Two Pathic Subcultures in Ancient Rome

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Two Pathic Subcultures in Ancient Rome 367 ing for no explanation from Martial.'60 One memorable characteristic of drauci is infibulation, the practice of pinning the foreskin with a metal fibula to discourage erections. The Romans thought that excessive penile stimulation would hasten maturity in teenage boys (Mart. 11.22; Celsus 7.25.3) and that general overindulgence in sex was unhealthy and enervating, but the practice of infibulation aimed principally at preventing the putative degradation of the voice in male singers and actors.'6' But it is as sexual playthings that the drauci are victimized by Martial's poison pen. It is surprising, then, that A. E. Housman classes them primarily as athletes and only incidentally as sex partners to men: Draucus is as innocent a word as comoedus [comic actor] and simply means one who performs feats of strength in public. In two passages no other interpretation is possible . . . [Martial 7.67.4-6; 14.48]. But partly because of the common though false opinion that muscular strength and sexual vigour go together, and partly because these men, being infibulati [i.e., having the foreskin pinned with a metal fibula] to prevent them from impairing their stamina, might be expected, when refibulati [unpinned-see 9.27.12], to exhibit ardour, they were also in request for another purpose and could now and then earn pocket-money in their spare time. This, nothing more, is signified by Martial 1.96.12; 9.27.19; 11.72.1.162 Three of Martial's drauci obviously possess the very same characteristics that set apart the bath favorites discussed above. In 11.72, the unidentified Natta has a draucus to himself: "Natta calls it his draucu?s 'little weenie'; compared with him, Priapus is a Gallus" ("Drauci Natta sui vocat pipinnam, / conlatus cui Gallus est Priapus"). Another epigram introduces us to drauci in the context of the baths. Maternus acts and "'ODraucus appears as a masculine proper name (Howell [n. 66 above], p. 308). An inscription from a brothel in Pompeii rcads, "ARPHOCAS HIC CUM DRAUCA BENE FUTUIT DENARIO" ("Here Arphocas had a good fuck with [a?] DRAUCA for a denarius"; CIL IV 2193). Either this is the feminine form of the name Draucusor it is an actual word referring to some kind of female prostitute. Or perhaps it is both; it was a common practice for prostitutes to take or acquire suggestive names. See John K. Evans, War, Women and Children in Ancicnt Romc (New York, 1991), p. 138; H. Herter, "Die Soziologie der antiken Prostitution im Lichte des heidnischen und christlichen Schrifttums," Jahrbuch fur Antike und Christentum 3 (1960): 70-111, at p. 77. The suggestion that draucus was a proper name before it became a descriptive noun is appealing. This would place it in the same ctymological category as the English "john." 161 Balsdon (n. 97 above), p. 229, assumes that infibulation involves only adolescent males; but the evidence is unclear about this point. For more detailed treatments, see E. J. Dingwell, Male Infibulation (London, 1925); PW, s.v. infibulatio. 162 Housman, pp. 114-16. 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
368 RABUN TAYLOR dresses the part of a good Roman stoic, condemning the bright colors that effeminates wear. But beneath this facade, "his habits are bright green": "How comes it I suspect he's a fag? he'll ask. Well, we bathe together, and he never looks up, but checks out the drauci with devouring eyes, and with unresting lips he ogles their dicks. Who is he? you ask. I've dropped his name" (Mart. 1.96.9-14).163 What is it that Maternus wants, with his "devouring eyes" and "unresting lips"? The implication is that he longs to practice fellatio. This is made thoroughly clear in the case of Chrestus, a closet effeminate who disguises his "depilated balls" (depilatos coleos) and "cock like a vulture's neck" ("vulturino mentulam parem collo") under his philosopher's robes: "But if some draucus wanders in while you blather, now free of his overseer, whose tumescent prick has been unpinned by the smithwith a nod you call him and lead him away; and, Chrestus, I'm ashamed to say what you do with that Cato's tongue" (Mart. 9.27.1014).164 Housman misses a fundamental point in his interpretation of this passage. This draucus has just been granted a lasting freedom, perhaps even manumission. Whether or not all drauci wear fibulae at some time, it is clear that this one has relinquished his for good. If, as Housman suggests, he could simply unpin himself whenever it was convenient, the fibula would be useless as a deterrent to lascivious acts. On the contrary, the task of removing the device is apparently tricky: it requires the services of a skilled craftsman, presumably the same sort who installs fibulae, and is quite expensive.'65 As further evidence of manumission, the draucus has left his paedagogus-not the sort of personal chaperon that freeborn boys had, but a foreman for troupes of slaves, especially-if we trust Martial-of the wanton, long-haired sort (perhaps actors).l66 In short, he is free to take an active sexual role, one that the "philosophers" are ever so glad to exploit. Perhaps Housman too readily dismisses the possibility of sexual con- 163 "Rogabit unde suspicer virum mollem. / una lavamur: aspicit nihil sursum, / sed spectat oculis devorantibus draucos / nec otiosis mentulas videt labris. / quaeris quis hic sit? excidit mihi nomcn." I" "Occurrit aliquis inter ista si draucus, / iam pacdagogo liberatus et cuius / rcfibulavit turgidum faber penem, / nutu vocatum ducis, et pudet fari / Catoniana, Chreste, quod facis lingua." '65Juvenal 6.73: "The comedian's fibula is loosed by them at great price" ("Solvitur his magno comoedi fibula"). Martial 14.215: "Tell me straight, Fibula, what do you guarantee to comedians and minstrels? 'That they'll fuck at a greater cost.'" ("Dic mihi simpliciter, comoedis et citharoedis, / fibula, quid praestas? 'Carius ut futuant.'") '6His exact function is uncertain, but he may be an urban equivalent of the vilicus (Mart. 3.58). We learn from this same poem that household slaves have access to wrestling masters (25). Linus, the addressee of 12.49, is a paedagogus of wanton boys and the wealthy favorite of his patroness. 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
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Page 3 and 4: 320 RABUN TAYLOR invoked a savage m
Page 5 and 6: 322 RABUN TAYLOR tion, between inte
Page 7 and 8: 324 RABUN TAYLOR A FEW REMARKS ABOU
Page 9 and 10: 326 RABUN TAYLOR context of the ant
Page 11 and 12: 328 RABUN TAYLOR pius as active, Gi
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
Page 35 and 36: 352 RABUN TAYLOR dia with "shameful
Page 37 and 38: 354 RABUN TAYLOR But another cinacd
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: 366 RABUN TAYLOR tency of the repor
Page 53 and 54: 370 RABUN TAYLOR men solicited in b

Two Pathic Subcultures in Ancient Rome

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