1

Descriptio imaginis

DESCRIPTION OF AN IMAGE IN THE CITY OF GAZA SITUATED IN THE CITY OF GAZA But Eros and the arrows of Eros roam everywhere and pass through all things. and not even Zeus is free, when the Erotes wish it; but the majestic and supreme one, whose strength is not to be yielded, both desires Semele and meddles with Hera and seems a bull to Europa and swims the sea, steered by Eros; and if he appears as gold, Danaë does not appear a virgin. And Poseidon, it seems to them, departing the sea, moves to the mainland. And the god Apollo pursues her as she flees, and conquering is defeated, holding a plant but not the maiden Daphne. And already the Erotes play with her who bore them, and from there, then, she was set aflutter for Adonis, and the rose proclaims the love. And these, as you see, have also stretched their arrows against Phaedra. 2 This is Athens and the height of summer and midday. The time of day is revealed by the circumstances. For here there is hunting and the chase, and clothes that cool the bodies, and the sleep of Theseus, not, by Zeus, having come at night; for a servant would not have sat beside him to ward off annoying things. And in the middle of the palace is the couch, majestic and very luxurious, yielding, as it seems, to the one wishing to sleep, but by the variation of its colors ever interweaving the blond with the dark blue. 3 The palace is held up to a height by thick columns, and they guide the viewer to a double stoa. For behold, for you, they even penetrate into the depth. For the art imitates entrances by being hollowed out with colors. The wall inside is divided by rather thick arches, prepared, as is likely, for the dedication of statues. The columns are all white, but not all smooth, their extremities being carved with straight flutings, and all at once gleaming with bright gold at their tops. And a brow is set upon these; but not even this did the painter leave unadorned, but he decorated it with the paintings set upon it, imitating images within images. 4 But if your sight has been trained for finer perception and in a clear light can take in the smaller details, grant me this and observe. For somewhere Hippolytus is hunting and having struck a lion with his spear before it had risen—for it was crouching, still nursing its anger, seated, with some of its feet stretched forward, and he himself sitting on those lying under its belly—he rouses [the shep]herd looking [on] to praise, who is raising his hands high in wonder and thinking he has received justice for his lamb, [mourning the one which he had seen snatched by the lion]. The hunter has placed one foot, bending his knee high, and the o[ther he places on the ground. And as he stands, having obtained the prey], he turns and stretches out his right hand, turning himself from the hunt toward the servants behind [turning away; and the cloak on his shoulders] having obtained, turning, he stretches out his right hand. a servant pulls, but it is raised for the praise of his master. And another servant raises the nets on his shoulders; for with these the hiding beasts, having plunged into some woods or caves, are surrounded. 5 And these paintings will meet you on the right as you enter. And on the other side, see the labyrinth and Theseus fighting with the Minotaur. And a terrible beast it is, man and bull, each incomplete, but completed by the addition of the other; a man up to the shoulders, receiving from the bull what is lacking. Therefore he both holds on to its horn, with one hand wishing to drag it to the ground, and with the other to strike, already with his left hastening toward a blow. 6 And a gate, as you approach, presents the mouth of the labyrinth. And the maiden of Minos loves Theseus, still a boy and a handsome youth, and having pitied his fate out of love she holds out a thread to him, which, fastened to the door and being unwound in the winding of the entrance and having wandered with him

1

Descriptio imaginis

ΕΚΦΡΑΣΙΣ ΕΙΚΟΝΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΗΙ ΠΟΛΕΙ ΤΩΝ ΓΑΖΑΙΩΝ ΚΕΙΜΕΝΗΣ ΕΝ ΤΗΙ ΠΟΛΕΙ ΤΩΝ ΓΑΖΑΙΩΝ ΚΕΙΜΕΝΗΣ Ἔρως δὲ καὶ Ἔρωτος τὰ τοξεύματα πανταχῇ φοιτᾷ καὶ διὰ πάντων διέρχεται. καὶ οὔτε Ζεὺς ἐλεύθερος, ὅταν ἐθέλωσιν Ἔρωτες· ἀλλ' ὁ σεμνὸς καὶ ὕπατος καὶ ᾧ τὸ σθένος οὐκ ἐπιεικτὸν Σεμέλην τε ποθεῖ καὶ Ἥραν περιεργάζεται καὶ βοῦς Εὐρώπῃ δοκεῖ καὶ νήχεται θάλασσαν ὑπ' Ἔρωτος κυβερνώμενος· κἂν φανῇ χρυσός, οὐ φαίνεται ∆ανάη παρθένος. ὁ δὲ Ποσειδῶν, δοκοῦν ἐκείνοις, ἀποστὰς θαλάσσης πρὸς ἤπειρον μετοικίζεται. καὶ θεὸς Ἀπόλλων διώκει μὲν φεύγουσαν, νικῶν δὲ ἡττήθη, φυτὸν κρατήσας ἀλλ' οὐ παρθένον τὴν ∆άφνην. ἤδη δὲ τῇ τεκούσῃ προσπαίζουσι μὲν Ἔρωτες, ἐκεῖθεν δ' ἄρα πρὸς Ἄδωνιν ἐνεπτόητο, καὶ βοᾷ τὸ ῥόδον τὸν ἔρωτα. οὗτοι δὲ καὶ κατὰ Φαίδρας, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ἀνετείναντο τὰ τοξεύματα. 2 Ἀθῆναι ταῦτα καὶ θέρους ἀκμὴ καὶ μέσον ἡμέρας. ὁ δὲ καιρὸς δηλοῦται τοῖς πράγμασι. θήρα γὰρ ἐνταῦθα καὶ κυνηγέσια ἐσθῆτές τε τὰ σώματα διαψύχουσαι καὶ Θησέως ὕπνος οὐ μὰ ∆ία νυκτὸς ἐπιστάς· οὐ γὰρ ἂν οἰκέτης αὐτῷ πρὸς ἀποσόβησιν τῶν λυπούντων παρεκαθέζετο. μέση δὲ τῶν βασιλείων ἡ κλίνη, σεμνὴ καὶ μάλα τρυφῶσα, ὑπείκουσα μὲν, ὡς δοκεῖ, τῷ καθεύδειν ἐθέλοντι, χρωμάτων δὲ παραλλαγῇ τὸ ξανθὸν ἀεὶ τῷ κυανῷ παραπλέκουσα. 3 τὰ δὲ βασίλεια πυκνοῖς ἐς ὕψος ἀνέχεται κίοσι καὶ πρὸς διπλῆν στοὰν τὸν θεατὴν παραπέμπουσιν. ἰδοὺ γάρ σοι καὶ πρὸς βάθος εἰσδύονται. εἰσόδους γὰρ ἡ τέχνη μιμεῖται κοιλαινομένη τοῖς χρώμασιν. ὁ δὲ τοῖχος ἔνδον ἁψῖσι πυκνοτέραις διείληπται πρὸς ἀγαλμάτων, ὡς εἰκὸς, ἐσκευασμέναις ἀνάθεσιν. οἱ δὲ κίονες λευκοὶ μὲν πάντες, οὐ λεῖοι δὲ πάντες, κοιλότησιν ὀρθαῖς κεκολαμμένων τῶν ἄκρων, ὁμοῦ δὲ πάντες χρυσίῳ λαμπρῷ τὰς κορυφὰς ἀποστίλβοντες. ὀφρὺς δὲ τούτοις ἐπίκειται· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ταύτην παρεῖδεν ἀκόσμητον ὁ ζωγράφος, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐπικειμένοις ἐποίκιλλε γράμμασιν, εἰκόνας ἐν εἰκόσι μιμούμενος. 4 Ἀλλ' εἴ τί σοι γεγύμνασται πρὸς αἴσθησιν λεπτοτέραν ἡ θέα καὶ καθαρῷ φωτὶ τῶν σμικροτέρων ἀντέχεται, δίδου μοι ταύτην καὶ σκόπει. πῆ μὲν γὰρ κυνηγετήσας ἐστὶν Ἱππόλυτος καὶ λέοντα τῷ δόρατι βαλὼν οὔπω διαναστάνταὤκλαζε γάρ, ἔτι τὸν θυμὸν ὑποτρέφων, καθήμενος, τῶν ποδῶν τοὺς μὲν πρόσω τείνας, τούτοις δὲ αὐτὸς ἐφιζάνων ὑπὸ γαστέρα κειμένοις[τὸν προσ]ορῶντα [ποιμένα] πρὸς ἔπαινον διανίστησι, χεῖρας αἴροντα μετεώρους τῷ θαύματι καὶ δίκην ἔχειν οἰόμενον τῆς ἀρνός, [ἣν ὑπὸ λέοντος ἐπεῖδεν ἁρπασθεῖσαν κατανι]ώμενος. ὁ δὲ κυνηγέτης τὸν μὲν ἔστησε πόδα τὸ γόνυ κυρτώσας μετέωρον, τὸν δ[ὲ ἐπὶ γῆς καθιστάνει. ὡς δὲ καθέστηκε τῆς λείας] τυχών, ἀποστραφεὶς προτείνει τὴν δεξιάν, ἑαυτὸν τῆς θήρας πρὸς τοὺς ὄπισθεν οἰκέτας [ἐκστρέφων· ἡ δὲ χλανὶς ἐπὶ τοῖς ὤμοις] τυχών, ἀποστραφεὶς προτείνει τὴν δεξιάν. μὲν οἰκέτης ἕλκει, τῇ δὲ τοῦ δεσπότου πρὸς ἔπαινον ἀνατείνεται. οἰκέτης δέ τις ἄλλος τὰς ἄρκυς ὤμοις ἐπαίρεται· ταύταις γὰρ τὰ λανθάνοντα τῶν θηρίων ὕλαις τισὶν ἢ σπηλαίοις ἐγκαταδύντα περιστοιχίζεται. 5 Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐκ δεξιᾶς εἰσιόντι προσαντήσει τὰ γράμματα. ἐκ δὲ τῆς ἑτέρας λαβύρινθον ὅρα καὶ τὸν Θησέα τῷ Μινωταύρῳ διαμαχόμενον. δεινὸν δὲ τὸ θηρίον, ἀνὴρ καὶ ταῦρος, ἑκάτερον ἐλλιπές, τῇ δὲ θατέρου προσθήκῃ πληρούμενον· ἄνθρωπος ἐς ὤμους τῷ βοῒ τὸ λεῖπον δεχόμενος. τοιγαροῦν αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦ κέρως ἀντέχεται, τῇ μὲν εἰς γῆν κατασπᾶν, τῇ δὲ καὶ πλῆξαι βουλόμενος, ἤδη τῇ λαιᾷ πρὸς πληγὴν ἐπειγόμενος. 6 Πύλη δέ σοι προσελθόντι τὸ στόμα τοῦ λαβυρίνθου παρίστησιν. ἡ δὲ τοῦ Μίνω παρθένος ἐρᾷ Θησέως, παιδὸς ἔτι καὶ καλοῦ μειρακίσκου, καὶ τὴν τύχην ἐξ ἔρωτος ἐλεήσασα προτείνει μίτον αὐτῷ, ὅσπερ ἐξημμένος τῆς θύρας τῷ τε σκολιῷ τῆς εἰσόδου λυόμενος καὶ συμ πλανηθεὶς