Virgin Goddess of the sacred groves, whose unkind banners and fierce battle cries I follow, scorning my sex in a manner unlike the Greeks. If ever did I not boldly enter Bacchic revelries of the night, and even after I married, though my virgin purity was soiled, in my heart of hearts I remained a virgin huntress. I took no care to hide my fault from You in some secret cave, but held out my son to You, confessed my shame and trembling laid him at Your feet. He was not of degenerate blood, not weak or mild, but straightaway he crawled to my bow and as a babe cried for my arrow. For him I pray — whose fate causes me these restless nights and threatening dreams — for him, who now audaciously goes too boldly off to war, I pray to You that I may see him victorious, or, if I pray for too much, grant at least that I may see him once more. I pray, merciful Dictynna, by Your mother's labors and Your brother's glory, with all Your arrows pierce deeply this unhappy womb, and let him first hear of his wretched mother's death.
Commentarius · Commentary
Atalanta prays to Diana for her son, who has gone to war. Twenty-nine lines — the longest prayer in this corpus after those of Apuleius.
It is constructed as a record of service. Atalanta lists what entitles her to ask: she has known neither thiasos nor the games of wanton night; after marriage she took up neither thyrsus nor soft wool; she remained a huntress and "unwed in spirit"; she did not hide her fault in a secret cave but brought the infant out and laid him trembling at the goddess's feet. Every item is a defence before the goddess of virginity for having given birth.
And the boy is justified by the same argument: "nor was he degenerate from his blood — at once he crawled towards my bows".
And it ends terribly. If the dream is prophetic and her son is to die — "pierce this unhappy womb with all your arrows; let him hear first of his wretched mother's funeral". She asks to be killed before the news can reach her. Diana will grant only the second half.
