a man newly married, the spouse of the bride.

The Spartan bridgrooms committed a kind of rape upon their brides; for matters being agreed on between them two, the woman that contrived and managed the match, having shaved the bride's hair close to her skin, dressed her up in man's cloaths, and left her upon a mattress; this done, in came the bridgroom, in his usual dress, having supped as ordinary, and stealing as privately as he could to the room where the bride lay, and untying her virgin-girdle, took her to his embraces; and having stayed a short time with her, returned to his companions, with whom he continued to spend his life, remaining with them by night as well as by day, unless he stole a short visit to his bride, which could not be done without a great deal of circumspection, and fear of being discovered.