[174] The common derivation of fornix (brothel) is from furnus or fornax (an oven), or else makes it identical with fornix, an archway. Isidore, bk. X. 110., writes: a fornicatrix is one whose person is public and common. These women used to lie under archways, and such places are called fornices, whence also fornicariae (whores). Granted that the women used to resort in numbers to the arches in the town-walls through which sorties were made (Livy, XXXVI. 23., XLIV. 11.), yet several passages in ancient authors prove clearly that the fornices were houses (especially Petronius, Satir. 7., Martial XI. 62.). The ancient Glosses have:—“fornicaria”: πορνὴ ἀπὸ καμάρας ᾗ ἵστανται, (a harlot, from the chamber where they take their stand). But in all probability the brothels took their name from the circumstance of their being situated in the neighbourhood of the town-wall and its arches; for which reason the women were also called Summoenianae (women of the Summoenium,—district under the walls). Martial, XI. 62., III. 82., I. 35., XII. 32. Or should we say that fornix was formed from πορνικὸν?
[175] Adler, “Beschreibung der Stadt Rom,” (Description of the City of Rome), pp. 144 sqq.
[176] Martial, bk. VII. Epigr. 30., bk. X. Epigr. 94.
[177] Martial, bk. II. Epigr. 17.
[178] Hence Martial’s expression (XII. 18.), clamosa Subura (the clamorous Subura).
[179] Horace, Satir. I. 2. 30., Contra alius nullam nisi olenti in fornice stantem. (On the other hand another man cares for no woman but such as stand in the foul-smelling brothel).—Priapeia,
Quilibet huc, licebit, intret
Nigra fornicis oblitus favilla.
(All that please, none will say nay, may enter here, smeared with the black spot of the brothel).—Prudentius, Contra Symmachum, bk. II., spurcam redolente fornice cellam, (a filthy chamber in the stinking brothel).—Seneca, Controv., I. 2., Redoles adhuc fuliginem fornicis. (You reek still of the soot of the brothel).—Juvenal, Sat VI. 130., says of the Empress Messalina:
Obscurisque genis turpis, fumoque lucernae