Propertius, Elegies 3.14: eroticizing female athletics in Sparta

Propertius, Elegies 3.14: eroticizing female athletics in Sparta

1st BCE – 1st CE

Elegy

Literary source

At many of the laws of thy wrestling-grounds do I marvel, O Sparta, but most at the plenteous blessings of the schools where thy women train, inasmuch as a girl may without blame disport her body naked among wrestling men, when the swift-thrown ball cheats the player's grasp and the hooked rod clanks against the rolling hoop, and dust-besprinkled the woman stands at the race's furthest goal and endures wounds in the cruel boxing-match. Now she binds the glove to her hands that rejoice in its thongs, now whirls in a circle the discus' flying weight ; now with hoar-frost sprinkling her hair she follows her father's hounds o'er the long ridges of Taygetus, now tramples the ring with her steeds, girds the sword to her snowy flank and shields her virgin head with hollow bronze, like the warrior throng of Amazons who bathe bare-bosomed in Thermodon’s stream, or as Pollux and Castor on Eurotas’ sands, the one destined to conquer with his fists, the other with his steeds: amid these twain, men say, Helen bared her breasts and carried arms, nor called a blush to her brother's cheek.
Thus Sparta’s law forbids lovers to hold aloof and grants to each to walk by his mistress’ side in the open streets ; there none fear for her honour nor keep her under watch and ward: there none need dread the bitter vengeance of some stern husband. Thou needst no herald ; thyself thou mayst speak of thine own business; no long delay shall affront thee. No raiment of Tyrian purple beguiles the wandering eyes of lovers, nor shall thy mistress vex thee with long tiring of her scented hair.
But here my love goes girt by a vast crowd, leaving no narrow passage whereby so much as a finger may reach her. Nor canst thou discover what mien to wear nor with what words to proffer thy request: shrouded in darkness is the path o'er which the lover ponders. But if thou, O Rome, wouldst but follow the laws and wrestling of the Spartans, then wouldst thou be the dearer to me for this blessing.

Harold Edgeworth Butler, Propertius (= Loeb Classical Library; 18), Cambridge, MA 1912.

Multa tuae, Sparte, miramur iura palaestrae,
sed mage virginei tot bona gymnasii,
quod non infamis exercet corpore ludos
inter luctantis nuda puella viros,
cum pila velocis fallit per bracchia iactus,
increpat et versi clavis adunca trochi,
pulverulentaque ad extremas stat femina metas,
et patitur duro vulnera pancratio:
nunc ligat ad caestum gaudentia bracchia loris,
missile nunc disci pondus in orbe rotat,
et modo Taygeti, crinis aspersa pruina,
sectatur patrios per iuga longa canes:
gyrum pulsat equis, niveum latus ense revincit,
virgineumque cavo protegit aere caput,
qualis Amazonidum nudatis bellica mammis
Thermodontiacis turba lavatur aquis;
qualis et Eurotae Pollux et Castor harenis,
hic victor pugnis, ille futurus equis,
inter quos Helene nudis capere arma papillis
fertur nec fratres erubuisse deos.
lex igitur Spartana vetat secedere amantes,
et licet in triviis ad latus esse suae,
nec timor aut ullast clausae tutela puellae,
nec gravis austeri poena cavenda viri.
nullo praemisso de rebus tute loquaris
ipse tuis: longae nulla repulsa morae.
nec Tyriae vestes errantia lumina fallunt,
est neque odoratae cura molesta comae.
at nostra ingenti vadit circumdata turba,
nec digitum angustast inseruisse via;
nec quae sit facies nec quae sint verba rogandi
invenias: caecum versat amator iter.
quod si iura fores pugnasque imitata Laconum,
carior hoc esses tu mihi, Roma, bono.

Lucianus Mueller (ed.), Sex. Propertii Elegiae (= Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana), Leipzig 1910.