Posted on 10/28/2002 4:57:35 AM PST by RikaStrom
And of course operating from my Alzheimered memory, I got it wrong. This woman did NOT have an "os patulum". Here's the footnote (Gibbon got the datum from a history of Armenia, with reference to a woman presented to Tiridates IV, the King of Armenia who had been brought up by the Romans to protect him from the ravages of the Persian king in Armenia. He took over Armenia around 298 A.D., [having returned there about 11 years earlier? Gibbon isn't big on being clear about dates] and, according to Gibbon, at some point was "presented" this woman by her father Otas a satrap of Armenia, who had this daughter "preserved from violation"):
"She was named Chosroiduchta, and it was said she had not the 'os patulum' like other women. I do not understand the expression."
So allegedly she did NOT have a big mouth, and/or big other part, and/or was not a slut like other women were apparently considered to have or be in that history of Armenia. And it might be typical of Gibbon's very dry sense of humour that he would say he didn't understand the expression when he actually understood the expression quite well and wanted to spice things up slightly with this footnote but feigned ignorance to avoid censure because he was writing in the late 1700's.
Here's one of my favourite's from Gibbon (the gist of which I posted to Miss Cote a few weeks ago):
He explains that by Constantine's time the consuls were pretty useless. Taking over on the first day of the year (the Romans identified years by who the two consuls were effective New Year's Day of each year, so Tacitus would, for example, refer to the year Marcus Oompus Boompus and Gaius Antoninus Doofus were consuls), during the first few days the two consuls had free a slave, and to be in parades and preside over games, both in their honour. "As soon as the consuls had discharged these customary duties, they were at liberty to retire into the shade of private life, and to enjoy during the remainder of the year the undisturbed contemplation of their own greatness." What a scream! Imagine what he'd have done to Democratic Underwear disruptors!
Maybe he got it from one of those oracles, like the Sibyl of Cuma. Or maybe he read some hideous entrails of a goat or something.
"Cunctis" appears to have something to do with delaying or being slow.
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What an ingenous brain you have in your head.
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