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
[220] _Juvenal_, Sat VI. 121, 131. _Tacitus_, Annal., XI. ch. 37.—_Dio
Cassius_, IX. p. 686. Messalina adulteriis et stupris non contenta
(iam enim etiam in cella quadam in palatio et ipsa sessitabat et alias
prostituebat) maritus simul multos ritu legitimo habere cupivit.
(Messalina not satisfied with adultery and fornication (for already
in a certain chamber within the very palace she was in the habit of
sitting as a prostitute herself and also of making other women do the
same), was eager to have many husbands at once under sanction of the
laws).—_Xiphilinus_, LXXIX. p. 912., Denique in palatio habuit cellam
quandam, in qua libidinem explebat, stabatque nuda semper ante fores
eius, ut scorta solent. (At last she had in the palace a certain
chamber, in which she was wont to satiate her lustfulness, and used to
stand always stripped before its doors, as whores do). _Suetonius_,
Caligula, ch. 41., Ac ne quod non manubiarum genus experiretur, lupanar
in palatio constituit: distinctisque et instructis pro loci dignitate
compluribus cellis, in quibus matronae ingenuique starent. (And that
there might be no species of gain left that she had not tried, she
established a brothel in the palace; and a number of chambers were set
apart and furnished in conformity with the dignity of the locality, and
there matrons and men of birth stood for hire).
[221] _Ulpian_, Lex ancillarum ff. de haered. petit. (Law as to
female-slaves making claim of heirship). Pensiones, licet a lupanario
praeceptae sint: nam et multorum honestorum virorum praediis lupanaria
exercentur. (Rents, even though they be received from a brothel; for
many honourable men have brothels kept on their estates).
[222] _Paulus Diaconus_, Hist. miscell., bk. XII. ch. 2., Aliam
rursus abrogavit huiusmodi causam. Si qua mulier in adulterio capta
fuisset, hoc non emendabatur, sed potius ad augmentum peccandi
contradebatur. Includebant eam in angusto prostibulo et admittentes qui
cum ea fornicarentur, hora qua turpitudinem agebant, _tintinnabula_
percutiebant, ut eo sono illius iniuria fieret manifesta. Haec audiens
Imperator, permanere non est passus, sed ipsa prostibula destrui
iussit. (Again he repealed another regulation of the following nature.
If any should have been detected in adultery, by this plan she was not
in any way, reformed, but rather utterly given over to an increase of
her ill behaviour. They used to shut up the woman in a narrow room, and
admitting any that would commit fornication with her, and at the moment
when they were accomplishing their foul act, to strike _bells_, that
the sound might make known to all the injury she was suffering. The
Emperor hearing this, would suffer it no longer, but ordered the very
rooms to be pulled down).
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