CLA219H1 Lecture Notes - Hetaira, True Women, Hermaphroditus
Document Summary
Priapus is a divinity of fertility in rome, put in gardens to scare people and animals away. Apotropaic: to ward off evil and bad influences. Apotropaic properties were associated with the penis in the ancient world. Fresco of priapus at the vettii house in the city of pompeii, it was on the door of a private residence. Penis wasn"t something shameful or something that needed to be hidden, unlike the standards today. Statue of priapus in the garden was a fountain from his penis, this was not unusual. Latin has an obscene word for penis, some modern translations don"t translate these correctly. Tintinnabula: a roman wind chime with bells and images of penises that served an apotropaic function. Pompeii was full of sexual scenes and objects which were locked away because of the moral ideology of the late nineteenth century. In greek comedy, at least in athens, the players would wear phalluses as part of the costume.
