APPENDIX C΄ ON DEPILATION: BODY COSMETICS IN CLASSICAL ...

ON DEPILATION: BODY COSMETICS IN CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY 585
âΛÓÔȘ ¯Ú‹ÛÂȘ ëÙ¤ÚÔȘ apple·ÚÂÖ¯ÔÓ, etc. We see depilation in a context
of unrestrained pleasure hunting, especially connected with
uninhibited and promiscuous homosexual practices. (Cf. the strong
expressions used by Theopompus in what follows this passage).
Sometimes close shaving of the beard and depilation of the pubic
and anal region (indicating, as we saw above, a special proclivity to
sexual passivity, cf. e.g. the already quoted epigram CXXXI by
Ausonius) were considered to be connected: v. Athenaeus XIII, 565 sq.
(cf. 564 sq.: ñÌÂÖ˜ ‰b ͢ÚÔ˘Ì¤ÓÔ˘˜ Ùa Á¤ÓÂÈ· appleÂÚÈʤÚÂÙ ÙÔf˜ âڈ̤-
ÓÔ˘˜) speaking about some cynically orientated Stoics, who were in
the habit of accusing anyone dressed with the slightest elegance or
wearing perfume as being ΛӷȉԘ, remarks: Ôé ‰ÂÖ ÔsÓ Ô≈Ùˆ˜ âÛÙ·Ï-
̤ÓÔ˘˜ (they used to wear only wretched, dirty small pieces of rough
cloth) appleÂÚd àÚÁ‡ÚÈÔÓ âappleÙÔÉÛı·È, ηd âڈ̤ÓÔ˘˜ appleÂÚÈ¿ÁÂÛı·È ͢ÚÔ˘-
̤ÓÔ˘˜ ÙcÓ ñapple‹ÓËÓ Î·d ÙeÓ ùÚÚÔÓ, etc. Cf. Lucian, De Mercede
Conductis, 33, where one ÙáÓ appleÂappleÈÙÙˆÌ¤ÓˆÓ Ùa ÛΤÏË Î·d ÙeÓ
appleÒÁˆÓ· appleÂÚÈÂ͢ÚËÌ¤ÓˆÓ is a thoroughly effeminate man. On the
other hand some were particularly industrious at keeping their sexual
organ and anus free of hair, while unattentive in a similar way to the
rest of their body: Lucian, Pseudologista, 31: ÎàÎÂÖÓ·, Âå ‰ÔÎÂÖ, ôÊÂÏÂ,
Ùe Ì‡Úˇˆ ¯Ú›ÂÛı·È Ùa˜ appleÔÏÈa˜ ηd Ùe appleÈÙÙÔÜÛı·È ÌfiÓ· âÎÂÖÓ·. Âå ÌbÓ
ÁaÚ ÓfiÛÔ˜ ÙȘ âapple›ÁÂÈ, ±apple·Ó Ùe ÛáÌ· ıÂÚ·appleÂ˘Ù¤ÔÓØ Âå ‰b ÌˉbÓ
ÓÔÛÂÖ˜ ÙÔÈÔÜÙÔÓ, Ù› ÛÔÈ ‚Ô‡ÏÂÙ·È Î·ı·Úa ηd ÏÂÖ· ηd çÏÈÛıËÚa
âÚÁ¿˙ÂÛı·È, L Ìˉb ïÚÄÛı·È ı¤ÌȘ (the last clause does not fit with the
Hellenic sentiment, of course, according to which they are ·å‰ÔÖ·,
pudenda, not unseeable). Cf. also Lucianus, Rhetorum praeceptor, 24:
ηd ÌcÓ Î·d appleÈÙÙÔÜÛı·È ¯Úc Ì¿ÏÈÛÙ· ÌbÓ Ùa apple¿ÓÙ· (sc. ̤ÚË ÙÔÜ
ÛÒÌ·ÙÔ˜), Âå ‰b Ì‹, apple¿ÓÙˆ˜ âÎÂÖÓ· (sc. the privy parts).
The practice was not restricted to low people. Julius Caesar himself
was thought to submit to it: Suetonius, Divus Julius 45: circa corporis
curam morosior, ut not solum tonderetur diligenter ac raderetur, sed
velleretur etiam, ut quidam exprobraverunt. (Cf. the already quoted
passage, Plutarch, J. Caesar 17: ηd ÙcÓ Û¿Úη Ï¢Îe˜ ηd êapple·Ïfi˜ sc.
Caesar). Emperor Otho also did the same thing; Suetonius, Otho, 12:
…munditiarum vero paene muliebrium, vulso corpore, galeniculo
capiti propter raritatem capillorum adaptato et annexo, ut nemo
dinosceret. Naturally, if emperors adopted the practice it could not
have been a rare thing among eminent administrators; e.g. consider