W/W: Philaenis' [Girl]friend: Martial, Epig. 7.70

 According to Greek lore, Philaenis was a woman author who wrote a treatise on erotic arts. Because of this, the name Philaenis was used for a stock character of a woman who exceeded Greco-Roman gender roles. Whether she showed excessive lust, same-sex desire, or had children out of wedlock, the name Philaenis was used as an umbrella-term to cover these "unladylike" behaviors.

A Girl’s Girl: Philaenis

Name: Martial Date: c. 40 – 100 CE Region: Bilbilis, Hispania [modern Spain] Citation: Epigrams 7.70

This pun plays on the double entendre of amica [both “friend” and “girlfriend”]:

 

Philaenis, everyone's favorite lesbian,
You call the girls you date your [girl]friend—and rightly so!

 

A Girl’s Girl: Philaenis

Ipsarum tribadum tribas, Philaeni,

recte, quam [viseris] *, vocas “amicam.”

* word has been redacted to fit the scope of this blog

Martial [Marcus Valerius Martialis; 38 BCE – 102 CE, modern Spain] Originally from Bilbilis, Hispania, the poet Martial moved to Rome in the 60s CE to advance his career. His two extant works include de Spectaculis, a collection of poems written to commemorate the opening of the Colosseum, and a fifteen volume collection of epigrams. These poems provide valuable insight into the private lives of Romans from all of the city’s social classes.