“On their hindquarters horses Are branded oft with fire, And anyone knows a Parthian Because he wears a tiar; And I at sight of lovers Their nature can declare, For in their hearts they too Some subtle flame-mark bear.” [Sidenote: _Pindar to Theoxenos_] The following fragment is from Pindar’s Ode to his young friend Theoxenos—in whose arms Pindar is said to have died (B.C. 442):— “O soul, ’tis thine in season meet, To pluck of love the blossom sweet, When hearts are young: But he who sees the blazing beams, The light that from _that_ forehead streams, And is not stung;— Who is not storm-tossed with desire,— Lo! he, I ween, with frozen fire, Of adamant or stubborn steel Is forged in his cold heart that cannot feel.” _Trans. by J. Addington Symonds_, _The Greek Poets_, vol. 1, p. 286. [Sidenote: _Epigrams of Plato_] Plato’s epigrams on Aster and Agathon are well known. The two first-quoted make a play of course on the name Aster (star). _To Aster_: “Thou wert the morning star among the living, Ere thy fair light had fled; Now, having died, thou art as Hesperus, giving New splendour to the dead.” (_Shelley._) _To the same_: “Thou at the stars dost gaze, who art _my_ star—O would that I were Heaven, to gaze on thee, ever with thousands of eyes.” _To Agathon_: “Thee as I kist, behold! on my lips my own soul was trembling; For, bold one, she had come, meaning to find her way through.” [Sidenote: _Meleager_] There are many other epigrams and songs on the same subject from the Greek writers. The following is by Meleager (a native of Gadara in Palestine) about 60 B.C., and one of the sweetest and most human of the lyric poets:— “O mortals crossed in love! the Southwind, see! That blows so fair for sailor folk, hath ta’en Half of my soul, Andragathos, from me. Thrice happy ships, thrice blesséd billowy main, And four times favored wind that bears the youth, O would I were a Dolphin! so, in truth, High on my shoulders ferried he should come To Rhodes, sweet haunt of boys, his island-home.” _From the Greek Anthology_, ii. 402. [Sidenote: _Epigram_] Also from the Greek Anthology:— “O say, and again repeat, fair, fair—and still I will say it— How fair, my friend, and good to see, thou art; On pine or oak or wall thy name I do not blazon— Love has too deeply graved it in my heart.” [Sidenote: _Epitaph Anonymous_] “Perhaps the most beautiful [says J. A. Symonds] of the sepulchral epigrams is one by an unknown writer, of which I here give a free paraphrase. _Anth. Pal._, vii. 346:— ‘Of our great love, Parthenophil, This little stone abideth still Sole sign and token: I seek thee yet, and yet shall seek, Tho’ faint mine eyes, my spirit weak With prayers unspoken.