Fibula (penile)
Ring fastened to the human penis / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A penile fibula is foremost a ring, attached with a pin through the foreskin to fasten it above the glans penis.[1] It was mainly used by ancient Roman culture, though it may have originated earlier.[2] This ring type of fibula has been described akin to a "large modern safety pin".[3] Its usage may have had several reasons, for example to avoid intercourse, to promote modesty or the belief that it helped preserve a man's voice. Some Jews also utilized fibulas to hide that they were circumcised.[4][5] The word fibula could also be used in general in Rome to denote any type of covering of the penis (such as with a sheath) for the sake of voice preservation or sexual abstinence, it was often used by masters on their slaves for this purpose.[6] Fibulas were frequent subject of ridicule among satirists in Rome.[7][8][6][3][9]
Infibulation could be also a surgical procedure in which two holes were pierced in the foreskin, so a metal clasp could be locked on them to close the prepuce shut. This procedure was similarly criticized by Celsus.[10]