LATINDRAUCUS

Abstract

The rare Latin worddraucusis known almost exclusively from Martial. Older dictionaries and handbooks used to gloss the word as ‘sodomite’, until Housman showed thatdraucusis in fact ‘as innocent a word ascomoedus, and simply means one who performs feats of strength in public’. Thus, Mart. 7.67.5–6 concerns weightlifting:gravesque draucis|halteras facili rotat lacerto(‘and with effortless arm she rotates weights that would tax adraucus’), while 14.48 describesdrauciplaying hand-ball (harpastum):Haec rapit Antaei velox in pulvere draucus|grandia qui vano colla labore facit(‘These the swiftdraucus, who makes his neck big by futile toil, snatches in Antaeus’ dust').

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