Poetic Adventures in ChatGPT 3 Translation

I've been testing how ChatGPT handles ancient Greek translation. Here's one attempt. I prompted it to translate a pharmacological poem written in imabic verse by Damocrates and containing a recipe for a plaster.

The text is from Galen’s Compound Drugs According to Kind (De compositione medicamentorum per genera), Book 5, Chapter 10.

The conversation is presented here unedited but abridged in places.

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User. translate

ChatGPT. Certainly! I can help you with translation. Please provide me with the text you would like to translate and let me know the target language you want it translated to.

User.

 Τῶν περιβοήτων δ' ἐστὶν ἐμπλάστρων μία,
 Μόνη τ' ἔχουσα Κρητικὸν τὸ καλούμενον
13.821.5
 Δίκταμνον, ἰᾶται δὲ τὰς τῶν ἑρπετῶν,
 Ἰοβόλων πληγάς τε καὶ τὰ δήγματα
 Πάντων τετραπόδων, κᾂν λελυσσήκῃ τινὰ,
 Τετυλωμένα θ' ἕλκη, τάς τε τῶν νεύρων φθοράς.
 Μυῶν τε καὶ τῶν ὀστέοις ἐπικειμένων
13.821.10
 Χόνδρων, ἐχόντων διὰ βάθους ἤδη φθοράν.
 Τά τε περὶ μαστοὺς καὶ τράχηλον καὶ ῥάχιν
 Ἕλκη θεραπεύει, κᾂν χρόνους πολλοὺς ἔχῃ·
 Καὶ πάνθ' ὅσ' εἶπον τὴν καλουμένην ποιεῖν
 Αἰγυπτίαν ἔμπλαστρον ἔμπροσθεν βραχύ.
13.821.15
 Ταύτην ἀγαθὴν σφόδρ' οὖσαν ἔνιοι καὶ μόνην
 Δοκοῦσι πασῶν τῶν καλῶν βελτίονα,
 Πολλῶν διὰ πείρας οὐκ ἔχοντες φαρμάκων.
 Ἔχει δὲ λιθάργυρον δὶς ἑκατὸν δραχμὰς, 
13.822.1
 Λίτρας δ' ἐλαίου τοῦ παλαιοῦ τέταρτον.
 Τινὲς δὲ κοτύλης φασὶ μᾶλλον τέταρτον.
 Δὶς δ' εἴκοσι πέντε Ποντικοῦ κηροῦ δραχμὰς,
 Κολοφωνίας δὲ τῆς καλῆς, κηροῦ διπλοῦν,
13.822.5
 Τινὲς δὲ μᾶλλον, ταὐτὸ τῆς τερμινθίνης.
 Ἰοῦ δὲ χαλκοῦ καὶ ἀλόης Ἰνδικῆς,
 Χαλκοῦ τε κεκαυμένου καὶ διφρυγοῦς καλοῦ
 Ἑκκαίδεχ' ἥμισυ ἐξ ἑκάστου μίγματος,
 Εἴκοσι δραχμὰς δὲ χαλβάνης καὶ δʹ.
13.822.10
 Μάννης, λιβάνου τε τὰς ἴσας δὶς ιβʹ.
 Ἀμμωνιακοῦ δὶς εʹ. καὶ δὶς κʹ.
 Ἑκκαίδεκα δραχμὰς προπόλεως τῆς Ἀττικῆς,
 Ἀριστολοχίας τῆς μακρᾶς δὶς ιʹ. δραχμὰς
 Δὶς στʹ. λεπίδος, τοῦ Κυπρίου χαλκοῦ δραχμὰς
13.822.15
 Καὶ γεντιανῆς ξηροτάτης ῥίζης ἴσον.
 Τούτοις προσαπόδος πᾶσι δικτάμνου πόας
 Ξηρᾶς ἐχούσης ἄνθος ὁλκὰς κʹ.
 Λείας. λιθάργυρον δὲ μετ' ἐλαίου βαλὼν, 
13.823.1
 Εἰς λοπάδα καινὴν κεραμίαν πλατύστομον,
 Ἕψε πυρὶ κούφῳ καὶ μαλακῷ, κινῶν σπάθῃ
 Ἕως γένηται μέλιτος Ἀττικοῦ πάχος.
 Ἴσον δὲ καὶ τῆς λεπίδος προσβαλὼν πάλιν
13.823.5
 Ἕψε λαβρότερον, εἶτα κιῤῥοῦ γενομένου
 Τοῦ φαρμάκου, πρόσβαλε χαλκὸν καὶ διφρυγὲς,
 Ποιῶν τ' ἀμόλυντον καὶ πεπηγὸς φάρμακον
 Πρόσβαλλε κηρὸν τήν τε ῥητίνην ἅμα.
 Ὧν συντακέντων, ὅταν ἴδῃς κεκραμένην
13.823.10
 Ἔμπλαστρον, αἴρεις τὴν χύτραν ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς
 Καὶ προσβαλὼν προπόλεώς τε καὶ χαλβάνην,
 Ἀμμωνιακὸν, μάνναν τε καὶ ἀλόην, τότε
 Ψύξας τὸ πυρῶδες καὶ ζέον τοῦ φαρμάκου,
 Ἀριστολοχίαν λειοτάτην προσεμπάσεις
13.823.15
 Καὶ γεντιανὴν, τήν τε δίκταμνον πόαν
 Καὶ προσανακόψας τῇ σπάθῃ τὸ φάρμακον
 Χερσὶ καὶ μαγδαλιὰς ποιῶν, ἔχε,
 Εἰς ἃς προεῖπον χρώμενος περιστάσεις. 
13.824.1
 [Περὶ τροχίσκων Ἀσκληπιάδου.

ChatGPT. The provided text appears to be in ancient Greek. Here's a translation into English:

"And among the famous plasters, there is one,
The only one called Cretan,
It heals the wounds of reptiles,
And the bites of vipers
And all four-legged creatures,
Even if someone is affected by rabies,
And it relieves swellings and damages to the nerves.
And it treats the muscles and those attached to the bones,
The cartilages that have already suffered deep damage.
And it heals ulcers around the breasts, neck, and spine,
Even if they have persisted for a long time.
And it does all that I mentioned
In a short time, being the so-called Egyptian plaster.
Some consider it to be exceedingly good and superior
To all other good remedies,
Not having experienced many other drugs.
It costs two hundred drachmas of silver,
And a quarter of a liter of old oil.
Some say it is a little less than a kotyle.
And it costs twenty-five drachmas of Pontic wax,
And twice the value of good Colophonian wax,
Some even say it is the same as turpentine.
And with Indian copper and aloe,
And burnt copper and good tripod,
One part of each mixture,
And twenty drachmas of chalbanum.
And twice twelve librae of frankincense,
And twice two hundred drachmas of ammoniacum.
And sixteen drachmas of Attic propolis,
And twice ten drachmas of long Aristolochia,
And twice fifty lepta of lead,
And an equal amount of Cyprian copper,
And an equal amount of dried gentian root.
To these, for every two drachmas,
Add eight dry leaves of Dictamnus,
Smoothed with silver. And after adding oil to it,
Apply it to a new wide-mouthed clay pot,
And heat it with a gentle and soft fire,
Stirring it with a sword
Until it becomes the consistency of Attic honey.
And after that, add it again to the blade,
And stir it more forcefully,
Then apply it to copper and tripod,
Making a smooth and well-blended remedy,
Add wax and resin at the same time.
When you have prepared these things,
And when you see that the plaster has solidified,
Remove the pot from the fire,
And after adding Attic propolis and chalbanum,
Ammoniacum, frankincense, and aloe,
Cool the fiery and boiling mixture,
And add the finest Aristolochia,
And gentian, and after cutting the remedy with the sword,
With your hands and almond tree,
You will have what I previously mentioned,
Using it according to the appropriate circumstances."

Please note that the translation may not capture the exact nuances of the original text, as ancient Greek can be complex and context-dependent.

 User. translated again, assume λιθάργυρον is "litharge" and δραχμὰς refer to the unit of weight "drachma" not the currency

ChatGPT. Certainly! Here's the revised translation, taking into account the terms "litharge" for "λιθάργυρον" and "drachma" for "δραχμὰς" as a unit of weight:

"And among the renowned plasters, there is one,
The only one called Cretan,
It heals the wounds of reptiles,
And the bites of vipers,
And the injuries of all quadrupeds,
Even if someone is afflicted by rabies,
And it alleviates swellings and nerve damage.
It treats muscles and those attached to the bones,
The cartilages that have already suffered profound damage.
It also heals ulcers around the breasts, neck, and spine,
Even if they have persisted for a long time.
And it accomplishes all these things
With what is known as Egyptian litharge in a short time.
Some consider it to be extremely good and superior
To all other beneficial remedies,
Not having the experience of many other drugs.
It requires two hundred drachmas of litharge,
And a quarter of a liter of old oil.
Some say it is a little less than a kotyle in weight.
And it costs twenty-five drachmas of Pontic wax,
And twice the value of good Colophonian wax,
Some even say it is equivalent to turpentine.
And with Indian copper and Indian aloe,
And burnt copper and a good tripod,
One part of each mixture,
And twenty drachmas of chalcanthum (chalbanum).
And twice twelve librae (pounds) of frankincense,
And twice two hundred drachmas (units of weight) of ammoniacum.
And sixteen drachmas (units of weight) of Attic propolis,
And twice ten drachmas (units of weight) of long Aristolochia,
And twice fifty lepta (units of currency) of lead,
And an equal amount of Cyprian copper,
And an equal amount of dried gentian root.
For these, for every two drachmas (units of weight),
Add eight dry leaves of Dictamnus,
Smoothed with silver. And after adding oil to it,
Apply it to a new wide-mouthed clay pot,
And heat it with a gentle and soft fire,
Stirring it with a sword,
Until it becomes the consistency of Attic honey.
And after that, add it again to the blade,
And stir it more forcefully,
Then apply it to copper and tripod,
Creating a smooth and well-blended remedy,
Add wax and resin at the same time.
When you have prepared these things,
And when you see that the plaster has solidified,
Remove the pot from the fire,
And after adding Attic propolis and chalcanthum (chalbanum),
Ammoniacum, frankincense, and aloe,
Cool the fiery and boiling mixture,
And add the finest Aristolochia,
And gentian, and after cutting the remedy with the sword,
With your hands and almond tree,
You will have what I previously mentioned,
Using it according to the appropriate circumstances."

Please note that the translation may still vary based on different interpretations of the text, and the terminology used for certain substances or measures may differ in specific contexts.

[At this point, I pasted the passage again with more context included at the beginning and asked it to retranslate]

User.

[Ἡ διὰ δικτάμνου ὡς Δαμοκράτης.]
13.820.15
Εἴρηταί μοι πολλάκις ὡς οὐ μόνον εἰς μνήμην αἱ ἔμμετροι
γραφαὶ χρησιμώτεροι τῶν πεζῇ γεγραμμένων εἰσὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ
εἰς τὴν τῆς συμμετρίας τῶν μιγνυμένων ἀκρίβειαν. διὰ τοῦτ'
13.821.1
οὖν καὶ νῦν τὴν διὰ δικτάμνου προσέγραψε συμμετρίαν
ἀκριβῆ διασώζουσαν ἐν τῇ Δαμοκράτου γραφῇ.
Τῶν περιβοήτων δ' ἐστὶν ἐμπλάστρων μία,
Μόνη τ' ἔχουσα Κρητικὸν τὸ καλούμενον
13.821.5
Δίκταμνον, ἰᾶται δὲ τὰς τῶν ἑρπετῶν,
Ἰοβόλων πληγάς τε καὶ τὰ δήγματα
Πάντων τετραπόδων, κᾂν λελυσσήκῃ τινὰ,
Τετυλωμένα θ' ἕλκη, τάς τε τῶν νεύρων φθοράς.
Μυῶν τε καὶ τῶν ὀστέοις ἐπικειμένων
13.821.10
Χόνδρων, ἐχόντων διὰ βάθους ἤδη φθοράν.
Τά τε περὶ μαστοὺς καὶ τράχηλον καὶ ῥάχιν
Ἕλκη θεραπεύει, κᾂν χρόνους πολλοὺς ἔχῃ·
Καὶ πάνθ' ὅσ' εἶπον τὴν καλουμένην ποιεῖν
Αἰγυπτίαν ἔμπλαστρον ἔμπροσθεν βραχύ.
13.821.15
Ταύτην ἀγαθὴν σφόδρ' οὖσαν ἔνιοι καὶ μόνην
Δοκοῦσι πασῶν τῶν καλῶν βελτίονα,
Πολλῶν διὰ πείρας οὐκ ἔχοντες φαρμάκων.
Ἔχει δὲ λιθάργυρον δὶς ἑκατὸν δραχμὰς,
13.822.1
Λίτρας δ' ἐλαίου τοῦ παλαιοῦ τέταρτον.
Τινὲς δὲ κοτύλης φασὶ μᾶλλον τέταρτον.
Δὶς δ' εἴκοσι πέντε Ποντικοῦ κηροῦ δραχμὰς,
Κολοφωνίας δὲ τῆς καλῆς, κηροῦ διπλοῦν,
13.822.5
Τινὲς δὲ μᾶλλον, ταὐτὸ τῆς τερμινθίνης.
Ἰοῦ δὲ χαλκοῦ καὶ ἀλόης Ἰνδικῆς,
Χαλκοῦ τε κεκαυμένου καὶ διφρυγοῦς καλοῦ
Ἑκκαίδεχ' ἥμισυ ἐξ ἑκάστου μίγματος,
Εἴκοσι δραχμὰς δὲ χαλβάνης καὶ δʹ.
13.822.10
Μάννης, λιβάνου τε τὰς ἴσας δὶς ιβʹ.
Ἀμμωνιακοῦ δὶς εʹ. καὶ δὶς κʹ.
Ἑκκαίδεκα δραχμὰς προπόλεως τῆς Ἀττικῆς,
Ἀριστολοχίας τῆς μακρᾶς δὶς ιʹ. δραχμὰς
Δὶς στʹ. λεπίδος, τοῦ Κυπρίου χαλκοῦ δραχμὰς
13.822.15
Καὶ γεντιανῆς ξηροτάτης ῥίζης ἴσον.
Τούτοις προσαπόδος πᾶσι δικτάμνου πόας
Ξηρᾶς ἐχούσης ἄνθος ὁλκὰς κʹ.
Λείας. λιθάργυρον δὲ μετ' ἐλαίου βαλὼν,
13.823.1
Εἰς λοπάδα καινὴν κεραμίαν πλατύστομον,
Ἕψε πυρὶ κούφῳ καὶ μαλακῷ, κινῶν σπάθῃ
Ἕως γένηται μέλιτος Ἀττικοῦ πάχος.
Ἴσον δὲ καὶ τῆς λεπίδος προσβαλὼν πάλιν
13.823.5
Ἕψε λαβρότερον, εἶτα κιῤῥοῦ γενομένου
Τοῦ φαρμάκου, πρόσβαλε χαλκὸν καὶ διφρυγὲς,
Ποιῶν τ' ἀμόλυντον καὶ πεπηγὸς φάρμακον
Πρόσβαλλε κηρὸν τήν τε ῥητίνην ἅμα.
Ὧν συντακέντων, ὅταν ἴδῃς κεκραμένην
13.823.10
Ἔμπλαστρον, αἴρεις τὴν χύτραν ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς
Καὶ προσβαλὼν προπόλεώς τε καὶ χαλβάνην,
Ἀμμωνιακὸν, μάνναν τε καὶ ἀλόην, τότε
Ψύξας τὸ πυρῶδες καὶ ζέον τοῦ φαρμάκου,
Ἀριστολοχίαν λειοτάτην προσεμπάσεις
13.823.15
Καὶ γεντιανὴν, τήν τε δίκταμνον πόαν
Καὶ προσανακόψας τῇ σπάθῃ τὸ φάρμακον
Χερσὶ καὶ μαγδαλιὰς ποιῶν, ἔχε,
Εἰς ἃς προεῖπον χρώμενος περιστάσεις.

ChatGPT. Translation:

"[As] Dictamnus says, like Democritus.
13.820.15
It has been said to me many times that not only are metrical compositions more useful for memorization than those written in prose, but they also contribute to the precision of the composition when it comes to the arrangement of mixed elements. Therefore,
13.821.1
he has now prefaced this composition with the symmetry achieved through Dictamnus,
preserving accurate measurements in the writing of Democritus.
Among the renowned plasters, there is one,
the only one called Cretan,
13.821.5
Dictamnus, which heals the wounds of reptiles,
the bites of scorpions, and the stings
of all four-legged creatures, even if someone is afflicted with madness,
healed ulcers, and damage to nerves.
For flies and those affected by bone diseases
13.821.10
and cartilage diseases that have already progressed deep,
it heals the sores around the breasts, neck, and spine,
even if they have persisted for a long time.
And it does all these things in a short time,
an Egyptian plaster applied beforehand.
13.821.15
This excellent plaster, being considered by some as the best of all,
having tested many remedies,
contains 200 drachmas of litharge,
a quarter of a liter of old olive oil.
Some say a fourth of a kotyle.
Twice twenty-five drachmas of Pontic wax,
twice the good Colophonian wax,
13.822.5
some say the same as termentine.
And two drachmas of Indian copper and aloes,
and twice 100 drachmas of burnt copper and good turpentine.
Twenty drachmas of resin and four,
twice 12 drachmas of ammoniac,
13.822.10
and twice 20 drachmas of Attic propolis,
and twice 12 drachmas of long Aristolochia,
twice 9 drachmas of copper blade, and the same of Cyprian copper,
and an equal amount of dried gentian root.
With all these ingredients, taking dry Dictamnus herb,
13.822.15
grind it into a smooth powder, mixing it with litharge
and pouring it into a new, wide-mouthed clay pot.
Stir it gently and softly with a sword
until it becomes the consistency of Attic honey.
Then, applying it again to the blade,
13.823.5
stir it more vigorously until it becomes red and boiling,
and when the medicine is formed, apply it to copper and good turpentine,
making it unadulterated and adhesive,
and add wax and resin together.
When you see it has been properly mixed and heated,
13.823.10
remove the pot from the fire,
and after applying Attic propolis and resin,
ammoniac, and frankincense,
cool the fragrant mixture of the medicine,
and add the finest Aristolochia
13.823.15
and gentian, and, with the sword, cut the medicine,
and with your hands and kneading, form it into almonds.
These are the circumstances I previously mentioned, using them accordingly."

User. can you tell me what meter the greek is in?

ChatGPT. The Greek text you provided is written in dactylic hexameter, which is a meter commonly used in ancient Greek epic poetry. Dactylic hexameter consists of six metrical feet per line, where each foot is either a dactyl (long syllable followed by two short syllables) or a spondee (two long syllables). This meter is characterized by its rhythmic pattern and was used by renowned poets such as Homer and Hesiod.

User. can you scan a line for me?

ChatGPT. Certainly! Please provide me with a specific line from the Greek text you provided, and I'll do my best to scan it for you.

User. the last

ChatGPT. The last line you provided is:

Ἡ διὰ δικτάμνου ὡς Δαμοκράτης.

Here is the scanned version with long (—) and short (⏑) marks:

— ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ — ⏑ ⏑

This line consists of eleven syllables and follows the pattern of dactylic hexameter, which is a common meter in ancient Greek poetry. In dactylic hexameter, each line typically consists of six feet, and each foot contains either a long syllable (—) or two short syllables (⏑).

User. scan this line: Ἔμπλαστρον, αἴρεις τὴν χύτραν ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς

ChatGPT. Sure! Here's the scanned version of the line you provided:

— ⏑ — ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ — ⏑ ⏑ — ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ — ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ — ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ — ⏑

This line consists of seventeen syllables and follows the pattern of dactylic hexameter.

User. can you put the scan over the text of the line

ChatGPT. Certainly! Here's the line with the corresponding scansion markings:

Ἔμπλαστρον, αἴρεις τὴν χύτραν ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς

— ⏑ — ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ — ⏑ ⏑ — ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ — ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ — ⏑

The symbols "⏑" represent a stressed or long syllable, and "—" represents an unstressed or short syllable.

User. ⏑ means short

ChatGPT. Apologies for the confusion. You are correct. In the scansion markings, "⏑" represents a short or unstressed syllable, and "—" represents a long or stressed syllable.

User. how many syllables?

ChatGPT. The line "Ἔμπλαστρον, αἴρεις τὴν χύτραν ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς" has a total of 15 syllables.

User. i count 13

ChatGPT. I apologize for the confusion. You are correct. The line "Ἔμπλαστρον, αἴρεις τὴν χύτραν ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς" has a total of 13 syllables. Thank you for pointing out the error.

[...]

User. now scan

ChatGPT. Certainly! Here's the correct scansion with the appropriate markings placed over the text:

Ἔμ-πλα-στρον, αἴ-ρεις τὴν χύ-τραν ἀπὸ τοῦ πυ-ρὸς

˘ ¯ ¯ ˘ ¯ ˘ ¯ ˘ ¯ ˘ ¯ ¯ ˘

Each syllable is marked with the corresponding scansion symbol, indicating whether it is a short (˘) or long (¯) syllable.

User. is τὴν short or long?

ChatGPT. Apologies for the oversight. The syllable "τὴν" in the line "τὴν χύτραν" should be marked as long (¯¯) rather than short (˘). Here's the corrected scansion:

Ἔμ-πλα-στρον, αἴ-ρεις τὴν χύ-τραν ἀπὸ τοῦ πυ-ρὸς

˘ ¯ ¯ ˘ ¯ ¯ ˘ ¯ ˘ ¯ ¯ ˘

User. what meter is that?

ChatGPT. The meter of the line "Ἔμπλαστρον, αἴρεις τὴν χύτραν ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς" is primarily iambic trimeter (ὁλοκληροῦ τριμέτρου ἰαμβικοῦ), with variations and metrical licenses. The iambic trimeter consists of three metrical feet, each containing one long syllable (¯) followed by one short syllable (˘). However, the presence of anapaests (˘ ¯ ¯) and spondees (¯¯) within the line creates variations and breaks the strict iambic pattern.

User. Can you repeat your translation, but understand that Ἡ διὰ δικτάμνου ὡς Δαμοκράτης means Ἡ Κυζικηνή διὰ δικτάμνου ὡς Δαμοκράτης "the cyzicus [made with] dittany, according to Damocrates"

ChatGPT. Apologies for the misunderstanding. Taking into account the phrase "Ἡ Κυζικηνή διὰ δικτάμνου ὡς Δαμοκράτης," which can be translated as "the Cyzicus [made with] dittany, according to Damocrates," here's a revised translation of the passage:

"It has been repeatedly said to me that not only are metrical compositions more useful for memorization than those written in prose but also [useful] for the precise arrangement of mixed medicines. Therefore, even now, preserving the accurate symmetry through the use of the Cyzicus made with dittany, according to Damocrates."

Please note that the translation is based on the provided context, but additional details or nuances may affect the interpretation.

User. Please translate the whole passage:

ChatGPT. Certainly! Here's the translation of the entire passage:

"It has been repeatedly said to me that not only are metrical compositions more useful for memorization than those written in prose but also for the precise arrangement of mixed medicines. Therefore, even now, preserving the accurate symmetry through the use of the Cyzicus made with dittany, according to Damocrates.

Among the renowned plasters, there is one, the only one called the Cretan plaster, which heals the wounds of serpents and the bites of snakes, as well as the ailments of all four-legged creatures, even if they are afflicted by madness. It also treats rolled-up sores and the damage to nerves, muscles, and bones. It heals the ailments around the breasts, neck, and spine, even after long durations. And all that I mentioned, it accomplishes as the Egyptian plaster, applied externally for a short time.

This excellent remedy, being considered by some as superior to all other good remedies, is without many drugs. It consists of two hundred drachmas of silver stone and one-fourth of a liter of old olive oil. Some say it is one-fourth of a kotyle. It also contains twenty-five drachmas of Pontic wax, twice the amount of good Colophonian wax, or, according to some, the same as turpentine.

It includes two and a half drachmas of copper and Indian aloe, as well as double that amount of burnt copper and good frankincense. It has twelve drachmas of Attic propolis, twice the amount of storax, and two times two and a half drachmas of ammoniacum. Additionally, twenty drachmas of Galbanian, and four drachmas of bitter gentian root. In mixing all these, when you see that the new pottery basin has been heated with a gentle and soft fire, stir it with a sword until it becomes the consistency of Attic honey.

Then, by applying it again with the sword, spread a smoother layer, and when the medicine has cooled and become firm, apply copper and good diphrygus, making the ointment smooth and adhesive. Apply lead, with the addition of olive oil, into the newly made wide-mouthed clay pot. In addition, rub the mixture with the blade until it becomes thicker, and then apply copper and double diphrygus, making the ointment smooth and sticky.

By preparing it according to the mentioned circumstances, when you cool and harden the plaster, you will have it, consisting of dried dittany, two hundred and fifty drachmas. Smooth, litharge ointment mixed with olive oil will be added in equal parts, one-fourth of the diphrygus, and fifteen drachmas of the finest gentian root. By applying the mixture with the sword, and making almond-sized pieces, you will have it, fulfilling the mentioned circumstances."

User. now translate it in a way that matches the meter of the original

ChatGPT. Certainly! Here's a translation of the passage that aims to match the meter of the original:

"Repeatedly told, to me, they say
That compositions in meter's array
Are not only useful for memory's sway,
But for medicines mixed, with order to stay.
So now I preserve, with careful employ,
The Cyzicus made with dittany's joy,
As Damocrates taught, in precise employ.
Among plasters renowned, there exists but one,
Called Cretan plaster, its virtues well-spun.
It heals serpent wounds, bites of snakes' spite,
And four-legged creatures, afflicted with blight,
Even madness subdued, it brings them respite.
Rolled-up sores, nerves, muscles, and bones,
Breasts, neck, and spine, its healing intones,
After long durations, ailments it dethrones.
Egyptian plaster, briefly applied,
Does all I've mentioned, far and wide.
This potent remedy, some deem supreme,
With fewer drugs, it fulfills its theme.
Two hundred drachmas of silver it holds,
And one-fourth liter of oil, as unfolds.
Some say one-fourth kotyle, to be precise,
With twenty-five drachmas of wax, the device.
Colophonian wax, double the measure,
Or turpentine, as some might treasure.
Two and a half drachmas of aloe it bears,
With burnt copper doubled, for healing affairs.
Good frankincense, twelve drachmas it shows,
Twice the storax amount, as the recipe goes,
Two and a half drachmas of ammoniacum's repose.
Added are twenty drachmas of Galbanian kind,
And four drachmas of bitter gentian, we find.
In mixing, with heat, the new basin aligned,
Stirred with a sword, till Attic honey defined.
Applied with the sword, a smoother layer bestowed,
As the medicine cools and hardens, its code.
With copper and diphrygus, smoothness bestowed,
Lead and olive oil, in the clay pot's abode.
The mixture rubbed, till it thickens in turn,
Copper and double diphrygus, ointment to yearn.
Prepared as mentioned, cooled plaster revealed,
With dried dittany, its power unconcealed.
Two hundred and fifty drachmas, its yield,
Smooth litharge ointment, in olive oil's field,
One-fourth diphrygus, fifteen drachmas concealed.
Applied with the sword, in pieces well-sized,
Matching the mentioned circumstances, apprised."

Perfumery is a dyer’s and witch’s art

For Walpurgisnacht. In the Gryllus (Bruta animalia ratione uti), Plutarch has Odysseus argue with a man-turned-pig (Gryllus) about whether it is better to be a human or an animal. Odysseus thinks there is nothing better than being Greek. Gryllus counters, giving considerations in favour of being a pig. For one thing, he says, they are naturally virtuous and don’t have to be taught to be good. Their sexes are equal, by which he means they share equally in traditional Greek male virtues. And, in what he takes to be a knock-down argument, he says animals have no interest in luxury, which he associates with un-virtue and the human feminine: animals can ignore gold and silver as they would any other stone, they prefer mud to finely dyed robes and tapestries, and they don’t mind smelling of dirt:

“And besides, smell does not trouble us as it does you. Incenses, cinnamons, nards, phyllas, Arabian calamuses—you are compelled to collect and combine them together using a terrible art of dyers and witches that goes by the name ‘perfumery.’ You pay a lot of money for a luxury that is unmanly, girlish and which has no real use at all.”

τἄλλα δ’ οὐκ ἐνοχλεῖ, καθάπερ ὑμῖν, τὰ θυμιάματα καὶ κινάμωμα καὶ νάρδους καὶ φύλλα καὶ καλάμους Ἀραβικοὺς μετὰ δεινῆς τινος δευσοποιοῦ καὶ* φαρμακίδος τέχνης, ᾗ μυρεψικῆς ὄνομα, συνάγειν εἰς ταὐτὸ καὶ συμφυρᾶν** ἀναγκάζουσα, χρημάτων πολλῶν ἡδυπάθειαν ἄνανδρον καὶ κορασιώδη καὶ πρὸς οὐδὲν οὐδαμῶς χρήσιμον ὠνουμένους.

*καὶ δευσοποιοῦ Bernardakis

** συμφυρᾶν Bernardakis: συμφαγεῖν Teub.

Plutarch, The use of reason by irrational animals 7 (Moralia 990B2–9 = 6.94,11–18 Bernardakis)

More on menstruating women and mirrors

I covered some of the Aristotelian tradition here. This time, an obscure man named Bithus (Bythus?) from Dyrrhachium, (modern Durrës in Albania), if we can trust Pliny and the manuscript tradition.

“Bithus of Dyrrachium says that mirrors dimmed by the look [sc. of menstruating women] recover their brightness when the same women return their gaze to the backs of them, and that all such powers are broken if women keep mullet-fish on them.”

bithus durrachinus hebetata aspectu specula recipere nitorem tradit isdem aversa rursus contuentibus, omnemque vim talem resolvi, si mullum piscem secum habeant.

Plinius Secundus, Naturalis historia 28.7

Spell for unknown effect

Take the blood of an owl and myrrh ink, mix the two together, and, using a new reed, draw the figure as appended* on a clean tablet. And having stared simultaneously at a clean wall, while glancing to the east, having fixed the image to a pure linen cloth using thorns from a male date palm, veil the image completely. Then after stepping back from it six cubits, once you have veiled it, count to fifty-nine three times while walking backwards, stopping at the six-cubits-mark.

Λαβὼν αἷμα νυκτιβαοῦτος καὶ ζμυρνομέλαν, ὁμοῦ τὰ δύο μίξας γράφε καινῷ καλάμῳ τὸ ζῴδιον, καθὼς περιέχι, εἰς πιττάκιον καθαρόν, καὶ ἅμ' ἀτενίσας εἰς τοῖχον καθαρόν, εἰς ἀνατολὴν βλέπων, πήξας εἰς σουδάριον ὁλόλινον σκόλοψιν ἀρρενικοῦ φοίνικος συνκάλυπτε τὸ ζῴδιον καὶ ἀποστὰς ἀπ' αὐτο̣ῦ̣ πήχεις ἕξ, συνκαλύψας μέτρησον πεντήκοντα ἐννέα ἐπὶ τρὶς ἀναποδίζων, στήκων ἐπὶ τὸ σημῖον τῶν ἓξ πηχῶν.

Magical Greek Papyri 36.264–274

*The image is not appended. No purpose is given.

Venerean Arts

‘mulier recte olet ubi nihil olet’

I’ve not had much time to post recently. I’ve been working on starting up Alchemies of Scent and trying to finish a few articles and books. But I’m also getting into some material on perfumery and other arts associated with Aphrodite / Venus. I had some time to translate and find a nice photo, so I thought I would put it up.

In the Greco-Roman lineage of texts I work with, there are many references to arts and technology of elegance, luxury and playfulness. They include perfumery, dyeing, fine metal working, embroidery, garment making, garland weaving, and also singing and other arts associated with the symposium.

I’ve started referring to them as the arts of Venus, “the Venerean arts,” since Aphrodite / Venus seems to govern them in astrological texts. As a nice bonus, Eros and Psyche figure in the arts’ frescoes at the house of the Vettii in Pompeii, hinting at a connection beyond astrology.

Being a luxury art doesn’t usually carry positive connotations for the authors I study. Instead, they are associated with things these authors consider to be morally inferior or wrong: wealth, femininity, impermanence, vanity and untrustworthiness.

The association between these authors’ moral categories and the Venerean arts is likely one reason why these arts were attacked and mocked by so many Greek and Roman voices that have survived and by many people who have followed them.

For example, we’re told Solon proclaimed a law that forbade Athenian citizens from being perfumers [1]. Xenophon’s Socrates says men have no need of perfume beyond the scent of sweat and olive oil, while women have no need for any scent at all beyond what is natural [2]. Plautus, in his Ghost Story (the Mostellaria, perhaps an adaptation of an earlier Athenian play), has a character say, mulier recte olet ubi nihil olet —‘a woman smells best when she smells of nothing at all’ [3]. Seneca reports a saying that one can tell a scoundrel by the fact that he wears perfume [4]. Doctors like Athenaeus or Galen say that a luxurious lifestyle also involves unhealthy behaviours, where ‘unhealthy behaviours’ often map closely on to behaviours these same figures take to be morally wrong (the causal direction here is not always clear).

Such condemnations of the Venerean arts are pretty familiar from surviving philosophical and political writings of the period.

Despite these critiques, however, the markets continued and the arts themselves survived. Even if the promoters of Solon and Socrates would want to make it appear so, the interest in and demand for luxury goods seems not to have exclusively provoked moral concern. There are many other interesting aspects of such arts, including their place in the history of science.

Still, I think it’s interesting that so many critics of these arts survive and how loud they have been in Greco-Roman literature’s history. I’m curious why we don’t find more impartial or even positive discussions of them, as, e.g., in Theophrastus or Dioscorides. I’m also curious what the original context of the discusisons about luxury might have been, since it is not obvious, and it is perhaps even doubtful, that such critical views were held by everyone.

For now, though, I’m looking into the artists of elegance and luxury themselves: how were they seen and grouped together at different times and how did they see themselves?

One set of sources I’ve come across are 2nd century CE astrological writings—texts where Aphrodite is given provenance over certain arts and offices. The following two are in Greek language by authors from the eastern and southern Mediterranean.

Sources for Veneran Arts in Astrological Writings

Here is Vettius Valens, who was originally from Antioch and perhaps later worked in Egypt:

“Aphrodite is desire and love. She is a sign of motherhood and nurturing. She produces offices of priests, schoolmasters, those with a right to wear a gold ring, and those with the right to wear a crown; she produces cheerfulness, friendship, companionship, the acquisition of property, the purchase of ornaments, contracts on favourable terms, marriages, arts of elegance, fine voices, song writing, sweet melodies, shapeliness, painting, mixing of pigments in embroidery, dyeing, and perfumery, and the inventors or even masters of these crafts, craftsmanship or trade to do with working of emeralds, precious stones, and ivory; and along her boundaries and portions of the zodiac, she makes gold-spinners, gold workers, barbers, people fond of elegance, and people who love playfulness.”

Ἡ δὲ Ἀφροδίτη ἐστὶ μὲν ἐπιθυμία καὶ ἔρως, σημαίνει δὲ μητέρα καὶ τροφόν· ποιεῖ δὲ ἱερωσύνας, γυμνασιαρχίας, χρυσοφορίας, στεμματοφορίας, εὐφροσύνας, φιλίας, ὁμιλίας, ἐπικτήσεις ὑπαρχόντων, ἀγορασμοὺς κόσμου, συναλλαγὰς ἐπὶ τὸ ἀγαθόν, γάμους, τέχνας καθαρίους, εὐφωνίας, μουσουργίας, ἡδυμελείας, εὐμορφίας, ζωγραφίας, χρωμάτων κράσεις καὶ ποικιλτικήν, πορφυροβαφίαν καὶ μυρεψικήν, τούς τε τούτων προπάτορας ἢ καὶ κυρίους, τέχνας ἢ ἐμπορίας ἐργασίας σμαράγδου τε καὶ λιθείας, ἐλεφαντουργίας· οὓς δὲ χρυσονήτας, χρυσοκοσμήτας, κουρεῖς, φιλοκαθαρίους καὶ φιλοπαιγνίους αὐτοὺς ἀποτελεῖ παρὰ τὰ τῶν ζῳδίων αὐτῆς ὅρια καὶ τὰς μοίρας.

Vettius Valens, Anthologia 1.1.6 (3,16–26) (English)

And here is Ptolemy, from Alexandria:

“When Aphrodite causes someone’s profession, she makes them persons whose activities lie in the scents of flowers or of perfumes, in wines, pigments, dyes, spices, or adornments, as, for example, sellers of perfumes, weavers of garlands, innkeepers, wine-merchants, sellers of drugs, weavers, dealers in spices, painters, dyers, sellers of clothing.”

ὁ δὲ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης τὸ πράσσειν παρέχων ποιεῖ τοὺς παρ’ ὀσμαῖς ἀνθέων ἢ μύρων ἢ οἴνοις ἢ χρώμασιν ἢ βαφαῖς ἢ ἀρώμασιν ἢ κοσμίοις τὰς πράξεις ἔχοντας, οἷον μυροπώλας, στεφανοπλόκους, ἐκδοχέας, οἰνεμπόρους, φαρμακοπώλας, ὑφάντας, ἀρωματοπώλας, ζωγράφους, βαφέας, ἱματιοπώλας.

Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos 4.4.4

[1] Athen. Deipn. 15.34, 519 Kaibel (Greek | English)
[2] Xen. Symp. 2.3 (Greek | English)
[3] Plaut. Mostell. 1.3 273 (Latin | English)
[4] Sen. Ep. 86.11 (Latin | English)

The Metamorphosis of Pamphile

Walpurgisnacht 2022. A mirror-story to Lucius’ metamorphosis.

“[Photis and I] spent a few nights in pleasure like this, until the day she ran to me, excited and trembling, to tell me that, because her mistress had not made any progress with her lovers by other means, she would turn herself into a bird at the first watch of the night and fly down to the object of her desire. I meanwhile was to get ready to observe such an event.

“After we had waited for the first watch of the night, Photis led me silent-footed to the upper bedchamber and suggested I look through the crack of the door to see what was happening.

“First, Pamphile completely undressed herself. Then, she opened a chest and took out a few small boxes. She removed the lid from one of them and poured out some perfume. She worked it for a while between her palms. Then she rubbed herself all over from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair, and after whispering to her lamp a while in secret, her limbs began to tremble, quivering and shaking. As they began to swell, soft plumage and powerful wings burst out and took shape. Her nose hardened and curved, her toenails thickened into talons, and Pamphile became an owl. She let out screech, and after a few small attempts, she sprung from the ground and flew, her wings wide, out into sublime heights.”

Ad hunc modum transactis voluptarie paucis noctibus, quadam die percita Fotis ac satis trepida me accurrit indicatque dominam suam, quod nihil etiam tunc in suos amores ceteris artibus promoveret nocte proxima in avem sese plumaturam atque ad suum cupitum sic devolaturam; proin memet ad rei tantae speculam caute praepararem.

Iamque circa primam noctis vigiliam ad illud superius cubiculum suspenso et insono vestigio me perducit ipsa, perque rimam ostiorum quampiam iubet arbitrari quae sic gesta sunt.

Iam primum omnibus laciniis se devestit Pamphile et arcula quadam reclusa pyxides plusculas inde depromit, de quis unius operculo remoto atque indidem egesta unguedine diuque palmulis sui affricta ab imis unguibus sese totam adusque summos capillos perlinit, multumque cum lucerna secreto collocuta membra tremulo succussu quatit: quis leniter fluctuantibus promicant molles plumulae crescunt et fortes pinnulae, duratur nasus incurvus coguntur ungues adunci, fit bubo Pamphile. Sic edito stridore querulo, iam sui periclitabunda paulatini terra resultat, mox in altum sublimata forinsecus totis alis evolat.

Apuleius, Metamorphoses 3.21

Aetius of Amida on the Choking Cure of St. Blaise

“[Treatment] for swallowing of a bone and for removing things that are stuck in the throat. Hold on to the patient with them sitting opposite you, and make them hold on to you. Say: ‘Come up, bone—whether you are a bone or a twig or anything else—just like Jesus Christ brought Lazarus up from the grave, and like Jonah was brought up out of the sea monster.’ Another. Cover the throat of the patient. Say: ‘Blaise, the martyr, the servant of god, says, ‘either rise up, bone, or go down.’”

Πρὸς ὀστοῦ κατάποσιν καὶ πρὸς ἀναβολὴν τῶν καταπειρομένων εἰς τὰ παρίσθμια. προσέχων τῷ πάσχοντι ἀνθρώπῳ ἄντικρυς καθεζομένῳ καὶ ποιήσας αὐτὸν προσέχειν σοι λέγε· ἄνελθε, ὀστοῦν, εἴτε ὀστοῦν ἢ κάρφος [<ϛ>] ἢ ἄλλο ὁτιοῦν, ὡς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς Λάζαρον ἀπὸ τοῦ τάφου ἀνήγαγε, καὶ ὡς Ἰωνᾶν ἐκ τοῦ κήτους. Ἄλλο. κατέχων τὸν λάρυγγα τοῦ πάσχοντος λέγε· Βλάσιος ὁ μάρτυς ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ θεοῦ λέγει· ἢ ἀνάβηθι, ὀστοῦν, ἢ κατάβηθι.

Aetius of Amida, Libri Medicinales 8.54

Going Skythian

When they want to drink wine that’s more undiluted, the Lakonians themselves say they “go Skythian.” Khamaileon of Herakleia in On Drunkenness at any rate writes about them as follows:

“the Lakonians say that Kleomenes the Spartan went mad because he learned to drink undiluted wine, having spent time with the Skythians. That’s why, when they wish to drink more undiluted wine, they say, ‘make it Skythian.’”

καὶ αὐτοὶ δ’ οἱ Λάκωνες ὅταν βούλωνται ἀκρατέστερον πίνειν, ἐπισκυθίσαι λέγουσι. Χαμαιλέων γοῦν ὁ Ἡρακλεώτης ἐν τῷ περὶ μέθης περὶ τούτων οὕτως γράφει·

«ἐπεὶ καὶ Κλεομένη τὸν Σπαρτιάτην φασὶν οἱ Λάκωνες μανῆναι διὰ τὸ Σκύθαις ὁμιλήσαντα μαθεῖν ἀκρατοποτεῖν. ὅθεν ὅταν βούλωνται πιεῖν ἀκρατέστερον, ‘ἐπισκύθισον’ λέγουσιν».

Athenaeus of Naucratis, Deipnosophistae, 10.29

A Myrrh and Iron Gall Ink from the Magical Greek Papyri

A spell to make everyone love you, and one of the earliest recipes for iron gall ink. From Leiden Papyrus J 384, PGM 12 in Preisendanz’ collection of Magical Greek Papyri, perhaps 2nd or 3rd century CE.

“To be attractive and loveable forever. Take a root of pasithea or wormwood, and [on it] write this name in a holy way:

“Carry it and you will be attractive, loveable and extraordinary to those who look on you.

“The formula:

• 1 drachma of myrrh

• 4 drachmai of misy

• 2 drachmai of vitriol

• 2 drachmai of oak galls

• 3 drachmai of gum arabic.”

προς επιχιρειαν[1] καὶ φιλεὶάν[2] δια παντος λαβων ριζαν πασιθεαν η αρτεμισιαν επιγραφε το □[3] τουτο αγνως [see image] και φορει και εση και επιχιρεις[4] και προσφιλης και θαυμαστος τοις ορωσι σοι.

ἡ ἀναγραφή· ζμύρνης δραχμὴ αʹ, μίσυος δραχμαὶ δʹ, χαλκάνθου δραχμαὶ βʹ, κηκίδων δραχμαὶ βʹ, κόμεως δραχμαὶ γʹ.

[1] ἐπιχάρειαν Pr. [2] φιλίαν Pr. [3] ὄνομα Pr. [4] ἐπίχαρις Pr.

P. Leid. J 384, col. 12, 24,13–16 Daniel = PGM XII 397–400 = old Leiden Papyrus V (English here)

---

Notes

For the first part of the text, I’ve transcribed Daniel’s edition (no accents for the most part or punctuation), but I’ve used Preisendanz’ edition for the formula. There’s some debate about what μίσυ (misy) and χάλκανθος (khalkanthos) refer to.

Misy. In Betz’ collection, Martin translates μίσυ as “truffle.” There is a kind of truffle called μίσυ mentioned in LSJ; but Preisendanz and Christiansen both suggest it refers to a substance found in mines, the misy mentioned by Dioscorides (5.100) and Pliny (34.121–122). Preisendanz translates as “Vitriolerz” (vol, 2, p.83), one term given in Pape, and which makes more sense. In a recent article, Thomas Christiansen (p. 184) suggests misy might be the decomposed iron sulfide contained in chalco-pyrites (CuFe₂).

Khalkanthos. The word comes from χαλκός (copper) + ἄνθος (bloom). Pliny says it is prepared in Spain by collecting water from wells or mining pits, boiling it down, then putting it into a wooden reservoir and leaving cords to hang down into the water. Glass-like growths form on the cords and the are collected (34.123–124, English). He says it is known as atramentum sutorium in Latin, “shoemaker’s black,” and suggests the Greek term is evidence the substance is related to copper. Dioscorides also mentions there are different kinds of χάλκανθος, one of which, known as ἐφθόν (“boiled”) and prepared in Spain, was used to dye leather black. Christiansen (p. 182) points out this may indicate some confusion in the history of vitriols (sulfate compounds named after their glass-like appearance). After Razi, vitriols are distinguished into two kinds: blue and green. Blue vitriol corresponds roughly to copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO₄·5H₂O) and green vitriol corresponds to iron (II) sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO₄·7H₂O). Before Razi, however, it seems they were not systematically distinguished either conceptually or physically. The substance is called “shoemaker’s black” because when combined with the tannin from oak galls used in tanning leather, the iron (II) would form a complex with the tannic acid, ferrous tannate, a black soluble pigment. When it dries, the complex reacts with oxygen in the air to form insoluble ferric tannate. This is the same reaction that makes iron gall inks so permanent. There’s a good wiki about this and lots online. I wrote about a different use of gall ink here: to write secret messages on eggs.

The first known occurence of a recipe for an iron gall ink is for an invisible ink. It’s from Philo of Byzantium, who writes about how to get secret messages out of a city under siege:

“The letters (sent by those under siege) are written in a new hat on the skin after crushing oak galls and soaking them in water. When dried, the writing becomes invisible, but if flower of copper is ground like ink in water and a sponge is soaked with it, when wiped with the sponge, they become visible.”

γράφονται δ' αἱ ἐπιστολαὶ εἰς καυσίαν καινὴν εἰς τὸν χρῶτα κηκῖδος θλασθείσης καὶ ὕδατι βραχείσης· ξηρανθέντα δὲ τὰ γράμματα ἄδηλα γίνεται, χαλκοῦ δὲ ἄνθους τριφθέντος ὥσπερ ἐν ὕδατι τὸ μέλαν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ σπόγγου βραχέντος, ὅταν ἀποσπογγισθῇ τούτῳ, φανερὰ γίνεται.

Philo of Byzantium, Belopoeica, ed. Diels and Schramm, 79

The AlchemEast team has written a great piece detailing their experiments replicating this recipe using blue and green vitriols.

Other observations

Myrrh. Christiansen thinks the myrrh here is not the raw resin, but ash from burnt resin. Burnt resins were used to make carbon inks, and this may be the case here; however, there is no mention in the recipe that the myrrh is burnt.

The Reaction. The reaction itself is pretty striking. Here's an example:

Oak gall and khalkanthos

Encouragement for the unwounded

My friend died two weeks ago. It feels like yesterday and it feels like it didn’t happen. When I left at the end of August, she gave me Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin. The inscription said she hoped the title was inappropriate and that I would have not just one safe journey to Prague, but many. I have a postcard still to send her.

Below, a passage which she quoted in her book on the treatment of war wounds.

***

‘…Then the Macedonians turned the battle around against the barbarians and once they were defeated, they brought the city down on top of them. This was no help to Alexander, however. He was taken from the field along with the missile: the shaft of the arrow pierced his vital organs, and the arrow bound and fixed his breastplate to his body.

‘When they tried forcing it out from the root, as it were, of the wound, the iron would not yield to them. It was lodged in the solid part of his breast in front of the heart. They did not dare to saw off the part of the shaft that was projecting out for fear it would cause excruciating pain and a rush of internal bleeding if the bone were to be split by the force.

‘Having noticed the great difficulty and hesitation, Alexander himself tried to cut the arrow off close to his body using his dagger, but his hand was too weak and heavy with numbness due to the inflammation of the wound. So he encouraged them. He commanded the unwounded to take hold and not fear. He railed against those who were in tears with concern for him, while others he called out as deserters since they did not dare to help him. And to his companions he cried out: “Let no one be wretched on my account. It will not be believed that I do not fear death if you fear for my death.”’

ἐτρέψαντο μὲν οὖν τοὺς βαρβάρους οἱ Μακεδόνες, καὶ πεσοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπικατέσκαψαν τὴν πόλιν. Ἀλεξάνδρῳ δ' οὐδὲν ἦν ὄφελος· <ἀν>ήρπαστο γὰρ μετὰ τοῦ βέλους, καὶ τὸν κάλαμον ἐν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις εἶχε, καὶ δεσμὸς ἦν αὐτῷ καὶ ἧλος τὸ τόξευμα τοῦ θώρακος πρὸς τὸ σῶμα. καὶ σπάσαι μὲν ὥσπερ ἐκ ῥίζης τοῦ τραύματος βιαζομένοις οὐχ ὑπήκουεν ὁ σίδηρος, ἕδραν ἔχων τὰ πρὸ τῆς καρδίας στερεὰ τοῦ στήθους· ἐκπρῖσαι δὲ τοῦ δόνακος οὐκ ἐθάρρουν τὸ προῦχον, ἀλλ' ἐφοβοῦντο, μήπως σπαραγμῷ σχιζόμενον τὸ ὀστέον ὑπερβολὰς ἀλγηδόνων παράσχῃ καὶ ῥῆξις αἵματος ἐκ βάθους γένηται. πολλὴν δ' ἀπορίαν καὶ διατριβὴν ὁρῶν αὐτὸς ἐπεχείρησεν ἐν χρῷ τοῦ σώματος ἀποτέμνειν τῷ ξιφιδίῳ τὸν οἰστόν· ἠτόνει δ' ἡ χεὶρ καὶ βάρος εἶχε ναρκῶδες ὑπὸ φλεγμονῆς τοῦ τραύματος. ἐκέλευεν οὖν ἅπτεσθαι καὶ μὴ δεδιέναι θαρρύνων τοὺς ἀτρώτους· καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἐλοιδορεῖτο κλαίουσι καὶ περιπαθοῦσι, τοὺς δὲ λιποτάκτας ἀπεκάλει, μὴ τολμῶντας αὐτῷ βοηθεῖν· ἐβόα δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἑταίρους «μηδεὶς ἔστω μηδ' ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ δειλός· ἀπιστοῦμαι μὴ φοβεῖσθαι θάνατον, εἰ τὸν ἐμὸν φοβεῖσθ' ὑμεῖς.»

Plutarch, On the Fortune of Alexander, Moralia 344F–345B