Callon (born Callo; fl. 2nd century BC) was an
intersex
Intersex people are those born with any of several sex characteristics, including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binar ...
person, whose medical treatment is the first recorded example of
gender affirmation surgery. His life is known from the works of
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus or Diodorus of Sicily (; 1st century BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek historian from Sicily. He is known for writing the monumental Universal history (genre), universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty ...
.
Biography
Callon was born in
Epidaurus
Epidaurus () was a small city (''polis'') in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: ''Palaia Epidavros'' and ''Nea Epidavros''. Since 2010 they belong to the new municipality of Epi ...
in Greece, during the second half of the second century BC.
The details known about Callon's life appear in the ''
Bibliotheca Historica
''Bibliotheca historica'' (, ) is a work of Universal history (genre), universal history by Diodorus Siculus. It consisted of forty books, which were divided into three sections. The first six books are geographical in theme, and describe the h ...
'' written by
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus or Diodorus of Sicily (; 1st century BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek historian from Sicily. He is known for writing the monumental Universal history (genre), universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty ...
.
Assigned female at birth, he is described by Diodorus Siculus as an orphan, who was forced to marry when he "came of age" and lived with his husband for two years.
interprets Callon's age before marriage as 'pre-pubescent'. Diodorus Siculus reported he had heard that Callon was a priestess prior to his marriage.
Although little is known about Callon's married life, Diodorus Siculus recorded that Callon was "not capable of natural Embraces as a Woman" and was forced "to endure those
mbracesthat were preternatural, or besides nature".
It is recorded that during the marriage, a tumour in Callon's groin became prominent and painful, but no doctors would treat it. However, eventually an
apothecary
''Apothecary'' () is an Early Modern English, archaic English term for a medicine, medical professional who formulates and dispenses ''materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons and patients. The modern terms ''pharmacist'' and, in Brit ...
offered to treat him and incised the tumour; from the tumour "a man's privates were protruded, namely testicles and an imperforate penis". The apothecary then proceeded to open the
glans
The glans (, : glandes ; from the Latin word for "acorn") is a vascular structure located at the tip of the penis in male mammals or a homologous genital structure of the clitoris in female mammals.
Structure
The exterior structure of the g ...
and make a passage for the
urethra
The urethra (: urethras or urethrae) is the tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus, through which Placentalia, placental mammals Urination, urinate and Ejaculation, ejaculate.
The external urethral sphincter is a striated ...
, using a silver catheter to drain the wound and then stitched the wound together. The apothecary charged twice the amount for his services since "he had received a female invalid and made her into a healthy young man".
After their recovery, Callon changed his birthname of Callo to Callon and began to live as a man.
Symbolically he cast aside his weaving equipment, which was strongly associated with women's work.
After his transition, Callon was brought to trial since he had witnessed religious rituals which were exclusive to women, before he had transitioned.
Historiography
In 2015 it was suggested that Callon's condition may have been caused by male
.
The surgery he underwent is the first recorded procedure of its type and differs little from modern techniques.
notes the medical significance in how Callon's transition is reported.
For
Luc Brisson the androgyny of Callon, and also
Diophantus of Abae, is a natural phenomenon that can be solved by surgical intervention.
Shaun Tougher observes that both Callon and Diophantus' lives are found "in the context of the Hellenistic east".
wrote that
hermaphrodism
A hermaphrodite () is a sexual reproduction, sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are Gonochorism, gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphr ...
was common enough to warrant its own laws.
See also
*
Diophantus of Abae
References
{{Authority control
Intersex people
2nd-century BC Romans
Epidaurus