Slave Infibulation in Ancient Greece and Rome

Slave Infibulation in Ancient Greece and Rome

found this online


It is well known that slave infibulation was practiced in ancient Greece and Rome. Precisely how this was done is less well known. This article is based on what documentary evidence exists together with some research of my own.
Infibulation of Male Slaves:
There are two enormous Roman statues, more than life-size, of naked slaves in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. Both have their penises bent double so that the head points towards the body. In the one on the left, the penis head lies on top of the shaft; in the other the penis head is on the left of the shaft. In both, the sculptor has been exact in his work, and it is possible to make out the size and position of the rings.
Taking the one on the left first, the ring is clearly quite large, possibly an inch and a quarter in the original. The ring passes horizontally through the shaft of the penis, a little behind the glans. The other half of the ring is attached close to the trunk of the slave, and, judging from its position, passes horizontally either through the shaft of the penis at its point of attachment or through the suspensory ligament.
In the second case, the ring is a little smaller. It has passed vertically through the shaft of penis again close behind the glans, and a little to the side of the urethra. The other side of the ring is again attached close to the torso and passes vertically either through the shaft of the penis close to its base, or through the suspensory ligament.
The two slaves are clearly a matched pair, heavy, muscular, with short curly hair, and as alike as brothers. The body proportions suggests a possibly Germanic origin.
There is documentary evidence to suggest that the rings were fitted shortly before puberty or just at its onset. They would be of bronze, and welded shut by pieces of red-hot charcoal and a blow-pipe. Erections must have been very painful, and it is certain that the slaves could never achieve penetration. Orgasm and ejaculation would have been infrequent. and probably avoided as far as that was possible.
Such slaves were preferred to eunuchs. Eunuchs were prone to a number of health problems and would never be as strong as a fully mature man. Infibulated like this, there would be no risk of pregnancy amongst the female slaves