Rhaphanidosis

Rhaphanidosis was a type of punishment used on adulterers in Ancient Athens. In this method, the delinquent man was anally penetrated with a radish. In addition, his pubic hair would be depilated with hot ashes. The Greek words for this punishment were ῥαφανιδόω (raphanidoô) and ἀπο"αφανίδωσις (aporaphanidosis), both derived from the Greek root word ῥαφανός (raphanos, radish).

The rhaphanidosis punishment is mentioned, for example, in The Clouds by Aristophanes, c. 420 B.C. Its earliest reference in Roman literature is found in a poem by Catullus (1st century B.C.).

Interpretation

The punishment involved a combination of public humiliation and physical pain. In an variant of the punishment, a poisonous fish was used instead of a radish.

The likely symbolic meaning of the punishment (anal penetration combined with pubic depilation) was to degrade the adulterer by equating him to an cinaedus, an effeminate male who loves being sexually penetrated by other men.^[1]

Historical background

According to Euphiletus, the ancient Athenians regarded seduction a worse crime than rape.^[2] Seduction was worse than rape because it implied corruption not only of the woman's body, but also of her mind; a raped woman had not ceased to be loyal to her husband.^[3]

The penalty for rape of a free woman was only financial. If the head of household however cought an adulterer (μοιχεία, one who had consensual but adulterous sexual intercourse with a free woman) in the act, he could kill him immediately, and if accused of murder could defend himself by pleading that the homicide was lawful. Or instead of killing he could subject him to punishments such as ῥαφανιδόω.

Related term

Ε-π"ωκτος (euru-proktos, wide-assed) was an Athenian derogatory or ironic term for an adulterer, referring to this type of punishment. The term was also possibly also used for homosexuals, but for other reasons.

References

↑ see cinaedus
↑ Did the Athenians regard seduction a worse crime than rape?
↑ Douglas M. MacDowell, The Law in Classical Athens (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1978; rpt. 1986), p. 124