Following a number of films featuring debauched emperors, it is nowadays commonplace to associate the Greek-Roman antiquity with orgies. But is this historically accurate?
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Sex work in Ancient Rome
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There would have been plenty of time during the long, dark, Northern nights for ancient Roman shoemakers to indulge in side hustles.
Sexuality in Ancient Rome was more preoccupied with power dynamics than it was with gender – as an expert in visual cultures of sexuality explains.
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.
Though their activities were depicted alluringly in murals, the sex workers of Pompeii were slaves who lived hard lives.
Top contributors
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Honorary Professor, The University of Queensland
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Head, Public Engagement, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney
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Professor of Gender Studies, Chair in Sex Media and Sex Cultures, Linköping University
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Lecturer, Classics, University of Glasgow
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Professeur d'histoire ancienne, Université de Lorraine
