SATYRICON :: My favorite Scene from Federico Felini’s film ‘Satyricon,’ adopted from the work of Gaius Petronius Arbiter (ca. 27– 66ad) The scene opens at a Roman dinner party, when one decides to tell the story of the ‘Window of Ephesus’…… ‘There was once a beautiful young woman, quite virtuous, who suddenly was widowed According to Greek custom, the husband’s body was placed in a crypt But the honest and loyal widow would not leave his body; night and day she kept vigil and cried, and wanted to starve to death. Every one left. Only she remained. Not far from the tomb, A thief sentence to death had been hanged, And a handsome soldier was keeping guard over him. But below him he hear the windows lament and went down to see if he clould offer her comfort, “Why do you want to starve your self to death? What good would burying your self alive do?” …he asked her. Drink something. Come on drink, you must live. Enjoy the delights of life while you can. This very corpse here should convince you of that.” “ …he added. Touched by the concern, care and comfort given by the guard, her desire and passion for life was revived by him, In time he returned to his post, only to find the body was gone “They have stolen the hanged man!” …he cried out “Whole I was with you, The thief’s family took him away. I know what punishment I will get….a horrible death! Why shpuld I wait, I rather die by my own hands!” … he exclaimed She responded….“No my dear, to lose two men in my life, one after the other… would be too much. Better to hang a dead husband; than lose a living lover.” So they substituted her husband’s corpse, for the missing hanged thief.’ At the end of the story, the audience in the film gives a cynical laugh at how this widow’s high virtue was corrupted by sin of the flesh. But I see it different story. I see a touching story of how, out of basic human compassion, the guard gave her the will to live. And realizing the value of life she reciprocated and did the same for him. And after all is that not the highest purpose of a loving relationship? https://youtube/watch?v=3WRtn1xqeas
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 05:30:25 +0000
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