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
probably be right to read, as Aspasius and other editors have actually
done, Περσῶν for Σκυθῶν (kings _of the Persians_ for kings _of the
Scythians_), even though the MSS. show no variants; and indeed to
confirm this one might bring forward the trailing of the cloak (ὃς
ἕλκει τὸ ἱμάτιον—the man who trails his cloak) which is mentioned
as an example, and which was, as is well known, a fashion among the
Persians.—ch. 10., οὐ γὰρ πᾶς ὁ δι’ ἡδονήν τι πράττων οὔτ’ ἀκόλαστος
οὔτε φαῦλος οὔτ’ ἀκρατής, ἀλλ’ ὁ δι’ αἰσχράν. (For not every man that
does a thing for pleasure is “intemperate” or base or incontinent, but
he that does it for _disgraceful_ pleasure).
[349] _Cicero_, De Divinat. I. 38., Aristoteles quidem eos etiam,
qui valetudinis vitio furerent et melancholici dicerentur, censebat
habere aliquid in animis praesagiens atque divinum. (Aristotle indeed
considered that such men as were mad in consequence of ill-health and
were called “melancholics”, also possessed in their minds somewhat of
the prophetic and divine).
[350] _Aristotle_, Nicomach. Ethics VII. ch. 11., ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀκρατὴς
οὐκ ἐμμένει τῷ λόγῳ διὰ τὸ μᾶλλον. ch. 12. ἔτι ἐμπόδιον τῷ φρονεῖν
αἱ ἡδοναὶ, καὶ ὅσῳ μᾶλλον χαίρει, μᾶλλον, οἷον τὴν τῶν ἀφροδισίων
οὐδένα γὰρ ἂν δύνασθαι νοῆσαί τι ἐν αὐτῇ.... ἔτι παιδία καὶ θηρία
διώκει τὰς ἡδονάς. (For the reason why the incontinent person does
not abide by reason lies in an excess.—ch. 12., Pleasures too are an
impediment to thoughtfulness, and the greater the pleasure, the greater
the impediment, as e.g. the pleasure of love, for thought is out of
the question, while it lasts.... And lastly children and brute beasts
pursue pleasure).
[351] So _Quintilian_, Declam. III., says: Siculi in tantum vitio
regnant, ut obscoenis cupiditatibus natura cesserit, ut pollutis _in
femineam_ usque _patientiam_ maribus incurrat iam libido in sexum suum.
(The Sicilians are so predominant in vice, that Nature has ceased to
satisfy their fool lusts,—that males are debauched to _a feminine
passivity_ (to suffer treatment proper to women), and men fall back for
the gratification of their concupiscence on their own sex).
_Seneca_, Epist. 95., Libidine vero ne maribus quidem cedunt, _pati
natae_. (In concupiscence they yield not even to males, _though born to
the_ passive part).
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