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
(The fair Lesbia, that Catullus loved above all women, more than
himself and all his friends, now at cross-ways and in alleys skins the
high-souled sons of Remus). We see from this that it was partly such
freed-women girls that, past their prime and come down in the world,
no longer visited by rich admirers, had to seek their living on the
streets.—_Plautus_, Cistell.,
Intro ad bonam meretricem; adstat ea in via
Sola; prostibula sane est.
(I am going in to a “good” harlot; _she_ stands in the road alone,—she
is surely a common whore).—_Plautus_, Sticho: Prostibuli est stantem
stanti suavium dare, (It’s a strumpet’s way to give a kiss standing to
a standing lover); whence it might be concluded that only street-whores
were called “Prostibula”.—_Prudentius_, Peristeph., XIV. 38.,
Sic elocutam publicitus iubet
Flexu in plutea sistere virginem.
(When she had uttered this public address, he bids the maiden stand at
the turn of the street).
[209] _Martial_, I. 35., Abscondunt spurcas et monumenta lupas.
(The monuments too hide filthy strumpets). Hence they were called
_bustuariae_ (women that haunt tombs). _Martial_, III. 93., Admittat
inter bustuarias moechas. (Let him admit her among the fornicators of
the tombs). Comp. _Turnebus_, Advers., XIII. 19.
[210] _Prudentius_, Symmach., I. 107.,
Scortator nimius, multaque libidine suetus
Ruricolas vexare lupas, interque salicta,
Et densas sepes obscoena cubilia inire,
(An inordinate fornicator, wont to vex the rustic harlots with
multiplied lusts, and amidst the willow-plantations and thickset
hedges to creep into foul lairs); where _Barth_, Advers., X. 2., for
_ruricolas_ (haunting the country, rustic) would read _lustricolas_
(haunting wild dens),—those who prostituted themselves in wild-beasts’
dens, desert places. Hence also a brothel is called _lustrum_ (den)
and _cellae lustrales_ (den-like chambers), and harlots’ hire _aurum
lustrale_ (den-money).—_Credenus_, De Romulo et Remo: ὁ τοίνυν πάππος
Ἀμούλιος διὰ τὴν πορνείαν παροξυνθεὶς εἰς τὰς ὕλας αὐτοὺς ἐξέθετο, οὓς
εὑροῦσα γυνὴ πρόβατα νέμουσα ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἀνεθρέψατο. Εἴθιστο δὲ τοῖς
ἐγχωρίοις λυκαίνας τὰς τοιαύτας καλεῖν γυναῖκας διὰ τὸ ἐπίπαν ἐν τοῖς
ὄρεσι μετὰ λύκων διατρίβειν, διὸ καὶ τούτους ὑπὸ λυκαίνης ἀνατραφῆναι
μυθολογεῖται. (So their grandfather Amulius exasperated by his wife’s
adultery took the children into the woods and exposed them there; but
his wife, as she was pasturing sheep, found them, and reared them on
the mountain. Now it was the custom of the inhabitants of those parts
to call women of this kind “she-wolves” (λυκαίνας) on account of their
living entirely on the mountains with the wolves, whence also the tale
is told that these babes were fostered by a she-wolf).
[211] _Horace_, Sat. I. 2. 1., Ambubaiaram collegium (Society
of—Syrian—Singing-girls).—_Suetonius_, Nero, ch. 27.
[212] _Plautus_, Cist., I. 1. 39.,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account