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
[359] De figuris, edit. J. Fr. Boissonade. London 1818. 8vo., ch. 35
pp. 56 sqq., Περίφρασις δ’ ἔστιν ὅταν τῆς ἁπλῆς καὶ εὐθεῖας γινομένης
ἑρμενείας εὐτελοῦς οὔσης, μεταβαλλόντες, κόσμου ἕνεκα ἢ πάθους, ἢ
μεγαλοπρεπείας, ἄλλοις ὀνόμασι, καὶ πλείοσι τῶν κυρίων καὶ ἀναγκαίων,
τὸ πρᾶγμα ἑρμηνεύσωμεν· οἷον ἐστὶ—παρὰ δὲ Ἡροδότῳ, ἐνέσκηψεν _ἡ θεὸς
θήλειαν νόσον, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐποίησεν ἀνδρογύνους ἢ κατεαγότας_. (for
translation see text above). The Greek word κατεαγότας (broken,
enervated) corresponds to the Latin _percisus_. The Romans undoubtedly
used _effeminatus_ (effeminate) as synonymous with _cinaedus_,
as is shown by a passage in _Seneca_, De benefic., bk. VII. ch.
25., Aristippus aliquando delectatus unguento, male, inquit, istis
_effeminatis_ eveniat, qui rem tam bellam infamaverunt. (On one
occasion Aristippus being much pleased with a certain perfume, said:
Confound those vile _effeminates_, who have made so fine a delicacy
infamous). This is obviously a free translation of the Greek words as
they stand in _Diogenes Laertius_, Vita Aristippi, bk. II. ch. 8. note
4.,—and in _Clement of Alexandria_, Paedag., bk. II. ch. 8. p. 279.,
Ἀρίστιππος γοῦν ὁ φιλόσοφος, χρισάμενος μύρῳ, κακοὺς κακῶς ἀπολωλέναι
χρῆναι τοὺς κιναίδους ἔφασκεν, τοῦ μύρου τὴν ὠφέλειαν εἰς λοιδορίαν
διαβεβληκότας. (Now Aristippus the philosopher, after he had anointed
himself with myrrh, said, foully should the foul cinaedi perish,
because they have brought into disrepute that excellent creature
myrrh.).
[360] Bk. IV. ch. 67.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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