As she said these words she laid Sappho’s hand in Bartja’s, embraced her with passionate tenderness, and breathed a light kiss on the forehead of the young Persian.  Then turning to her Greek friends, who stood by, much affected: 

“That was a quiet nuptial ceremony,” she said; “no songs, no torch-light!  May their union be so much the happier.  Melitta, bring the bride’s marriage-ornaments, the bracelets and necklaces which lie in the bronze casket on my dressing-table, that our darling may give her hand to her lord attired as beseems a future princess.”

“Yes, and do not linger on the way,” cried Kallias, whose old cheerfulness had now returned.  “Neither can we allow the niece of the greatest of Hymen’s poets to be married without the sound of song and music.  The young husband’s house is, to be sure, too far off for our purpose, so we will suppose that the andronitis is his dwelling.

[The Hymenaeus was the wedding-song, so called because of its refrain “Hymen O!  Hymenae’ O!” The god of marriage, Hymen, took his origin and name from the hymn, was afterwards decked out richly with myths, and finally, according to Catullus, received a seat on Mount Helikon with the Muses.]

[A Greek bride was beautifully adorned for her marriage, and her bridesmaids received holiday garments.  Homer, Odyss.  VI. 27.  Besides which, after the bath, which both bride and bridegroom were obliged to take, she was anointed with sweet-smelling essences.  Thucyd.  II. 15.  Xenoph.  Symp.  II. 3.]

“We will conduct the maiden thither by the centre door, and there we will enjoy a merry wedding-feast by the family hearth.  Here, slavegirls, come and form yourselves into two choruses.  Half of your number take the part of the youths; the other half that of the maidens, and sing us Sappho’s Hymenaeus.  I will be the torch-bearer; that dignity is mine by right.  You must know, Bartja, that my family has an hereditary right to carry the torches at the Eleusinian mysteries and we are therefore called Daduchi or torch-bearers.  Ho, slave! see that the door of the andronitis is hung with flowers, and tell your comrades to meet us with a shower of sweetmeats as we enter.  That’s right, Melitta; why, how did you manage to get those lovely violet and myrtle marriage-crowns made so quickly?  The rain is streaming through the opening above.  You see, Hymen has persuaded Zeus to help him; so that not a single marriage-rite shall be omitted.  You could not take the bath, which ancient custom prescribes for the bride and bridegroom on the morning of their wedding-day, so you have only to stand here a moment and take the rain of Zeus as an equivalent for the waters of the sacred spring.  Now, girls, begin your song.  Let the maidens bewail the rosy days of childhood, and the youths praise the lot of those who marry young.”

Five well-practised treble voices now began to sing the chorus of virgins in a sad and plaintive tone.