hermaphroditus
Could not find Hermaphroditum in Logeion dictionaries.
Hermaphroditum masculine genitive plural, masculine accusative singular of hermaphroditus
- a hermaphrodite, acc. to the myth, so called after the son of Hermes and Aphrodite, who, when bathing, grew together with Salmacis into one person: gignuntur et utriusque sexus, quos hermaphroditos vocamus, olim androgynos vocatos et in prodigiis habitos, nunc vero in deliciis, Plin. 7, 3, 3, § 34; cf. Ov. M. 4, 285 sq.; 383; Hyg. Fab. 271; Mart. 10, 4, 6.—
- II Transf., adj.: hermaphroditae equae. Plin. 11, 49, 109, § 262.
sua eliminat ab ecclesia filius Virginis prodigiosos hermafroditos
si in media cellula, ita ut utriusque partis suscipiat impressionem, hermofroditus erit, quoniam et unius et alterius corporis habebit et geret supplementa
in [cellula matricis ] media dicunt formari monstruosum nature prodigium, sc. hermafroditum
vas quod utrumque capit hermofrodita sapit
mulier utriusque sexus naturam preferens et ~a
[quidam ] utriusque sexus, sc. ermofroditus
sunt homines androgei vel androgamei, viz. quoddam genus hermofroditorum ‥; ‥ pariunt generantque vicissim
imberbes et tonsorati ‥ hermofroditis vel spadonibus ‥ similiores quam viris
in hermafroditis
est ‥ alia divisio hominum, quod alii sunt homines, alii femine, alii ~i
negans ‥ quod Christus est solummodo unus homo, nedum quod tunc foret hermofrodita, pater et filius et tota cognacio
nomina reprehensibilium virorum: ‥ hic et hec armifraudita,a skratt
hec armifodrita,a scrate
[(episcopus ] vestem ‥ sacerdotis in habitum convertit meretricis. ‥ sedebat ~us
nec femina. Occurrit in Vita S. Potiti Mart. ex MS. Neapol. cap. 3. apud Bollandum 13. Janu. S. Asterius Homil. 5 :
Καὶ μετ᾽ ὀλίγον ἡνιόχοις μερίζοντες τὸν
χρυσὸν, καὶ αὐληταῖς κακοδαίμοσι, καὶ μίμοις, καὶ ὀρχησταῖς, καὶ ἀνδρογύνοις, καὶ
γυναιξὶ πόρναις, etc. Infra ead. Homilia de quodam Eunucho : Γυναιξὶν ὢν καὶ ἀνδράσιν ἀμφισβητήσιμος. S. Basilius Epist. ad
Simpliciam, et Palladius in Vita S. Joan. Chrysostomi pag. 139. nec masculinum, nec
femineum esse genus aiunt, tertium genus hominum Eunuchos esse dicebat, nec videndum, nec in usu habendum a viris, sed vix a feminis nobilibus. Vide Matth. Paris ann. 1246. et Gloss. med. Græcit.
Ermofroditus (sic) inter infames ponitur, et non potest
esse advocatus. Monstrum, quod eo nomine vulgo intelligitur, aut quid simile,
aliquando extitisse suspicari licet ex Lit. remiss. ann. 1405. quas hic, ut rem raram et
singularem, describendas censui ex Reg. 160. Chartoph. reg. ch. 112 : Charles, etc.
Scavoir faisons... nous avoir receu l'humble supplication des amis charnels de Laurence
femme de Colin Poittevin, jeune femme aagiée de xvj. ans ou environ, d'Esclimont en la
chastellenie de Galardon, de la parroisse de Blury, prisonniere du sire d'Amboize au
regart de la justice d'Estrignoles, contenant comme deux ans eut en Aoust derrenierement
passé ou environ, Jehanne femme de Perrin Goula dudit lieu d'Esclimont à un jour... se
trahy pardevers icelle Laurence pour aler soyer avec elle ; .... et quant vint sur la
relevée,... laditte Jehanne dist à laditte Laurence telles paroles ou semblables :
Laurence, se tu veulx estre ma mie, je te feray beaucoup de bien ; laquelle Laurence,
qui ne pensoit à nul mal, lui dist qu'elle le vouloit bien : et adonc icelle Jehanne
sans plus dire prist laditte Laurence et la jeta sur une javelle de blé ; et lors dist à
laditte Jehanne : que me voulez vous faire ? vous n'estes pas femme comme les autres ;
et icelle Jehanne lui dist : tés toy, tu le saveras assez tost ; et adonc icelle Jehanne
rebrassa laditte Laurence et monta sur elle, comme un homme fait sur une femme, et
commença icelle Jehanne à remuer ses reins et faire en la maniere que un homme fait à
femme, et tant que par eschaufoison, que elle fist nature en laditte Laurence ; et lors
se leva laditte Jehanne de dessus elle, et commencerent à soyer jusques au soir qu'il
s'en alerent en leurs hostelz. Et trois jours après, laditte Jehanne ala à l'hostel
d'icelle Laurence et ex his
colligi posse videtur Joannam hic memoratam inter Hermaphroditos annumerandam, de quibus
Schenckin suis animadversionibus.
Fœmina vir factus sexus denigrat honorem,
Ars magica veneris Hermaphroditat eum.
HERMAPHRODI´TUS(ἑρμαφρόδιτος), a hermaphrodite. This conception belongs to art as well as to mythology, and will here be briefly noticed from the former point of view. The idea itself was probably derived from the worship of nature in the East, where we find not only monstrous compounds of animals, but also that peculiar kind of dualism which manifests itself in the combination of the male and female (Dict. Biogr. s. v.). The exchange of dresses by Hercules and Omphale, and similar proceedings in Cyprian, Lydian, and Greek worships, are thought to point to the same Oriental origin. The traditional derivation of the name from Hermes and Aphrodite is pronounced doubtful by Baumeister, who thinks that some foreign words may be concealed under it; nothing definite, however, is yet proposed. Hermaphroditus was regarded as an emblem of indissoluble marriage, in opposition to the ready divorces of ancient manners: and chaplets were hung up in his shrine at Athens by widows who desired to testify their fidelity to the deceased (Alciphr. Ep. 4.37). This, according to Baumeister, is also the explanation of the fable of Hermaphroditus and the nymph Salmacis in Ov. Met. 4.285-388.
Five marble statues of this class are extant; the oldest gives its name to the Sala dell' Ermafrodito in the Uffizi at Florence; two are in the Louvre, one in the Villa Borghese, the fifth has lately been dug up in Rome (figured Mon. dell' Inst. 11.43). Of these the Borghese and one of the Louvre statues are the most celebrated, but a strong resemblance runs through them all; in each the figure is lying on its side or face downwards, and the delicate outlines of the back, turned towards the spectator, alone suggest the bisexual form. This type is probably derived from the bronze original of the elder Polycles (Plin. Nat.34.80), and thus does not go further back than the later Athenian school. Other less modest representations are given by Clarac (pl. 666 ff.). By an obvious symbolism, the hermaphrodite form occurs in reliefs among Bacchanalian dances, Hermae of the bearded Dionysus, and Erotes. (Müller, Archäol. der Kunst, § § 128 n. 2, 392 n. 2; Baumeister, Denkmäler, s. v. Hermaphrodit.)
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