Note 40 — Chapter II · ON PEDICATION

“Who, indeed, could put up with a ruler who imbibed pleasure through all the cavities in his body? Not even a beast would be suffered to do so. At Rome his only care was to send out emissaries, who had to look out for and to bring to the court the best shaped men for his enjoyment. He had a performance of the comedy of “Paris” in his palace, played the part of Venus himself, and suddenly dropping his clothes, he appeared naked with one hand on his chest and the other covering his pudenda; he then knelt down and offered his raised buttocks to his pedicon” (Lampridius, Heliogabalus, ch. 5). And a little farther on: “He loved Hierocles to such a degree as to kiss his virile parts, a thing I blush to report; he said that he thus celebrated the Floralia” (Ibid., ch. 6). He did not hesitate to repeat the infamous wedding of Nero with Pythagoras: “Zoticus had such a power over him that the principal officials of the state treated him as though he really were the husband of the Emperor. He married him, and made him consummate the marriage in the presence of the giver away of the bride, telling him, “Push in, Magira!” And this was done at a time when Zoticus was ill” (Lampridius, ch. 10). Zoticus was called Magira on account of the profession of his father, who had been a cook.