Love
Book V, 18
Translated by W. R. Paton (1916–18) · From The Greek Anthology (Loeb, vol. I, 1916)
We, who take no pleasure in costly intrigues, prefer servants to ladies of high station. The latter smell of scent, and give themselves the airs of their class, and they are attended even at the rendezvous (). The charm and fragrance of a servant are her own, and her bed is always ready without any prodigal display. I imitate Pyrrhus the son of Achilles, who preferred Andromache the slave to his wife Hermione.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Rufinus. “Book V, 18.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/rufinus/4/.
Chicago
Rufinus. “Book V, 18.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/rufinus/4/.
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