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
[228] _Suetonius_, Caligula, ch. 40., Vectigalia nova atque inaudita
... exercuit; ... ex capturis prostitutarum quantum quaeque uno
concubitu mereret. Additumque ad caput legis, ut tenerentur publico et
quae meretricium et qui lenocinium fecissent, nec non et matrimonia
obnoxia essent. (He levied new and hitherto unheard of imposts; ... a
proportion of the fees of prostitutes,—so much as each earned with one
man. A clause was also added to the law, directing that both women who
had practised harlotry and men who had practised procuration should
be rated publicly; furthermore that marriages should be liable to the
rate).
[229] _Lampridius._ Alexander Severus, ch. 24., Lenonum vectigal
et meretricum et exoletorum in sacrum aerarium inferri vetuit, sed
sumptibus publicis ad instaurationem theatri, circi, amphitheatri et
aerarii deputavit. (He forbad that the tax on harlots and on male
debauchees should be paid into the sacred Treasury of the State, but
allotted it as a public contribution towards the repair of the theatre,
circus, amphitheatre and treasury). Also at Byzantium a similar duty
was paid under the name of χρυσάργυρον (tribute of gold and silver),
which however the Emperor Anastasius abolished, and at the same time
ordered the tax-rolls to be burned. (_Zonaras_, Annal.—_Nicephorus_,
Hist. eccles., bk. XVI. ch. 40.).
[230] Compare _Ch. G. Gruner_, “Dissertatio de Coitu eiusque variis
formis quatenus medicorum sunt.” (Treatise on Coition and its Different
Forms in their Medical Aspect). Jena 1792. 4 vols. German edition:
“Üeber den Beischlaf” (On Coition). Leipzig 1796. 8 vols. Comp.
Salzburg med. chir. Zeitung. Jahrg. 1796. III. 5.—_Forberg_, p. 118,
loco citato.
[231] Epistle to Titus, ch. I. v. 5. Πάντα μὲν καθαρὰ τοῖς καθαροῖς·
τοῖς δὲ μιασμένοις ... οὐδὲν καθαρὸν, ἀλλὰ μεμίανται αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ
νοῦς καὶ ἡ συνείδησις. (To the pure all things are pure; but to them
that are defiled ... nothing is pure; but both their mind and their
conscience are defiled.)
Also _Clement of Alexandria_, one of the Fathers of the Church, who
speaks largely on this special point of Paederastia, says (Paedagog.,
Bk. III. ch. 3.) εἰ γὰρ μηδὲν ἄπρακτον ὑπολείπεται, οὐδὲ ἐμοὶ ἄῤῥητον.
(For if nought is left undone by them, neither shall aught be left
untold by me).
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