Acroposthion

Acroposthion or akroposthion is a word derived from Greek. It is the term used to describe the part of the foreskin that extends beyond the glans penis. The acroposthion was considered to contribute to male beauty.

Can be present, but does not have to be

The acropostion is literally the part of the foreskin that not only covers the glans when not erect, but also stands over in front of the glans like a tip and serves as a reserve skin for the erect state. It is also mockingly called "trunk" or sometimes. There is nothing unnatural about the presence or absence of an acropostion in the foreskin. Male genitals are just as different as female genitals. Whether someone has an acroposthion or not is completely irrelevant to the integrity of their foreskin. It is assumed that in historical times, e.g. during ritual Jewish circumcision, only the protruding foreskin, i.e. the acropostion, was cut off before more radical circumcision methods were developed.

Physical description

Frederick Mansfield Hodges, D. Phil., (2001) describes the acroposthion:

As would be expected in a culture that valued the prepuce, the Greek language reflected this esteem through precise terminology. The Greeks understood the prepuce to be composed of two distinct structures: the posthe (ποσθη) and the akroposthion (ακροπσθτου). Posthe designates that part of the prepuce that covers the glans penis, but Greek writers occasionally used this word (or any of its variations, such as ποσθιη or ποσθια) in a general sense to designate the entire prepuce or, by extension, the entire penis. Akroposthion (or any of its alternative forms, such as ακροποσθια and ακροποσθιη) designates the tapered, tubular, visually defining portion of the prepuce that extends beyond the glans and terminates at the preputial orifice. When we speak of the iconographic representation of the long prepuce, we are really speaking of the long akroposthion for the posthe can never be larger than the unchanging surface area of the underlying glans penis.

The ridged band of highly innervated tissue is found inside the acroposthion. Winkelmann (1959) classified the foreskin, which includes the acroposthion, as "specific erogenous tissue". The acroposthion, like the rest of the foreskin, is heavily endowed with Meissner's corpuscles, which respond to mechanical stimulation by producing pleasurable sexual sensation. The additional length of skin provided by the acroposthion enhances the gliding action.

Moreover, the acroposthion protects the glans penis and helps to prevent keratinization, while preserving sensitivity.

External links

• Ancient Greeks & the Foreskin, acroposthion.com. Retrieved 20 July 2021.

• Anonymous (11 July 2019). The art of the ancient Greek penis, Mentor in Greece. Retrieved 21 May 2021.