We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Marpesia et Lampedone .​.​. Allegro ma non troppo

from De Mulieribus Claris .​.​. Giovanni Boccaccio (2020) by Thomas Oboe Lee

/

lyrics

Qua suscepta, ad successionem consequendam, vicissim finitimis adherebant et, cum concepissent, evestigio revertebantur in sedes. Tandem qui nascebantur mares occidebantur illico, virgines ad militiam cum diligentia servabantur, tenellis igne, seu medicamine alio, sublato incremento mammille dextere, ne sagittandi exercitium impediretur adultis;
sinixtra linquebatur intacta ut ex illa nutrimenta porrigerent nascituris; ex pro Amazonum vocabulum sortite sunt.

Afterwards, in order to assure the royal succession, they took turns sleeping with men of the neighboring regions and returned home as soon as they became pregnant. Male offsprings were killed immediately after birth, and females were carefully brought up for military service. The right breast of very young girls was withered by means of fire or medicine, so that it would not grow and hinder them in the use of the bow during adult life. The left breast, however, was left unharmed, so that they would be able to suckle their future children. This practice gave rise to the name ‘Amazon.’

English translation by Virginia Brown.

credits

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Thomas Oboe Lee Cambridge, Massachusetts

Thomas Oboe Lee was born in China in 1945. He lived in São Paulo, Brazil, for six years before coming to the United States in 1966. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, he studied composition at the New England Conservatory and Harvard University. He has been a member of the music faculty at Boston College since 1990. ... more

contact / help

Contact Thomas Oboe Lee

Streaming and
Download help

Report this track or account

If you like Thomas Oboe Lee, you may also like: