The Eleans and Bœotians are not only reproached with paederastia, but the violation of boys is alleged to have been _allowed_ among these peoples[254]. Megara it is true is charged with ὕβρις (shameful violence), a common designation for paederastia[255], but we may certainly doubt whether the temple of Ἀφροδίτη πρᾶξις there, which _Pausanias_[256], mentions, had anything to do with this vice. The author in question says: “After the sanctuary of Dionysus is shown a temple of Venus. The image of Venus is of ivory, and is called Aphrodité _Praxis_. It is the most ancient image in the temple.” No other author however mentions any such cult as existing in Megara, and even though the word πρᾶξις (intercourse), as _Meier_ (loco citato p. 153, note 49) has shown by examples, is used specially of paederastia, yet at the same time the passage of _Euripides_, Ion 894.
θεὸς ὀμευνέτας ἆγες ἀναιδείᾳ Κύπριδι χάριν πράσσων.
(Thou, god, partner of my bed, didst lead me, in shamelessness _doing favour to Cypris—Love_), clearly proves that πράσσειν (to do, to have intercourse) was used of coition generally[257].
Moreover in the passage of _Plutarch_ quoted a little above paederastia is called χάρις ἄχαρις (a grace that is without grace) and further down Ἔρως, Ἀφροδίτης μὴ παρούσης,—Ἔρως χωρὶς Ἀφροδίτης, (Love—Eros—where Aphrodité is not, Love without Aphrodité); so how can it have been regarded by the Greeks as under the _patronage_ of Venus? Undoubtedly πρᾶξις is here synonymous with πόρνη (harlot), and the Ἀφροδίτη πρᾶξις at Megara is nothing else than the Ἀφροδίτη πόρνη of other cities.
_Chalcis_ had gained such notoriety for paederastia[258], that χαλκιδίζειν (to act the Chalcidian) was said proverbially for παιδεραστεῖν (to practise paederastia). It was the same with _Chios_ and _Siphnos_, as the expressions χιάζειν and σιφνιάζειν (to play the Chian, the Siphnian) in _Hesychius_ prove. Hesychius says indeed _σιφνιάζειν_: i.e. to finger behind; for the Siphnians are ill-spoken of as enjoying boy-lovers. To act the Siphnian then means, to poke with the finger. But the first explanation by καταδακτυλίζειν (to finger behind), as well as the gloss of _Suidas_[259], show clearly that the inhabitants of the island of Siphnos,—one of the Cyclades, practised a species, if we may use the expression, of _Onania postica_ (back-door, posterior masturbation),—like the cobbler at Vienna, who to allay the Prurigo ani (itching of the anus) pushed his hammer up his posterior, and then alas! could not pull it out again. In the same way the Siphnians used the fingers[260].