Two Pathic Subcultures in Ancient Rome

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Two Pathic Subcultures in Ancient Rome 353 cinacdi. At the same time, both presumably take the active role in violating little girls. The earlier exclusivity of the word is starting to break down. A semiliterate inscription in Pompeii of unknown date, but which might reasonably be placed in the Neronian period, is of interest. It reads, VESBINUS CINEDV S VITALIO PED[i]CAVIT ("The cinacdus Vesbinus screwed [with?] Vitalius"; CIL IV 2319b). Whether this is a boast or a taunt is impossible to tell, but it does apparently place the cinaedus in the active role-or an undefined homosexual role, if one wants to read the otherwise inexplicable ablative (?) form of "Vitalius" with an implicit cum (with)." 2 Most likely we are dealing with a phonetic spelling of the accusative vitaliom. All five instances of the term cinaedus in Petronius's Satyricon refer to some rather vividly drawn brothel dwellers. Unfortunately, the fragmentary nature of the text and Petronius's oblique style leave great doubt about the nature of these characters."3 The scene in chapters 23-24, however, limns the rather interesting image of an aggressive pathic attack. A cinaedus waltzes in upon the freshly awakened guests of Quartilla's brothel and cries, "Come one, come all, you wild cinaedi [spatalocinaedi], and hurry! Stretch those legs, make tracks, gather round, o supple of thigh, agile of butt, brazen of hand, pansies, ancients, handgelded Delians!" (Petron. 23.3)."14 He proceeds to mount Encolpius as the latter lies on his back, smother him with foul-breathed kisses (in Roman literature, a sure sign of a fellator), and grind about atop his groin (23.4). Neither the man's invocation to his cohorts nor his own acts betray any disposition to penile activity. The fact that at least some of his colleagues are eunuchs suggests that he is perhaps one himself, castrated in childhood like the slave prostitutes described in 119.1.20-27 and in Martial (9.6, 9.8)."'5 This would make him a pathic by default and a prostitute by compulsion, perhaps incapable of any physical arousal. He would naturally never be expected to summon an erection in the daily prosecution of his duties, but would serve only clients interested in active intercourse with a male. 112 It seems unlikely that the dative is meant instead of the ablative here, although 'for Vitalius" is conceivable (if Vitalius is the pimp). The verb futuo (fuck) appears several times with cum + ablative. See CIL IV.2258, 2192, 2193. 113Christopher Gill, "The Sexual Episodes in the Satyricon," Classical Philology 68 (1973): 172-85, at 177 and n. 16. 114"Huc huc cito convenite nunc, spatalocinaedi, / pede tendite, cursum addite, convolate planta / femoreque facili, clune agili et manu procaces, / molles, veteres, Deliaci manu recisi." "5The practice of castrating young boys for pathic prostitution would be outlawed, ineffectually, by Domitian and again by Hadrian. This content downloaded from 71.172.231.156 on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 18:27:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
354 RABUN TAYLOR But another cinacdus in Quartilla's stable is harder to place. Hc appears in chapter 21: "First he banged away at us, buns wrenched asunder, then befouled us with noxious kisses until Quartilla, holding her whalebone staff and tucking her skirts up, ordered that we poor souls be relieved&""'6 One's first impulse is to assume that this is simply another instance of a pathic horseman with his stinking kisses, as some scholars believe."l7 But three things discourage such a conclusion in favor of active penetration. First, the verb cacdo normally means to beat with a weapon and is well attested as a slang term for aggressive sexual penetration."8 Thus we read extortis clunibus as an absolute (referring to the victims' buttocks), not an instrumental (referring to the assailant's buttocks as the "weapon"). Second, Quartilla apparently lifts her skirts as if to deflect the man's energies to herself and to allow him to finish on her what he had begun on Encolpius and Ascyltos. Third, after a lacuna, the two victims swear that they will never bring the shame of their acts to light (21.3). This would only make sense if they, freeborn men, had been penetrated by a lowly prostitute. Petronius's understanding of the term cinaedus is therefore both broader and narrower than that of Catullus; he apparently includes men with different physical capacities and functions, who share the usual characteristic of being primarily or exclusively inclined to homosexual acts; yet his only usages of the word are in the context of the brothel. It is never used of free men. Juvenal's second satire is a veritable rogues' gallery of "Socratic cinaedi" (2.10)."'9 As usual, the author's attention rests on pathic behavior (2.10-13, 21, 55-57, 117-18). But Laronia's criticism of these men is telling: "Hispo mounts/slips under [subit] young men and pales with both illnesses" (2.50). The intentionally ambiguous meaning of the verb subeo, which can also mean "to enter" or "to assault" on the one hand, or "to submit to" on the other, suggests that Hispo's two illnesses are the compounded results of the active and passive roles. This is why Laronia can invoke the lex Scantinia, a law that Williams argues was directed at the active partner in illicit relationships with freeborn males. Unaware "'6Modo extortis nos clunibus cecidit, modo basiis olidissimis inquinavit, donec Quartilla ballaenaccam tcnens virgam alteque succincta iussit infclicibus dari missionem" (Pctron. 21.2). "7According to Richardson (n. 4 abovc) the cinacdi here are a 'class who arc capable of arousal and orgasm (as modern medicine confirms) although confined by surgery to activc pursuit of passive postures" (p. 121). "8Adams (n. 104 abovc), pp. 145-46. This passage from Pctronius is included in his citations. I"9Scc Richlin, 'Not bcforc Homosexuality" (n. 3 abovc), pp. 543-54; Jerome Bernay- Vilbert, "Folies romaines: Les homosexucls dans l'oeuvrc dc Juvcnal," Arcadie 259-60 (1975): 356-64. This content downloaded from 71.172.231.156 on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 18:27:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Page 1 and 2: Two Pathic Subcultures in Ancient R
Page 3 and 4: 320 RABUN TAYLOR invoked a savage m
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Page 7 and 8: 324 RABUN TAYLOR A FEW REMARKS ABOU
Page 9 and 10: 326 RABUN TAYLOR context of the ant
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Page 13 and 14: 330 RABUN TAYLOR arouse] me, if you
Page 15 and 16: 332 RABUN TAYLOR ously he had broug
Page 17 and 18: 334 RABUN TAYLOR In his description
Page 19 and 20: 336 RABUN TAYLOR cult may also have
Page 21 and 22: 338 RABUN TAYLOR AN URBAN SUBCULTUR
Page 23 and 24: 340 RABUN TAYLOR Thus Seneca says t
Page 25 and 26: 342 RABUN TAYLOR corresponding lack
Page 27 and 28: 344 RABUN TAYLOR by freeborn males
Page 29 and 30: 346 RABUN TAYLOR are effeminati; he
Page 31 and 32: 348 RABUN TAYLOR Empire, "those who
Page 33 and 34: 350 RABUN TAYLOR or, more likely, t
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Page 39 and 40: 356 RABUN TAYLOR both the active an
Page 41 and 42: 358 RABUN TAYLOR lectual patronage
Page 43 and 44: 360 RABUN TAYLOR of these prostitut
Page 45 and 46: 362 RABUN TAYLOR behind when they e
Page 47 and 48: 364 RABUN TAYLOR four bathhouses."
Page 49 and 50: 366 RABUN TAYLOR tency of the repor
Page 51 and 52: 368 RABUN TAYLOR dresses the part o
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Two Pathic Subcultures in Ancient Rome

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