Ofterdingen and Kropotkin

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Not all of the children are so lucky, however. Many of them subsist just as pueri conclusores, that is friends and playfellows of their master's sons, or worse, a pastime for adults who enjoy their joyous gaiety and cheer their houses with their laughter, their effrontery and their innocent nakedness. There were of course deprived individuals - akin to present day paedophiles - who took advantage of children in shameless turpitudes and unusual erotic practices, which lead into pederasty.
These children, called alexandrinae diliciae, also inspired artists, who depicted them in the character named "Cupid", which has its origin in the god Eros. The Cupid is a plump rotund child, always in the mood for play, barely conscious of its immortal glamour.


Garcia y Garcia. Pupils, Teachers and Schools in Pompeij. 2005, p. 18

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