Monday, January 3, 2022

An Intersex Scholar Tackles The Term "Effeminate," Aulus Gellius, Noct. Att. III.1

In this conversation, the famous intersex scholar Favorinus uses Socratic-style questioning techniques to discuss the meaning of the word effeminari, ["to make womanly,"]. It is interesting to note Favorinus' use of homo, person, instead of vir, man, in this conversation, as well as how he uses the passage to explore his colleagues' perspectives of gender and gender roles.

Quaesitum atque tractatum, quam ob causam Sallustius avaritiam dixerit non animum modo virilem, sed corpus quoque ipsum effeminare. 

1 Hieme iam decedente apud balneas Titias in area subcalido sole cum Favorino philosopho ambulabamus, atque ibi inter ambulandum legebatur Catilina Sallustii, quem in manu amici conspectum legi iusserat. 

2 Cumque haec verba ex eo libro lecta essent: "Avaritia pecuniae studium habet, quam nemo sapiens concupivit; ea quasi venenis malis inbuta corpus animumque virilem effeminat, semper infinita et insatiabilis est, neque copia neque inopia minuitur", 

tum Favorinus me aspiciens "quo" inquit "pacto corpus hominis avaritia effeminat? 3 quid enim istuc sit, quod animum virilem ab ea effeminari dixit, videor ferme assequi; set quonam modo corpus quoque hominis effeminet, nondum reperio." 

4 "Et ego" inquam "longe iamdiu in eo ipse quaerendo fui ac, nisi tu occupasses, ultro te hoc rogassem." 

5 Vix ego haec dixeram cunctabundus, atque inibi quispiam de sectatoribus Favorini, qui videbatur esse in litteris veterator, "Valerium" inquit "Probum audivi hoc dicere: usum esse Sallustium circumlocutione quadam poetica et, cum dicere vellet hominem avaritia corrumpi, corpus et animum dixisse, quae duae res hominem demonstrarent; namque homo ex animo et corpore est." 

6 "Numquam," inquit Favorinus "quod equidem scio, tam inportuna tamque audaci argutia fuit noster Probus, ut Sallustium, vel subtilissimum brevitatis artificem, periphrasis poetarum facere diceret." 

7 Erat tum nobiscum in eodem ambulacro homo quispiam sane doctus. 8 Is quoque a Favorino rogatus, ecquid haberet super ea re dicere, huiuscemodi verbis usus est: 9 "Quorum" inquit "avaritia mentem tenuit et corrupit quique sese quaerundae undique pecuniae dediderunt, eos plerosque tali genere vitae occupatos videmus, ut sicuti alia in his omnia prae pecunia, ita labor quoque virilis exercendique corporis studium relictui sit. 10 Negotiis enim se plerumque umbraticis et sellulariis quaestibus intentos habent, in quibus omnis eorum vigor animi corporisque elanguescit et, quod Sallustius ait, "effeminatur"." 

11 Tum Favorinus legi denuo verba eadem Sallustii iubet atque, ubi lecta sunt, "quid igitur" inquit "dicimus, quod multos videre est pecuniae cupidos et eosdem tamen corpore esse vegeto ac valenti?" 

12 Tum ille ita respondit non hercle inscite. "Quisquis" inquit "est pecuniae cupiens et corpore tamen est bene habito ac strenuo, aliarum quoque rerum vel studio vel exercitio eum teneri necessum est atque in sese colendo non aeque esse parcum. 13 Nam si avaritia sola summa omnes hominis partes affectionesque occupet et si ad incuriam usque corporis grassetur, ut per illam unam neque virtutis neque virium neque corporis neque animi cura adsit, tum denique id vere dici potest effeminando esse et animo et corpori, qui neque sese neque aliud curent, nisi pecuniam." 

14 Tum Favorinus: "aut hoc," inquit "quod dixisti, probabile est, aut Sallustius odio avaritiae plus, quam oportuit, eam criminatus est."

--Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae III.1

A Discussion on Sallust’s Quote that Greed “Effeminates” Both a Man’s Soul and his Body

1) At the end of winter, when we were strolling outside of the Titian baths with Favorinus the philosopher, he saw that his friend had a copy of Sallust’s Catiline and asked that he read it aloud.

2) He got to the following passage: “Greed has a lust for money, which no wise man desires; greed, dripping with poison, effeminates both a man’s body and mind. It is never-ending and unquenchable, and it never goes away, regardless of wealth or poverty.”

Turning to me, Favorinus asked, “how can greed ‘effeminate’ a person’s body? 3) I understand what he says about greed turning a man’s mind womanly, but I don’t know how it can change a person’s body.”

4)  “Yeah, I’ve thought about that as well for a while, and I would have asked the same thing myself, if you hadn’t brought it up.”

5) As soon as I spoke this, one of Favorinus’ more erudite followers replied,  “I heard Valerius Probus say that Sallust used a certain poetic rhetorical device here. Since he wanted to say that a person was corrupted by vice, he said “body and soul,” which are the two things that make up a person, for a person is a body and a soul.”

6) Favorinus replied, “I have never known our Probus to be as foolish as to think that Sallust, the most concise author, would use poetic embellishments.”

At this point another learned scholar from the courtyard entered the conversation.  8) Favorinus also asked him what he thought of this quote.  He replied, 9) “Greed controls and corrupts their minds and they dedicate their entire being to seeking out more money. We see many examples of this kind of person whose entire lives are so dedicated to greed that every ounce of their energy is devoted to getting more money, and they neglect exercising their body as well as other things to keep them strong. All of this indoor, sedentary business takes up all of their time, and so the strength of their body and mind goes numb, or ‘effeminate,’ as Sallust says.”

11) Then Favorinus asked for the Sallust quote to be repeated, and then said, “What then, can we say about the many people who are greedy for money, but have strong and healthy bodies?”

12) Then he responded “Geez, I don’t know. I guess whoever has a greed for money as well as a strong body must also have an equal desire to maintain their healthy body. For if greed alone is a person's prime motivator, to the point that it makes a person careless about their health, and all they care about is money, then that must be what is means to “effeminate” a mind and body."

Then Favorinus replied “Either what you say is correct, or Sallust was heavy-handed in his hatred of greed.”

AULUS GELLIUS

MAP:

Name:  Aulus Gellius

Date:  2nd. c. CE

Works:  Attic Nights

 

REGION  UNKNOWN

Region 1: Peninsular Italy; Region 2: Western Europe; Region 3: Western Coast of Africa; Region 4: Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean; Region 5: Greece and the Balkans


BIO:

Timeline:

 Aulus Gellius lived during the 2nd century CE. His work, the Attic Nights, are a collection of anecdotes about literature, history, and grammar.  From internal evidence, we can deduce that he was in the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ social circle, having close friendships with Herodes Atticus and Fronto.

 SILVER AGE LATIN

 

Early Roman Lit: through 2nd c BCE: Republican Rome: through 1st c. BCE; Golden Age: 70 BCE to 18 CE; Silver Age: 18 CE to 150 CE; Age of Conflict: 150 CE - 410 CE; Byzantine and Late Latin: after 410 CE



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