Living

Book X, 68

by Agathias Scholasticus c. 530 – c. 580

Translated by W. R. Paton (1916–18) · From The Greek Anthology (Loeb, vol. IV, 1918)

Living

It is good to have a mind that hates sexual intercourse, but if you must, let not the love of males ever disturb you. It is a small evil to love women, for gracious Nature gave them the gift of amorous dalliance. Look at the race of beasts; not one of them dishonours the laws of intercourse, for the female couples with the male. But wretched men introduce a strange union between each other.

This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.

MLA

Scholasticus, Agathias. “Book X, 68.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/agathias/80/.

Chicago

Scholasticus, Agathias. “Book X, 68.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/agathias/80/.

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