Editing Hermaphroditus (section)

==Literature==
[[File:Statue Group Satyr and Hermaphroditus.tif|thumb|right|upright|Statue of a satyr and Hermaphroditus. Roman copy of the 2nd century CE, after a Hellenistic original of the 2nd century BCE. Antikensammlung Berlin (Altes Museum)]]

The earliest mention of Hermaphroditus in [[Ancient Greek literature|Greek literature]] is by the [[Ancient philosophy|philosopher]] [[Theophrastus]] (3rd century BC), in his book ''[[Theophrastus#Characters|The Characters]]'', XVI The Superstitious Man,<ref>[http://www.eudaemonist.com/biblion/characters#16 an eudæmonist: The Characters of Theophrastus]</ref> in which he portrays various types of eccentric people.

{{quote|Also on the fourth and seventh days of each month he will order his servants to mull wine, and go out and buy myrtle-wreaths, frankincense, and smilax; and, on coming in, will spend the day in crowning the Hermaphrodites.}}

The first mention of Hermes and Aphrodite as Hermaphroditus's parents was by the [[Greek historiography|Greek historian]] [[Diodorus Siculus]] (1st century BC) in his book ''[[Bibliotheca historica]]'', book IV, 4.6.5.

{{quote|Hermaphroditus, as he has been called, who was born of Hermes and Aphrodite and received a name which is a combination of those of both his parents. Some say that this Hermaphroditus is a god and appears at certain times among men, and that he is born with a physical body which is a combination of that of a man and that of a woman, in that he has a body which is beautiful and delicate like that of a woman, but has the masculine quality and vigour of a man. But there are some who declare that such creatures of two sexes are monstrosities, and coming rarely into the world as they do they have the quality of presaging the future, sometimes for evil and sometimes for good.<ref>Diodorus Siculus, [http://www.theoi.com/Text/DiodorusSiculus4A.html#6 Library of History Book IV 4.6.5 (translated by Charles Henry Oldfather)] at Theoi.com</ref>}}

The only full narration of his myth is that of [[Ovid]]'s ''[[Metamorphoses]]'', IV.274–388 (8 AD), where the emphasis is on the feminine snares of the lascivious water-nymph Salmacis and her compromising of Hermaphroditus' erstwhile budding manly strength, detailing his bashfulness and the engrafting of their bodies.<ref>Garth, Sir Samuel [[Wikisource:Metamorphoses/Book IV|Translation of Metamorphoses IV]] at Wikisource</ref>

A rendering of the story into an ''[[Epic poetry|epyllion]]'', published anonymously in 1602, was later (1640) attributed by some to [[Francis Beaumont]].<ref>[https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/721/salmacis.pdf?sequence=1 Salmacis and Hermaphroditus] 1602 text, accessed in [https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/507 Renascence Editions] at University of Oregon</ref>

[[Ausonius]], in his ''Epigramata de diversis rebus / [[Epigram]]s on various matters'' (4th century), also tells of Hermaphroditus' parentage and union with the nymph Salmacis.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/ausoniuswithengl02ausouoft/page/212/mode/2up Ausonius, Epigrams on Various Matters, CII—CIII]</ref>

{{quote|On Hermaphroditus and his Nature—By Mercury begotten, conceived by Cythera, Hermaphroditus, compound alike in name and frame, combining either sex, complete in neither, neutral in love, unable to enjoy either passion.}}

{{quote|On the Union of Salmacis and Hermaphroditus—The nymph Salmacis grew one with the mate she desired. Ah, happy maid, if she is conscious of a man's embrace. And twice happy thou, O youth, united with a lovely bride, if one being may still be two.}}

In the ''[[Palatine Anthology]]'', IX.783 (980 AD), there is a reference to a sculpture of Hermaphroditus which was placed in a bath for both sexes.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/greekanthology03pato#page/422/mode/2up ''The Greek Anthology'' IX.783]</ref> The passage IX.317 is in dialogue form, based on the dialogue between Hermaphroditus and Silenus. The latter claims that he has had sexual intercourse with Hermaphroditus three times. Hermaphroditus complains and objects to the fact by invoking Hermes in an oath, while Silenus invokes Pan for the reliability of his allegations.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/greekanthology03pato#page/170/mode/2up ''The Greek Anthology'' IX.317]</ref>

[[Algernon Charles Swinburne]]'s poem "[[s:Poems and Ballads (Swinburne)/Hermaphroditus|Hermaphroditus]]" in ''[[Poems and Ballads]]'' is subscribed ''Au Musée du Louvre, Mars 1863'', leaving no doubt that it was the [[Borghese Hermaphroditus]] that had inspired his ode.<ref>Swinburne A C [http://swinburnearchive.indiana.edu/swinburne/view#docId=swinburne/acs0000001-01-i013.xml Hermaphroditus] Library Electronic Text Resource Service (LETRS) / Digital Library Program, Indiana University</ref>