The Plague of Lust, Vol. 2 (of 2): Being a History of Venereal Disease in Classical AntiquityRosenbaum, Julius
History
The Plague of Lust, Vol. 2 (of 2): Being a History of Venereal Disease in Classical Antiquity
Rosenbaum, Julius
Sexually transmitted diseases -- History
Ne forte ex homine et veterino semine equorum
Confieri credas Centauros posse, nec esse.
(Never suppose that the Centaurs _could_ be framed from man and
the bestial seed of horses, and _were_ not so framed). _Clement of
Alexandria_, Coh. p. 51. Aristonymus the Ephesian begat with a she-ass,
Fulvius Stella with a mare, the former a girl, the latter a boy.
_Plutarch_, Parall. ch. 26.
[137] Leviticus, Ch. XX, 15-19., “And if a man lie with a beast, he
shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast. And if a
woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill
the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death.” Comp.
_Philo_, De specialibus legibus,—Works, edit. Mangey, Vol. II. p. 307.
[138] _Plutarch_, Bruta animalia ratione uti, (That brutes employ
Reason), ch. X., ὁ Μενδήσιος ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τράγος λέγεται πολλαῖς καὶ
καλαῖς συνειργνυμένος γυναιξὶν οὐκ εἶναι μίγνυσθαι πρόθυμος· ἀλλὰ πρὸς
τὰς αἰγας ἐπτόηται μᾶλλον. (The Mendesian Goat in Egypt is said, though
shut up with many beautiful women, not to be eager to have intercourse
with them; but rather is he inflamed towards the she-goats). Yet this
did sometimes happen; _Herodotus_, Hist. bk. II. ch. 46., Καλεῖται δὲ
ὅ τε τράγος καὶ ὁ Πὰν Αἰγυπτιστὶ Μένδης· ἐγένετο δ’ ἐν τῷ νομῷ τούτῳ
ἐπ’ ἐμεῦ τοῦτο τὸ τέρας. γυναικὶ τράγος ἐμίσγετο ἀναφανδόν· τοῦτο ἐς
ἐπίδεξιν ἀνθρώπων ἀπίκετο. (Now the goat and Pan are called in Egyptian
Mendes; and there occurred in this district in my time the following
marvel,—a he-goat had intercourse with a woman openly; and this came
to be an example among men). Strabo. XVII. p. 802., Μένδης, ὅπου τὸν
Πᾶνα τιμῶσι, καὶ ζωὸν τράγον· οἱ τράγοι ἐνταῦθα γυναιξὶ μίγνυνται.
(Mendes, where they honour Pan, and a live goat; the he-goats there
have intercourse with women). In a fragment (from Pindar) there given,
we read:
ἔσχατον Νείλου κέρας αἰγιβάται
ὅθι τράγοι γυναιξὶ μίγνυνται.
(The furthest mouth of the Nile, where bucking he-goats conjoin with
women). The Museum Herculanense actually preserves representations
of the thing on Monuments. _Plutarch_, De solertia animalium (Of the
Intelligence of Animals), ch. 49., relates a similar case even with
crocodiles, which was said to have happened at Antaeopolis.
[139] _Boettiger_, “Sabina oder Morgenscenen in Putzzimmer einer
Römerin,” (Sabina, or Morning Scenes at the Toilette of a Roman Lady),
Bk. II. p. 454.
[140] _Pliny_, Hist. Nat. Bk. XXXIX. ch. 4., Anguis Aesculapius
Epidauro Romam advectus est, vulgoque pascitur et in domibus. (The
snake of Aesculapius was introduced from Epidaurus to Rome, and is very
commonly kept there, even in houses). _Martial_, bk. VII. Epigr. 86.,
Si gelidum collo nectit Gracilla draconem. (If Gracilla twines a clammy
snake round her neck). Comp. _Lucian_, Alexander, Works, Vol. IV. p.
259. _Philostratus_, Heroic. Bk. VIII. ch. 1.
[141] Suetonius, Vita Augusti, ch. 94.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account