buc," iv, 62). 
 
 (iv) To open without keys places which are locked. Cf. 
 Pliny, "N. H.," xxvi, 4, quoted chap, iv, A. Also 
 Apul., "Met.," i, II and 12; Aug., "Civ. Dei," x, 11. 
 
 (v) To seal up anyone's lips. " He suddenly,forgot every- 
 
84 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 thing he intended to say and was wont to declare that 
 this had been caused by the magic drugs and enchant- 
 ments of Titinia " (Cic, " Brutus," 60). Ovid (" Fasti," 
 ii, 573) relates the ceremony used thus: "Behold! an 
 old woman full of years sitting in the midst of the girls 
 performs the rites of Tacita (the silent one): she is 
 hardly silent herself, however. With three fingers she 
 places three pieces of frankincense under the threshold 
 where the tiny mouse has made a hidden way for itself. 
 Then she holds the charmed threads with melted lead 
 (or, according to another reading, with a brown rhom- 
 bus) and turns in her mouth seven black beans, and 
 she burns on a fire the sewed-up head of a herring which 
 she had fastened up with pitch as well and which she 
 had pierced with a brazen needle. Wine also she drops 
 on it : whatever is left of the wine either she herself or 
 her companions drink, she herself the larger part how- 
 ever. ' We have bound up hostile tongues and enemy 
 mouths,' she says, departing." 
 
 (vi) To weaken, urge on, or retard horses in a chariot race. 
 See Jerome's " Life of Hilarion," and Amm. Marcell., 
 xxvi, 3. 
 
 (vii) To inspire wives or husbands with love for one another 
 or others. This was accomplished by various charms, 
 or by love potions, or both combined. Verg., " Eel.," 
 viii, 64-109; Hor., "Epod.,"v; Apul., "Met.,"ix, 29, 
 are all instances where magic is used to try to recover 
 love which has been lost. 
 
 Whether used alone or along with incantations, love 1 
 potions or philtres were in great request among the 
 ancient Romans, and references to them are very nu- 
 merous.,, Serious results often followed their administra- 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC S5 
 
 tion. Pliny (" N. H.," xxv, 3) says that LucuUiis lost 
 his life through taking a love potion. According to the 
 Eusebian Chronicle the poet Lucretius was driven mad 
 by such a potion and committed suicide. Caligula was 
 said to have been driven mad by a love potion admin- 
 istered to him by Caesonia (Suet., " Calig.," 50), and 
 Juvenal (vi, 615) says that she infused the whole fore- 
 head of a new-born foal in the potion that she gave 
 him. 
 
 To the foregoing headings of Arnobius may be added: 
 
 (viii) To enable men or women to have children. Thus 
 Medea undertakes to enable Aegeus to have offspring 
 by her (Eurip., "Med."; Plutarch, "Theseus"). 
 
 (ix) To cause either themselves or others to be transformed 
 into the shape of animals. The celebrated Circe thus 
 transformed the companions of Ulysses into wild beasts 
 (Hyg., "Fab.," 125), or into swine according to others 
 (Ov., " Met.," xiv, 249-286). She kept a kind of men- 
 agerie of men transformed into animals (Verg., " Aen.," 
 vii, 15-20). She also transformed the lower part of 
 Scylla, a lovely nymph, into monsters (Ov., "Met.," 
 xiv, 8-67) and Picus into a woodpecker because he 
 rejected her advances (Ov., "Met.," xiv, 320-396). 
 William of Malmesbury (ii, 10) tells a story of two 
 witches at Rome who thus transformed people into 
 various useful animals and then sold them. 
 
 Witches were wont to transform themselves into owls 
 to carry on their nefarious practices by night (Apul., 
 "Met.,"iii, 23; Ovid, " Amores," i, 8, 13, 14; "Fasti," 
 vi, 142). Apuleius, in the place cited, describes how 
 the metamorphosis was effected. Men sometimes be- 
 
86 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 came owls, " There is a rumour that there are men in 
 Hyperborean Pallene who are accustomed to have their 
 bodies clothed with light feathers when they have dipped 
 nine times in the Tritonian Lake (I don't indeed be- 
 lieve it), the Scythian women also having sprinkled 
 their limbs with poison are related to exercise the same 
 arts" (Ov., "Met.," XV, 356)- 
 
 Wizards (witches also according to Prop., iv, 5, 14) 
 were wont to transform themselves into werwolves 
 (Verg., " Eel.," viii, 97, and compare Ov., " Met.," vii, 
 271). Pliny ("N. H.," viii, 22) and Petronius Arbiter 
 (61 and 62) give stories of werwolves in which water is 
 ' the enchanting agent, not herbs. 
 
 The place cited in Pliny reads thus : " One of the 
 stock of a certain Anthius chosen by ballot of the 
 family is led to a certain pool of this region and having 
 hung his clothing on an oak tree swims across it and 
 goes away into the wilderness and is transformed into a 
 wolf and companies with the rest of his kind for nine 
 years. If during this time he has kept himself from 
 man he returns to the same pool and when he has swum 
 across it recovers his shape, with the decay of nine 
 years added to his former appearance, also (this is more 
 fabulous) he takes again the same clothing." 
 
 The story of Niceros from the place cited in Petronius 
 Arbiter is as follows : " When I was still a slave we 
 lived in a narrow street, the house is now Gavilla's. 
 There, as the gods will it, I began to make love to the 
 wife of Terentius the innkeeper: you knew Melissa the 
 Tarentine, a very lovely, round, and frisky thing. But, 
 by Hercules, I did not care for her in a carnal way or 
 on account of sexual intercoursCi but rather because she 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 87 
 
 was so good-natured. If I asked her for anything it was 
 never refused me; did she make a penny, I had half of 
 it; whatever I had I deposited in her lap, nor was I 
 ever defrauded. Her mate died at his owner's country 
 seat. And so I schemed and double-schemed how I 
 might get to her by hook or by crook. But you know 
 in tight corners friends appear. My master happened 
 to have gone away to Capua to procure some elegant 
 trash. I seized the opportunity and persuaded a guest 
 of ours to go with me to the fifth milestone. For he 
 was a soldier and as brave as Hell. We trotted off 
 about cockcrow, the moon was shining as bright as noon- 
 day. We came among the tombs beside the road: my 
 man begins to make his way to the pillars. I sit down 
 singing and count the pillars. Thereafter, as I looked 
 back at my companion, he had stripped himself and 
 laid all his clothes l)eside the road. My heart was in 
 my mouth and I stood as though dead. But he made 
 water all round his clothes and suddenly became a wolf. 
 Don't think I'm joking, I don't count anyone's fortune 
 great enough to induce me to lie about it. But, as I 
 was saying, after he became a wolf he began to howl, 
 and fled into the woods. At first I didn't know where 
 I was, then I went up to take his clothes but they were 
 turned into stone. If I wasn't ready to die for fear no 
 one ever was. Nevertheless, I drew my sword and 
 slashed at the shadows all along the road until I arrived 
 at my mistress's country house. I went in like a ghost 
 and nearly gasped out my last breath, the sweat was 
 running down my legs, my eyes were dead, and with 
 difficulty was I got round at all. My Melissa begins to 
 wonder that I should be walking so late and said, ' If 
 
88 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 you had come before you would at all events have 
 helped us, for a wolf got into the farm and worried all 
 the sheep. He let blood for them just like a butcher. 
 All the same he didn't make game of us, even if he fled, 
 for our slave thrust his neck through with a pike.' 
 When I heard this I couldn't shut my eyes any more, 
 but when it had got properly light I ran off to our 
 Gaius's house as though I were a plundered innkeeper, 
 and when I came to that place where the clothes had 
 become stone I found nothing but blood, but when I 
 reached home my soldier was lying in bed like an ox, 
 and a surgeon was attending to his neck. I compre- 
 hended that he was a werwolf and I could never take a 
 meal with him afterwards, not if it were to save my life.'' 
 The crossing of the water in these cases is akin to the 
 sprinkling with water when the transformation of some- 
 one else was to be effected. (Cf. Ov., " Met.," iii, 189 
 and 190.) 
 (x) To find things which had been lost. " When Fabius had 
 lost 500 denars he came to consult Nigidius, and boys 
 inspired by him by a charm pointed out the place in 
 which the purse had been buried along with part of 
 those coins, and told that the rest had been distributed, 
 and that even Marcus Cato the philosopher had one 
 denar, which Cato confessed that he had received from 
 his attendant" (Apul., " Apol.," 42). 
 
 They also believed magic could arrest runaway slaves 
 and find escaped cattle. Pliny (" N. H.,'' xxviii, 2, 13) 
 says : " We believe our Vestals to-day to be able by an 
 invocation to pin fugitive slaves to the spot, provided 
 the}) have not yet gone out of the city." There is another 
 old charm: "For runaway [horses?] the owner shall 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 89 
 
 write on a paper with his left hand or the lady with hers 
 the name of the runaway, otherwise thou shalt write 
 behind the door: 'irrifa epona nupsit illegy' " (Richotta's 
 "Anec. Lat."). 
 
 (xi) To raise or allay winds, tempests, or bad weather. 
 "Does she herself now remove these winds from us 
 with magic chant and smoothe the steep seas with dread- 
 ful tongue?" (Val. Flacc, viii, 351; also H. G., 
 " Med.," 224). " When she pleases she drives the clouds 
 from the gloomy sky, when she pleases she calls down 
 snows in the heat of summer" (Tib., i, 2, 49-50; Ov., 
 "Am.,"i, 8, 9-10). 
 
 (xii) To draw away the fruits of another's land (Tib., i, 8, 
 19; also Verg., " Eel.," viii, 99, and Servius in he, who 
 says that it was provided by the XII Tables, "neve 
 alienam segetem pellexeris "). Pliny (" N. H.," xviii, 6, 
 8) relates the following anecdote from Piso concerning 
 this: "C. Furius Cressimus, a man freed from slavery, 
 having obtained much larger crops on his quite small 
 piece of land than his neighbours had from their very 
 large ones, was regarded with great ill-will as though he 
 had drawn away other people's crops by sorcery. Where- 
 fore, fearing lest he should be condemned on the day 
 appointed by Spurius Albinus the curule aedile, when 
 the case would have to be decided by the vote of the 
 tribes, he brought all his agricultural implements into 
 the Forum, and also brought his strong, well fed, and 
 well dressed household, excellently made iron tools, 
 heavy mattocks, ponderous ploughshares, and well fed 
 oxen. Afterwards he said, ' These, fellow citizens, are 
 my sorceries, but I am neither able to show you nor to 
 bring into the forum my night-work and watches and 
 
90 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 the sweatings of my brow.' And so he was unanimously 
 acquitted." 
 
 Another way of injuring their neighbour, but without 
 benefiting themselves, was to afflict his crops and trees 
 with blight or to bewitch his cattle (Verg., " Eel.," iii, 
 103; Veg. Vet., vii, 73). 
 
 This was generally thought to be effected by the 
 "evil eye" or tongue (cf. Pliny, "N. H.," vii, 2, 2); 
 otherwise it was caused by the malign aspect of some 
 planet (sideratio), cf. Pliny, xvii, 24. 
 
 Lactantius Placidus (on Stat., "Theb.," ii, 274) says 
 that when the three envious brothers Telchines saw the 
 fields of their neighbours smiling and fruitful they 
 sprinkled them with Stygian waters to render them un- 
 productive. Strabo (xiv, 7) confirms this, saying that 
 they were charmers and enchanters who besprinkled 
 plants and animals with water of t^e Styx mingled with 
 sulphur in order to destroy them. Ovid, however 
 ("Met.," vii, 365), says it was their eyes and aspect 
 which worked the destruction. 
 
 VI. Magic and medicine were largely mixed up by the 
 old Romans (Pliny, " N. H.," xxviii, 2). In fact, there was 
 very little medicine without some magic. 
 
 Medea renews the youth of Aeson, Jason's father, by an 
 enchanted brew (H. G., " Med.," 257 and fully; Ov.," Met.," 
 vii, 159-296), and also makes an old ram young again 
 by the same means. Then, by persuading the daughters of 
 Pelias to imitate her, she gets them to kill their father in their 
 attempt to do the same as she had done. It is to be noted 
 that Old Age was one of the Children of Night, and they 
 looked upon Fever and other diseases as being either demons 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 91 
 
 themselves or caused by demons (Pliny, "N. H.," ii, 7, 15). 
 Compare " the sacred disease," i.e., epilepsy. 
 
 Most of the medical magic was of a simple kind and con- 
 sisted of applications of various sorts accompanied by the 
 recitation of a charm and the performance of a prescribed 
 ritual. 
 
 (a) The "principle of some charms is that the disease or 
 demon of it is advised to flee the patient as a more 
 powerful demon is after him. One such charm is given 
 by Pliny ("N. H.," xxvii, 11, 100), "a common stone 
 near rivers bears a dry hoary moss, this is rubbed by 
 another stone with human saliva added, the impetigo is 
 touched by that stone, and he who touches it says: 
 ^ivySTE KavQapilriQ\vKOQ aypiot aifia {v/^f) SiioKei (Flee, 
 
 Cantharides, a wild wolf pursueth you)." " This remedy 
 is an efficacious one for styes. You take nine grains of 
 barley and prick the stye with their points in turn and 
 say this charm at each puncture: $£«■/£ ^evye Kpeiwv 
 (KptiTTav?) <7£ SiioKti (Flcc, flce, 3. better one is after thee) " 
 (Marc. Emp., viii, 193). This kind of charm was com- 
 mon as an inscription on amulets. " For a pain of the 
 uvula thou shalt write on a paper and suspend it by a 
 thread from the neck of the sufferer: An ant has no 
 blood nor bile, flee, uvula, lest a crab eat thee " (Marc. 
 Emp., xiv, 67). 
 (b) Other charms aimed at transferring the disease to some- 
 one else, or to an animal who was to act as a scapegoat 
 (Pliny, " N. H.," xxviii, 7, 86). 
 
 " You will ease toothache when, standing with your 
 shoes on under the open sky upon the hving earth, you 
 seize the head of a frog and open its mouth and spit 
 
92 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 into it, and ask him to take away the toothache with 
 him, and then let him go alive. This you must do in a 
 good day and in a good hour " (Marc. Emp., xii, 24). 
 Other examples are to be found Marc. Emp., xxii, 41; 
 xxix, 35. 
 
 (c) Other charms were on the principle that as one thing is 
 
 done so may another be. There is an 
 
 example of this, Marc. Emp., x, 34: Sicucuma 
 
 «n-, , , .' . , *^ . 7 licucuma] 
 
 " Thou shalt write this charm on virgin "- j-ucui^jj 
 
 paper and tie it with linen thread and ucuma 
 
 bind it about the middle of him or her cuma 
 
 who is suffering from a flux of blood ^'^^ 
 
 from any part of the body: as the 
 word gets shorter so should the flow 
 of blood get less and less. 
 
 Another example of the same kind is found, Serenus 
 Sammon, 935. He uses the word abracadabra. 
 
 (d) Other charms were on the principle that as what I men- 
 tion cannot be done, neither may the disease be able to 
 work its will on the pa,tient. " A charm for colic either 
 of men or of various animals is performed in this way. 
 Thou shalt place thy hand against the belly of the suf- 
 ferer and say these words thrice nine times, ' A stupid 
 fell from heaven, shepherds found this disease, they 
 gathered it without hands, they cooked it without fire, 
 they ate it without teeth'" (Marc. Emp., xxviii, 16). 
 " Three maidens were holding a marble table placed in 
 the midst of the sea ; two were twirling it one way, the 
 other was twirling it back. Inasmuch as this has never 
 been done so may that So-and-so never know the pain 
 of colic" (Marc. Emp., xxi, 3). Again (viii, 91): "If a 
 stye has been produced in the right eye, looking towai-ds 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 93 
 
 the East beneath the open sky thou shalt hold the stye 
 with three fingers of the left hand and say, As a mule 
 bears no foal nor a stone wool, so may this disease not 
 come to a head or if it has done so let it waste away." 
 
 (e) Other charms were simple wishes that the disease would 
 
 depart. " TAere is a wonderful cure for swollen glands 
 in this way: White little swollen gland, mayest thou 
 neither grieve nor injure nor form abscesses, but melt 
 away as salt in water" (Marc. Emp., xv, loi). Saserna's 
 charm for gout : "O earth, keep thou the pain and health 
 with me remain in my feet." He bids one sing this 
 thrice nine times, touch the earth, spit downwards and 
 sing it fasting (Varro, "R. R.," i, 2, 27). "An idiotic 
 charm which is said to relieve gout is performed thus : 
 Spit on your hands before you touch the earth in getting 
 out of bed in the morning, and you draw your hands 
 from above your ankles and feet to the ends of your 
 toes and say,- ' Flee, flee, gout and every pain of the 
 nerves from my feet and all my members.' Or if you 
 are charming another's /a/« you say, 'From the feet and 
 members of that man whom she' bore.' ' Poison is con- 
 quered by poison, fasting saliva cannot be conquered.' 
 You say this three times and spit at each of your feet 
 or his feet who is to be cured" (Marc. Emp., xxxvi, 70). 
 
 (f) Other charms contain little stories in some cases abbre- 
 
 viated from or hinting at longer legends. Compare (</). 
 Marc. Emp., xxviii, 74: "A charm for colic either of 
 men or cattle is performed ^ms: rubbing the belly with 
 the left thumb and the two little fingers you say, 'A 
 tree was standing in the midst of the sea, from it a 
 
 ' When the charm was said the name of the man's mother was sub- 
 stituted for this "she." 
 
94 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 bucket full of human intestines was hanging, three 
 maidens were going round it, two were binding, one 
 was loosening.' You say this three times and three 
 times in corresponding way having touched the ground 
 you spit. If you are charming cattle you say, 'Of 
 mules or horses or asses' intestines.' " 
 
 The following is from a tenth century manuscript for 
 haemorrhage. 
 
 A foolish woman was sitting upon a fountain, 
 
 And was holding a foolish infant in her bosom. 
 
 Let the hills be dry, let the vales be dry, 
 
 Let the veins be dry, even those which are filled with blood. 
 
 If the foolish woman sits on the fountain she prevents 
 the fluid escaping to the hills and vales. If "on a 
 mountain " be read, the foolish woman is to be under- 
 stood of a cloud which does not produce rain, but stops 
 as a cloud at the top of the mountain, and thus makes 
 the hills and vales dry. 
 {g) Other charms, being unintelligible, cannot be put under 
 any of these classes. Such are Cato's charm for dis- 
 locations ("de Re Rustica," i6o): " If there is a dis- 
 location anywhere, let it be made whole by this charm. 
 Take a green reed four or five feet long and split it 
 down the middle and let two men hold it to the hips. 
 Begin to say the charm, ' Motas vaeta daries dardares 
 astataries dissunapiter,' until they go together. [In an- 
 other copy it is thus put, ' Moetas vaeta daries dar- 
 daries asiadarides una piter,' until they go together.] 
 Hereupon you must throw away the knife. When they 
 have come together and the one touches the other, lay 
 hold of it with the hand and cut it into a right and left 
 hand portion. Bind it to the dislocation or fracture and it 
 
OLD ROMAN MAGIC 95 
 
 will be made whole. The dislocation being nevertheless 
 charmed daily. Or in this manner: 'huat haut haut 
 istasis tarsis ardannabou dannaustra.' [In another 
 copy it is thus put, 'The dislocation ... or in 
 this manner " huat hauat huat ista pista sista dannabo 
 . dannaustra." '] " 
 
 Marc. Emp,, x, 55. "A charm for bleeding, from 
 whatever part of the body it may come. Thou shalt 
 touch the place from which it flows with the medicinal 
 finger and say twenty-seven times and repeat as many 
 times more as may be required, ' Socnon, socnon,' until 
 thou stoppest the flow; it is wonderfully efficacious." 
 
 It is quite likely it would be. Suppose you have 
 bleeding from a ruptured varicose vein in the leg and 
 keep up pressure on the spot with the finger the bleeding 
 will certainly be ultimately arrested without any charm. 
 
 Marc. Emp., xxi, 8. " For palpitation or pain at 
 the heart this is a wonderful remedy that you are to 
 
 write on a plate of tin, KapvavKa KapvavKuy KapvavKoiv 
 
 and smoke the amulet in storax and suspend it from the 
 neck by a thread; you will be astounded how it will 
 benefit.'' 
 
 The cold metallic lamina against the bare skin would 
 probably set up reflex action and help to get rid of the 
 flatulence which was causing the trouble, irrespective of 
 the charm on it. 
 
 Marc. Emp., xxviii, 72. "A very useful charm for 
 spasm of the belly. You are to press the thumb of your 
 left hand upon the belly and say, ' Adam bedam alam 
 betur alam botum.' When you have said this nine times 
 you are to touch the earth with the same thumb and 
 spit, and you say it again nine times and again a third 
 
96 OLD ROMAN MAGIC 
 
 nine times, and at each ninth time you touch the earth 
 and spit." 
 
 Outside pressure and friction are things which always 
 ease flatulent colic without charms. 
 
 Marc. Emp., viii, 193. " This is an efficacious remedy 
 for styes . . . touching the stye with the medicinal 
 finger, thou shalt say thrice, 'Vigaria gasaria,' and cau- 
 terise the stye with a burning hot grain of barley or stalk 
 of hay or straw." 
 
 Mostof the medical charms were connected withherbs, 
 and as a general rule the person on whose behalf a charm 
 was said, or a herb pulled up, had to be named, and some- 
 times his mother's name and the disease given as well. 
 
 " When this root (nettle) is pulled up and it is said 
 for whom and whose son it is taken they say that it frees 
 him from the disease" (Plin., " N. H.," xxii, 38). The 
 pulling up had to be done with the left hand. 
 
 Menstruating women had the same effect on diseases 
 as on grubs and plants. 
 
 " Painful or swollen groins are believed to be healed 
 immediately if they are touched by menstruating women " 
 (Marc. Emp., xxxii, 46). 
 
 The same spitting took place to fortify the charms, 
 and number played a like important part. 
 
 Written charms or amulets were more freely used and 
 many of these are still in existence. 
 
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