Topic: - on November 10, 2002 at 7:55:25 PM CET
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David M Friedman charts the transformation of man's best friend from supernatural phenomenon to leisure accessory in his cultural history of the penis, A Mind of Its Own. A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis by David M Friedman 368pp, Robert Hale, £20 In his discussion of ideas of manhood in ancient Rome, David M Friedman tells us that a Roman boy was often given a bulla, "a locket containing a replica of an erect penis", to wear around his neck. "Known as a fascinum, this penis replica signified the boy's status and power... Today, 1,500 years after the fall of imperial Rome, anything as powerful or intriguing as an erection is said to be 'fascinating'."
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