§140. Within the Greek poetry, maidens along with enjoy on the meadows, and this subject has experienced much scholarly attention you to definitely full conversation the following is hopeless. ” Since the Stehle Stigers demostrates, the latest meadow is a place off virginity, and of their loss, the destiny of its vegetation parallel compared to that regarding a beneficial maiden. Brand new antique example of brand new theme is, without a doubt, Persephone’s fateful choosing of the plants inside a pleasant meadow and you may together with their unique members of the family. It offers for ages been realized that among the meadow’s identifying qualities try its unproductiveness, which stands inside evident examine on the fertility of one’s ploughed field. Similar to the metaphor from ploughing is actually expressed regarding the Athenian famous dictum for the function of marriage, so it is implicit regarding Russian individualized from hanging an excellent plough along the home of your own newlywed’s rooms. The new bride’s sounds, on the other hand, are never concerned about virility, doubting of the the noisy silence the truth that anything is given with the bride inside payment for what she loses. The fresh new concern of your own maiden’s audio therefore the bride’s lament was maybe not age bracket, however, natural beauty and its irrevocable losses, represented as pure depletion.
Instead, the new meadow was a great locus regarding erotic potentiality and you will “waking sexual good sense,” an appealing yet , unsafe spot for girls, in which, once the Rosenmeyer leaves they, there aren’t any men, but “dangers of predation hover during the edges
§141. Brand new haunts of your own maidens try gorgeous and you may unproductive, getting they wild room, for example meadows and you can forest, otherwise room which might be, in reality, grown and you may protected. That it second option is given that commonplace given that former, however, features various other connotations. From the meadows, this new maiden try exposed as well as in the company regarding her ages-mates-it is within this means you to definitely she could be viewed by their husband to be, and you can out of this form one she are snatched. The picture from a secure rose garden, likewise, commonly is due to new bride’s parents, along with her protected and you may magnificent lifestyle from the parental family, that is going to a finish because the undoubtedly while the playing inside this new meadows. Here the absolute most hitting synchronous with the Russian relationships audio comes yet again out-of Catullus 62, where the chorus from maidens does not Pogledajte ovu web vezu want to grant any benefit so you can marriage and you will measures up a good maiden to a rose from inside the a beneficial walled yard where none cattle nor plough normally threaten it. While it is secure, the newest rose are stunning and you will trendy, but when it is plucked it each other goes out and you may fades away from look at, no more “sweet” and “dear” so you’re able to boys and you will girls, a destiny similar to that of the brand new maiden:
Ut flos qui for the saeptis secretus nascitur hortis, ignotus pecori, nullo convulsus aratro, quem mulcent aurae, firmat sol, educat imber. multiple illum pueri, multae optavere puellae: idem cum tenui carptus defloruit ungui, nulli illum pueri, nullae optavere puellae: sic virgo, dum intacta manet, dum cara suis est; cum castum amisit polluto corpore florem, nec pueris iucunda manet, nec cara puellis.
Serve they to declare that brand new meadow has been appropriately demonstrated while the a “place filled up with Eros” and you can “structure to possess online game that lead in order to fulfillment regarding amorous attention,” and yet along with a space that’s barely the locus regarding sex
Identical to a rose increases undetectable when you look at the a sealed lawn, not familiar so you’re able to cattle, uprooted because of the no plough, a flower your breezes caress, the sun improves, the fresh new rain rears. Many youngsters, many maidens interest they- One to same rose immediately following they withers, plucked by a smooth complete, Zero youngsters, zero maidens interest: Only thus a beneficial maiden, for as long as she actually is untouched, are beloved so you’re able to their particular family; Immediately following she manages to lose the new absolute flower, their particular human body defiled, She will not will always be fascinating so you’re able to youngsters, neither beloved in order to maidens.