The Plague of Lust, Vol. 1 (of 2): Being a History of Venereal Disease in Classical AntiquityRosenbaum, Julius
History
The Plague of Lust, Vol. 1 (of 2): Being a History of Venereal Disease in Classical Antiquity
Rosenbaum, Julius
Sexually transmitted diseases -- History
In § 16 above it has been abundantly proved that the recognition of
a pathic ἐκ τῆς ὄψεως, _ex voltu_, (by the look), was a simple and
familiar thing with the Ancients, and especially so if we understand,
as is only reasonable, by ἐκ τῆς ὄψεως not merely by the _face_, but
by the whole appearance of the person as well. We can only wonder at
_Stark’s_ repeated denials of the existence of such external marks
of recognition, and all the more so, as every Text-book of Medical
Jurisprudence making any pretensions to complete detail (e.g. _Masius_,
_Mende_) gives information on the point. Again, it is proved that
paederastia was always regarded by the Greeks, till the time when
they lost their independence, as a disgraceful vice,—the reason why
the buyer spoken of slunk away with a blush. As for the ostentatious
show of pathics, and particularly their importance and the power they
acquired, to which _Stark_ refers (p. 12. in his Note—28), this is only
true for times as late as _Philo’s_ own, (he lived 40 A.D.), whereas
_Diogenes_ appears in History in the middle of the 4th. Century B.C.
_Stark_, again, cites as evidence the words from the second passage:
_Puerorum amor, de quo vel loqui olim probrum fuit maximum, nunc laudi
ducitur_, (The love of boys, merely to speak of which was formerly
a deep disgrace, but which now is made a boast),—without observing
that his contention as to paederastia not being held disgraceful in
Antiquity is most obviously contradicted by it. Undoubtedly actual
castrated eunuchs were not meant, but the reasons _Stark_ brings
forward to show this are without force, for he will hardly be able
to prove that in Asia the Castrated never acquired importance and
wealth, so as to be in a position to buy themselves slaves. Further
it may be gathered that the man Diogenes addressed was rich or held
an important station from the fact that the bystanders marvelled at
Diogenes’ boldness and outspokenness, a point that _Stark_ indeed has
forgotten to mention. For _Philo’s_ own times the second passage is
evidence enough. Equally do we fail to see why a castrated eunuch would
be unlikely to blush, when the fact is thrown in his face. _Stark_ (p.
22) explains the νοῦσος θήλεια as _vitium corporis_ or _effeminatio
interno morboso corporis statu procreata_, (a fault of body, condition
of effeminacy produced by an internal morbid state of body). Now if
it were really this, how could he possibly speak of the sufferers as
_crimine tactos_, (touched by his _vice_)? They had nothing to be
ashamed of, unless indeed they had acquired the disease in a shameful
way, but this was not the case according to his original assumption.
This is confirmed by _Clement of Alexandria_.[375]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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