A Reader's Suggested Topic

Even further back...Roman boys were notorious masturbaters.

In one of his Satires the poet Juvenal discusses the futility of following the learned professions. He ends with the schoolmaster. After complaining about how parents want the master to stuff their sons' heads with arcane mythological trivia, the poet goes on to say that they also demand that the teacher be a sort of second father to the whole class, and keep them from shameful activities.

 But, says Juvenal, "it's hard to keep your eyes on the hands of so many boys at the same time!"

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