From phallus-shaped wind chimes to explicit erotica on lamps and cups, sex is everywhere in ancient Greek and Roman art. But our interpretations of these images say much about our own culture.
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Articles on Ancient Rome
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From being thrown off a cliff to being sewn into a sack with animals, ancient Rome is notorious for its cruel and unusual punishments. But we must be careful what we take as historical fact.
Though their activities were depicted alluringly in murals, the sex workers of Pompeii were slaves who lived hard lives.
Suetonius’s unforgettable tales of sex, scandal, and debauchery have ensured that his writing has played a significant role in shaping our perceptions of imperial Rome.
It took more than one person to bring down the Roman Empire, but the moral decay started somewhere.
An old Scottish master has revealed its secret after 430 years. What next from art detectives?
Today the phrase ‘all roads leads to Rome’ means that there’s more than one way to reach the same goal. But in Ancient Rome, all roads really did lead to the eternal city, which was at the centre of a vast road network.
Roman gladiators were unique and complex characters, and certainly not the sporting heroes they’re depicted as in culture today.
A long time ago, in an empire far, far away …
The emperor Caligula lavished attention on his favourite horse Incitatus, holding parties for friends in the steed’s grand stables. But did he make his horse a consul?
Roman decadence reached its peak with the vomitorium: a room where feasting elites threw up to make room for more food. Or so the story goes …
The image of cowering Christians being thrown to the lions by Roman emperors is a grisly staple of popular culture. But how accurate is it?
These days they are scary, but for the ancients, ghosts could be quite useful.
The image of a crazed and capricious Emperor Nero is immortalised in popular culture: from fiddling while Rome burns to having a sexual relationship with his mother. The historical evidence, however, is rather different.
Hollywood loves a Roman action film. And recent archaeological evidence offers fresh insight into the world of the hippodrome: from sprinklers to cool horses to a mosaic displaying the four phases of a chariot race.
Cicero asked: ‘how to become famous?’ Nero sought to know the timing of his death. The Oracle at Delphi offered pronouncements on all manner of topics - yet as with Google today, the question posed was as important as the answer.
Many “modern” inventions actually have precedents dating back over 1000 years.
Think atomic theory was invented in the 19th century? Try 5th century BC.
Archaeological and textual detective work is filling in some information about how ancient Romans used and thought about their sewers thousands of years ago.
It can be difficult to imagine that the antiquities in our museums were once a part of vibrant and cosmopolitan cities. Let our expert take you on a tour of three cities to rival today’s global hubs.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Classics and Head of the Centre for Classical Studies, Australian National University
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Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Cambridge
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Honorary Professor, The University of Queensland
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Lecturer in Classical Studies, Institute of Classical Studies, University of London; Honorary Fellow, Macquarie University, School of Advanced Study, University of London
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Professeur d'histoire ancienne, Université de Lorraine
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Lecturer, Classics, University of Glasgow
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Associate Professor of Classics, College of the Holy Cross
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Head, Public Engagement, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney
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Professor, Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Sydney
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Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland
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Lecturer in Roman Archaeology and Art, Royal Holloway University of London
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Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Melbourne
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Lecturer in Ancient History, Cardiff University
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Professor of Classical Studies, Brandeis University
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Emeritus Professor of Roman Archaeology, University of Birmingham
