Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
XXXVIII. After this brilliant piece of good fortune, Demetrius received
the news that his mother and children had been set at liberty by
Ptolemy, who had given them presents and treated them with respect;
while he also heard that his daughter, who had been given in marriage to
Seleukus, was living with his son Antiochus, with the title of "queen of
the native tribes of the interior." It appears that Antiochus fell
violently in love with Stratonike, who was quite a young girl, though
she had already borne a child to Seleukus. After making many fruitless
efforts to resist his passion, he reflected upon the wickedness of
indulging a love which he was unable to restrain, and decided that he
would put an end to his life. Under pretence of illness he refused to
take nourishment, neglected his person, and was quietly sinking.
Erasistratus, his physician, had without much difficulty perceived that
he was in love, but could not guess with whom. He consequently spent the
entire day in the same room with Antiochus, and whenever any young
persons came to visit him, narrowly watched his countenance and those
parts by which emotion is especially betrayed. He found that his
condition was unaltered except when Stratonike came to see him, either
alone or with her husband, Seleukus, and that then all the symptoms
mentioned by Sappho were visible in him, such as stammering, fiery
blushes, failure of eyesight, violent perspiration, disturbed and
quickened pulse, and at length, as his passions gained the mastery over
him, pallor and bewilderment. Erasistratus, after making these
observations, reflected that it was not probable that the king's son
would starve himself to death in silence for love of any other woman
than his mother-in-law. He judged it to be a perilous enterprise to
explain the real state of the case, but, nevertheless, trusting to the
love of Seleukus for his son, he one day ventured to tell him that love
was really the disorder from which young Antiochus was suffering, and
that it was a hopeless and incurable passion. "How incurable?" inquired
Seleukus. "Because," answered Erasistratus, "he is in love with my
wife." "Well, then," said Seleukus, "will you not give her up,
Erasistratus, and marry her to my son, who is your friend, especially as
that is the only way out of this trouble for us?" "No," said
Erasistratus, "I will not. Why, you yourself, although you are his
father, would not do this, if Antiochus were enamoured of Stratonike."
To this Seleukus replied, "My friend, I would that by any means, human
or divine, his passion could be directed to her; for I would willingly
even give up my crown if I could thereby save Antiochus."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account