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
[279] Speeches, edit. by Joannes Jac. Reiske. 2 Vols. Leipzig 1784
large 8vo., Vol. II. Speech XXXIII (not XXXII, as given in Reiske and
Gruner), pp. 14 sqq.
[280] Ἀκολάστοις (intemperate). This word often occurs in the sense
of paederast, especially when the latter is spoken of as pursuing the
vice passionately. Thus _Aeschines_, in Timarch., pp. 63, 183. _Plato_,
Sympos., 186 c.
[281] Τὸν δέ γε ἄγριον τοῦτον καὶ χαλεπὸν ἦχον. (This rough and harsh
tone of voice). The word ἄγριος (rough, savage) is specially used of
the paederast, _Aristophanes_, Clouds 347., and the Scholiast on the
passage; the same is true of χαλεπὸς (hard, harsh). The Scholiast on
_Aeschines_, In Timarch., p. 731 R., ἀγρίους τοὺς σφόδρα ἐπτοημένους
περὶ τὰ παιδικὰ καὶ χαλεποὺς παιδεραστάς. (rough men that are above
measure agog for boy-loves,—hard paederasts.) All through the Speech
are found a host of allusions to the expressions in common use to
signify paederastia, which may well make the right understanding of it
difficult.
[282] Τὸ πρᾶγμα (the thing) has the same meaning here as πρᾶξις (doing,
intercourse) in _Aeschines_, In Timarch., pp. 159, 160. _Plato_,
Sympos., 181 b.
[283] Κινεῖται (is raised, is stirred), from which the word Κίναιδος,
_cinaedus_, is derived.
[284] On the _digitus medius_ (middle finger) or _infamis_ compare
_Upton_ on Arrian’s Diss. Epictet, II. 2. p. 176.—“_Abhandlung von den
Fingern_, deren Verrichtungen und symbolischen Bedeutung.” (Treatise
on the Fingers, their Gestures and Symbolic Meaning). Leipzig 1756.
pp. 172-221. But in particular _Forberg_, loco citato p. 338. note h.:
Cum digitus medius porrectus, reliquis incurvatis, tentam repraesentet
mentulam cum coleis suis, factum est, ut medium digitum hoc modo
ostenderent (Graeci uno verbo dixerunt σκιμαλίζειν) cinaedis, sive
pelliciendis, sive irridendis. (In as much as the middle finger
stretched out, the other fingers being bent under, represents the
extended penis with its bags (testicles), it came about that the Greeks
used to show the middle finger in this way (the Greeks expressed it by
one word σκιμαλίζειν) to cinaedi, whether to beckon them or by way of
derision.). _Martial_, I. 93., Saepe mihi queritur Celsus.... Tangi
se digito, Mamuriane, tuo. (Often Celsus complains to me that he is
touched by your finger, Mamurianus.) VI. 70., Ostendit digitum, sed
impudicum. (He shows a finger, but an indecent one). Οἱ δὲ Ἀττικοὶ καὶ
τὸν μέσον τῆς χειρὸς δάκτυλον καταπύγωνα ὠνόμαζον. (Now the Attics used
to call the middle finger of the hand the _lewd_ finger.) _Pollux_,
Onomast., II. 4. 184. _Suetonius_, Caligula, ch. 56., Osculandam manum
offerre, formatam commotamque in obscoenum modum. (To offer his hand to
be kissed, put into an obscene shape and moved in an obscene way.) _Th.
Echtermeyer_, “Progr. über Namen und symbol. Bedeut. der Finger bei
den Griechen und Römern.” (Names and Symbolic Meaning of the Fingers
amongst the Greeks and Romans.) Halle 1835. 4to., pp. 41-49., treats
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