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

548 APPENDIX C΄
Cornutus Theol. Graeca 16 [p. 23.16-18 ed. BT], where ÏÂÖÔ˜ means
the boy who has not reached puberty; Plutarch, An Seni Respublica
Gerenda Sit, 28 [797F]; Macrobius I, 19, 14; Plotinus III, 6, 19, 25
sqq.: ¬ıÂÓ, ÔrÌ·È, ηd Ôî apple¿Ï·È ÛÔÊÔd Ì˘ÛÙÈÎᘠηd âÓ ÙÂÏÂÙ·Ö˜
·åÓÈÙÙfiÌÂÓÔÈ ^EÚÌÉÓ ÌbÓ appleÔÈÔÜÛÈ ÙeÓ àÚ¯·ÖÔÓ Ùe Ùɘ ÁÂÓ¤Ûˆ˜
ùÚÁ·ÓÔÓ àÂd ö¯ÔÓÙ· appleÚe˜ âÚÁ·Û›·Ó etc.; Cicero, De Nat. Deorum III
§56, where he, in his erect condition, is brought, into connection with
Proserpina, a fact of far-reaching significance as we shall see in another
part of this work). I have insisted in determining the precise sense of
àÓ·ÊÏÄÓ, because the discussion of such matters tends to be, during
the last few centuries, too general and vague: everything seems to be
lumped together as sens. obs. Not quite so with Renaissance
scholarship; and far from so in ancient times. Then there prevailed a
general free acceptance of sexuality in all its faces; jesting with it
presupposes such an acceptance, which, in its turn, does not imply
necessarily praising it, or boasting of it. Thus, in our case, there were
various expressions to denote the different things which can be done
to the membrum virile even before anything involving a partner is
concerned (similarly there were plenty of names, in common use,
about the different Û˘ÓÔ˘ÛÈ·ÛÙÈÎa Û¯‹Ì·Ù· and the various types of
ÊÈÏ‹Ì·Ù·). One such expression is àÓ·ÊÏÄÓ; another is àappleÔÛÎÔχappleÙÂÈÓ
(or ÛÎÔχappleÙÂÈÓ; cf. òAÚÚËÙ· ^IÂÚ¿ n. 52); different again is
àappleÔÙ˘ÏÔÜÓ (already used by Pherecrates Fr. LXXI c, Fragm. Inc.
Meineke vol. II p. 356 = Fr. 227 PCGr. Vol. VII p. 207: âηÏÂÖÙÔ ‰b
ηd Ù‡ÏÔ˜ Ùe ·å‰ÔÖÔÓ, ¬ıÂÓ Î·d ºÂÚÂÎÚ¿Ù˘ Ùe Á˘ÌÓÔÜÓ ·éÙe (i.e.
drawing back the skin so as to lay bare its head, the ‚¿Ï·ÓÔ˜) ÙFÉ ¯ÂÈÚd
àappleÔÙ˘ÏÔÜÓ ÂrappleÂÓ); further we have àÓ·ÛÙ‡„·È (Pollux II 176 and
Hesychius s.v.); and finally the practice in which the ΢ÓÔ‰¤ÛÌÈÔÓ
functioned (Pollux II 171 and Hesychius and Photius s.v. ΢ÓÔ‰¤ÛÌË).
These expressions are found in comic writers and in lexicographers
who collected them from comic writers; but comedy notoriously
reflects the habits and customs of ordinary life in each age and nation;
as can be seen from the elaborate naturalness of the Greek comic
genius, the over-indulgent directness of the Roman, or the insipid
sophistication of the contemporary scene.
But let us return to the passage from Ranae which kindled this
digression. We have seen the onomatopoetic work of Aristophanes in