In New Zealand native women were found who practised Lesbianism. Male homosexuality is the custom of the country. A like state of things was found among the Brazilian tribes. Eram found homosexuality widely spread among the male population in the Orient. Tribadism is also most common among the young girls there. Historically considered, homosexuality was frequently practised among the ancients. In Greece, during the period of its highest ethical as well as intellectual vigor, the homosexual tendencies were not only condoned, but even fostered as a virtue, especially among the higher classes of society. Most of the disciples of the great Greek philosophers were given to homosexual practices. Homosexuality was also very common among the women of Greece. It was widely spread on the island of Lesbos, where the celebrated poetess Sappho is said to have first taught and glorified the practice of tribadism. “Aiunt turpitudinem quae per os agit fellationis opinor vel irrumationis, primum a Lesbiis autoribus fuisse profectam,” says Erasmus. From the prevalence upon the island of Lesbos, homosexuality among women is called Lesbianism, while sentimental homosexuality is called Sapphism. The philosophy of Sappho taught that each sex should restrict itself to its own sex, and perish in the sterile embrace. Omitting the homosexual practice which the sensual Greek poetess could not dispense with, Tolstoy also advocates the extinction of the human race through abstinence in the “Kreutzer-Sonate.” Like Tolstoy, the poetess called normal love a weakness and a shame. Her teachings were followed throughout Greece and her colonies, especially by the courtesans, meretrices and dancers at the festivals. Lucian describes a tribade woman, Megilla, who, living with her friend Demonassa ut maritus maritaque invitat Leænam secum pernoctare. It is her wish not to be designated as a female. She calls Demonassa her wife. “Μή με καταθήλυνε ἔφη. Μέγιλλος γὰρ ἐγὼ λέγομαι καὶ γεγήμακα πρόπαλαι ταύτην τὴν Δημώνασσαν καὶ ἔστιν ἐμὴ γυνὴ.” Later on homosexuality was taken up in Rome. Especially during the empire, the homosexual vice flourished in Rome and in its colonies. Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Titus, Domitian, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Commodus, and Heliogabalus all practised homosexuality. Philo Judeus (Opera II, p. 465) says: “Some of the men had such esteem for youthful beauty that they desired complete transformation into females and effected it by castration and amputation of the penis and by dressing themselves in purple garments.” According to Ploss those Roman women, who with the abnormally long clitoris could practise concarnatio among themselves, were called tribades. The fellatores and cunnilingui of both sexes were so numerous in Rome that Juvenal could exclaim: “Oh, noble descendants of the goddess Venus, soon you will not find enough chaste lips to address to her your prayers.”