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
[35] Vermischte Schriften, vol. VI. pp. 23-50, “Ueber eine Stelle bei
Herodot.” (On a passage in Herodotus).
[36] According to _Tacitus_, Histor. II. 2., Under no circumstances
must blood flow on the altars of the Paphian goddess.
[37] “Ideen über Politik und Handel,” (Ideas on Political Science and
Trade), I. 2. p. 180. note 2.
[38] The King of Calicut at the southern extremity of Malabar gives
his principal Priest a honorarium of 500 dollars, that he may loose
his wives’ virgin-zone for him in the name of the Deity. _Sonnerat_,
“Voyage aux Indes orientales” (Travels to the East Indies), Vol. I. p.
69. _Hamilton_, “New Account of the East Indies,” Vol. I. p. 308.
[39] _Herodotus_, bk. IV. ch. 172.—_Pomponius Mela_, bk. I. ch. 8. § 35.
[40] _Diodorus Siculus_, bk. V. ch. 18.
[41] Menstruation was under the protection of the goddess _Mena_
(Augustine, De Civ. Dei, bk. XI. 11. VII. 2.; but Myllita was the Moon!
[42] Therefore in the case of the Lydians the women themselves
selected their Strangers. _Strabo_, bk. XI. p. 533., δέχονται δὲ οὐ
τοὺς τυχόντας τῶν ξένων, ἀλλὰ μάλιστα τοὺς ἀπὸ ἴσου ἀξιώματος. (but
they receive not just the first-comers amongst the strangers, but by
preference those of an equal position).
[43] So even in the Middle Ages, e. g. at Venice, it was quite usual
for the daughters to earn their dowry by selling their bodies, and
there, as in France, it was the mothers who acted as procuresses to
their daughters with this object. _Stephanus_, “Apologie d’Herodote”,
Vol. I. pp. 46-49. _Fr. Jacobs_, loco citato, p. 40.
[44] Memorari quoque solent causae physicae, seu marium seu feminarum
corporis infirmitatis, quibus floris virginei decerpendi molestia
aggravatur. (Certain physical reasons also are mentioned, connected
with bodily defects whether of the man or the woman, which aggravate
the difficulty of deflowering a virgin), _Heyne_, loco citato, p. 39.
When these partly dietetic and prophylactic relations of the practice
disappeared from the memory of the people, the _Priapus_ kept only
its fecundating qualities, and accordingly we read in _Augustine_,
De Civitate Dei, bk. VI. ch. 9., Sed quid hoc dicam, cum ibi sit et
Priapus nimius masculus, super cuius immanissimum et turpissimum
fascinum sedere nova nupta jubeatur more honestissimo et religiossimo
matronarum? (But why tell of this, though Priapus is there, with the
exaggerated penis of a man, on whose huge and foul organ the newly-wed
bride is told to _sit_, following the custom held highly honourable
and religious of matrons?) Comp. _Lactantius_, I. 20.—_Tertullian_,
Adnot. II. 11. The same is related by _Arnobius_, bk. VI. ch. 7., of
the similar god _Mutuus_: Etiamne Mutuus, cuius immanibus pudendis,
horrentique fascino, vestras inequitare matronas, et auspicabile
ducitis et optatis. (Mutuus too, on whose huge pudenda, and horrid
organ you think it auspicious and desirable for your matrons to ride).
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