The Plague of Lust: A History of Venereal Disease in Antiquity (1901 Edition)
"The Plague of Lust" by Julius Rosenbaum examines venereal diseases in ancient Greece and Rome, attributing their spread to cultural factors like pederasty. The book delves into medical consequences, ancient terms, and societal attitudes.
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The 1901 edition of "The Plague of Lust: Being A History of Venereal Disease in Classical Antiquity" by Julius Rosenbaum delves into the topic of sexually transmitted diseases in ancient Greece and Rome. Rosenbaum attributes the spread of diseases to various factors such as cultural influences and practices like pederasty. The book provides detailed accounts of the medical consequences of different sexual activities, including descriptions of symptoms and diseases associated with them. Additionally, Rosenbaum explores ancient Greek terms related to sexual acts and agents, offering insights into historical perspectives on sexuality. The text also includes translations of ancient texts discussing taboo practices and derogatory terms related to sexuality. Despite its scholarly approach, the book lacks discussions on safe sex practices and female sexuality from a non-male perspective. Through over 650 pages, Rosenbaum presents a vivid picture of the historical context of venereal diseases and sexual behaviors in classical antiquity, shedding light on the societal attitudes and practices of the time.
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3 commentsWell, no. Rosenbaum discusses μυοχάνη on pg. 14, a word found in Galen's Glossary of Hippocrates. Galen:
μυ<ρ>ιοχάνη· ἐπίθετον χασκούσης. εἰ δὲ μυριοχαύνη γράφοιτο, ἡ ἐπὶ μυρίοις ἂν εἴη χαυνουμένη.
My trans. "Muriochane/Muiochane: A name for a woman yawning. But if it is to be written 'thousand relaxer', it should be a woman who relaxes [ie., her legs] for a thousand."
This "yawn" or "yawn after something" can be similar in Greek usage to our "drool after."
The "Cleopatra" claim is internet garbage, nowhere in Rosenbaum, and I wonder if an AI summarizer picked it up from Reddit or something? All Rosenbaum does is quote Erotian in that discussion, who says "μηριοχάνη ὄνομα γυναικός," Meriochane is the name of a woman.
There's another related word from the Suda, μυσάχνη, which it attributes to Archilochus as a reference (name for?) a prostitute.
Should be dated to the year 1830 since 1901 edition is just a translation into English
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