I have researched Roman methods of chastity of late, and was delighted to find that chastity for slaves was preferred to castration. In fact, according to several sources, including Ancient texts available on Sacred-Texts, male slaves, including dancers, singers, gladiators were infibulated to prevent sexual activity and masturbation, harnessing their sexual energy for work and effort. Question, is the slave on the left in this picture wearing some form of chastity device or infibulation anchor. He has chains suspended from his crotch. He is also the Mistresses bath slave, and quite small for a eunuch.
Male infibulation originated in ancient Greece and Rome as a way to control sexual behavior among the slaves and protect them from getting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It was also done to preserve chastity among gladiators and athletes, who were thought to perform better when chaste. The Greeks also believed that infibulation would keep the voices of young singers from changing when they reached puberty. Today, MGM is a popular form of body piercing among young men, and it is said to enhance sexual performance rather than inhibit it.
Holyday, in his illustrations to the sixth Satire of Juvenal, describes the fibula as a 'buckle, clasp or suchlike stay, applied to those that were employed to sing upon the stage; the Praetor, who set forth plays for the delight of the people, buying youths for that purpose. And that such might not by lust spoil their voice, their overseers dosed their shame with a case of metal, having a sharp pike of the same matter passing by the side of it, and sometimes used one of another form; or by a nearer cruelty they thrust a brazen or silver wire through that part, which the Jew did lose in circumcision.' This description is accompanied by an engraving showing two forms of the instrument, taken from Pignerius de Servis. François Noël states that they were used
1 to prevent singers from losing their voice,
2 to keep youths from masturbating themselves,
3 to conceal the organ of generation through modesty.
Roman gladiators also were frequently infibulated in order to preserve their vigour. The operation was performed by having the prepuce drawn over the glans; it was then pierced, and a thick thread was passed through it, remaining there until the cicatrising of the hole; when that had taken place a rather large ring was substituted. Juvenal speaks of the Roman ladies paying great sums of money to have these instruments removed from the permisters of the comedians and singers to whom they had taken a fancy.
