Irrumatio
Encyclopedia
Irrumatio, also called irrumation, is a type of sexual intercourse
performed by actively thrusting one's penis
into a partner's mouth and throat. It may also be the thrusting of the penis between the legs, breasts, feet, upper thighs (also known as interfemoral sex
), or between the abdomen
s of two partners.
"Latin erotic terminology actually distinguishes two acts ... First, fellation, in which the man’s penis is ... orally excited by ... the ... [fellator ..., and] Second, irrumation ... in which the man (the irrumator) ... engages in ... motions by moving his hips and body in a rhythm of his own choice."
A Latin synonym for 'irrumator' is labda (Varr. ap Non. 70,11; Aus. Epigr. 126).
noun irrumatio or irrumation and verb irrumate come from the Latin
irrumare, to force one to perform fellatio. Also note that J. L. Butrica, in his review of R. W. Hooper's edition of The Priapus Poems, a corpus
of poems known as Priapeia
in Latin, states that "some Roman
sexual practices, like irrumatio, lack simple English equivalents."
As the quotation
from Butrica suggests, and an article by W. A. Krenkel shows, irrumatio was a widespread sexual practice in the Roman Empire
. J. N. Adams states that "it was a standard joke to speak of irrumatio as a means of silencing someone." Oral sex
of any kind was considered to be an act of defilement: the mouth had a particularly defined role as the organ of oratory, as in Greece
, to participate in the central public sphere, where discursive powers were of great importance. Thus, to penetrate the mouth could be taken to be a sign of massive power differential within a relationship. Remaining fresco
s from the Roman city of Pompeii
demonstrate that irrumatio was one of the specific Roman sexual acts, the others being fututio, fellatio
, pedicatio
and cunnilingus
. This was probably because the extant frescos appear to be in bathhouses and brothels: oral sex was something usually practiced with prostitutes because of their lowly status. Pedicatio and Irrumatio are referenced in Catullus 16
.
Still, C. A. Williams argues that it was accepted as a degrading act, even more so than anal sex
. S. Tarkovsky states that despite being popular, it was thought to be a hostile act, "taken directly from the Greek, whereby the Greek men would have to force the fellatio by violence." Furthermore, as A. Richlin has shown in an article in the Journal of the History of Sexuality
it was also accepted as "oral rape
," a punitive act against homosexuality
.
Roman historian Suetonius
has a passage in his De Vita Caesarum which inconclusively states that Roman emperor Tiberius
took great pleasure from forcing women, even those of rank, to perform fellatio.
In oral sex, irrumatio is performed by actively thrusting the penis into the mouth of the partner. In slang, this act is called face fucking, throat fucking, mouth fucking, or skull fucking. Fellatio and irrumatio can be used interchangeably during oral sex. Indeed the distinction between fellatio and irrumatio has vanished in modern English and the latter term has fallen out of widespread use.
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
performed by actively thrusting one's penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
into a partner's mouth and throat. It may also be the thrusting of the penis between the legs, breasts, feet, upper thighs (also known as interfemoral sex
Intercrural sex
Intercrural sex , also known as femoral/interfemoral sex/intercourse, is a type of non-penetrative sex, in which a male places his penis between his partner's thighs , and thrusts to create friction.-Heterosexuality:The sex education and sexual experimentation of adolescents may feature intercrural...
), or between the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
s of two partners.
"Latin erotic terminology actually distinguishes two acts ... First, fellation, in which the man’s penis is ... orally excited by ... the ... [fellator ..., and] Second, irrumation ... in which the man (the irrumator) ... engages in ... motions by moving his hips and body in a rhythm of his own choice."
A Latin synonym for 'irrumator' is labda (Varr. ap Non. 70,11; Aus. Epigr. 126).
Etymology and history
The EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
noun irrumatio or irrumation and verb irrumate come from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
irrumare, to force one to perform fellatio. Also note that J. L. Butrica, in his review of R. W. Hooper's edition of The Priapus Poems, a corpus
Text corpus
In linguistics, a corpus or text corpus is a large and structured set of texts...
of poems known as Priapeia
Priapeia
The Priapeia is a collection of ninety-five poems in various meters on subjects pertaining to the phallic god Priapus. It was compiled from literary works and inscriptions on images of the god by an unknown editor, who composed the introductory epigram. From their style and versification it is...
in Latin, states that "some Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
sexual practices, like irrumatio, lack simple English equivalents."
As the quotation
Quotation
A quotation or quote is the repetition of one expression as part of another one, particularly when the quoted expression is well-known or explicitly attributed by citation to its original source, and it is indicated by quotation marks.A quotation can also refer to the repeated use of units of any...
from Butrica suggests, and an article by W. A. Krenkel shows, irrumatio was a widespread sexual practice in the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. J. N. Adams states that "it was a standard joke to speak of irrumatio as a means of silencing someone." Oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
of any kind was considered to be an act of defilement: the mouth had a particularly defined role as the organ of oratory, as in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, to participate in the central public sphere, where discursive powers were of great importance. Thus, to penetrate the mouth could be taken to be a sign of massive power differential within a relationship. Remaining fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
s from the Roman city of Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
demonstrate that irrumatio was one of the specific Roman sexual acts, the others being fututio, fellatio
Fellatio
Fellatio is an act of oral stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner. It involves the stimulation of the penis by the use of the mouth, tongue, or throat. The person who performs fellatio can be referred to as the giving partner, and the other person is the receiving partner...
, pedicatio
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
and cunnilingus
Cunnilingus
Cunnilingus is an oral sex act performed on a female. It involves the use by a sex partner of the mouth, lips and tongue to stimulate the female's clitoris, vulva, or vagina...
. This was probably because the extant frescos appear to be in bathhouses and brothels: oral sex was something usually practiced with prostitutes because of their lowly status. Pedicatio and Irrumatio are referenced in Catullus 16
Catullus 16
Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo is the first line, sometimes used as a title, of Carmen 16 in the collected poems of Gaius Valerius Catullus . The poem, written in a hendecasyllabic meter, was considered so explicit that a full English translation was not openly published until the late twentieth...
.
Still, C. A. Williams argues that it was accepted as a degrading act, even more so than anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
. S. Tarkovsky states that despite being popular, it was thought to be a hostile act, "taken directly from the Greek, whereby the Greek men would have to force the fellatio by violence." Furthermore, as A. Richlin has shown in an article in the Journal of the History of Sexuality
Journal of the History of Sexuality
The Journal of the History of Sexuality is a peer-reviewed academic journal founded in 1990 and published by the University of Texas Press.- Indexing :...
it was also accepted as "oral rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
," a punitive act against homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
.
Roman historian Suetonius
Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
has a passage in his De Vita Caesarum which inconclusively states that Roman emperor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
took great pleasure from forcing women, even those of rank, to perform fellatio.
In oral sex, irrumatio is performed by actively thrusting the penis into the mouth of the partner. In slang, this act is called face fucking, throat fucking, mouth fucking, or skull fucking. Fellatio and irrumatio can be used interchangeably during oral sex. Indeed the distinction between fellatio and irrumatio has vanished in modern English and the latter term has fallen out of widespread use.