Customer Reviews

Eroticism in Pompeii

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I first used Eroticism in Pompeii as a source for a scholarly article about how Romans saw gender, sex, sexuality and the other. Of all of the texts, this one was the easiest to acquire as well as the most accessible. Moreover, because it was compiled recently, color pictures helped to sever the divide of centuries and offer a window into the lives of the Romans not covered in Pliny and Plutarch.

This is a tight, somewhat preliminary study of the Roman phallic symbol, the place of sex in Roman society, and, to a large extent, about Roman painting. Wholly, it paints a picture of Classic Romans as being somewhat bawdy and mischievous, a culture that did not hide their sexuality or their sex acts.

The text is large and is an easy read. Although Varone quotes several primary sources throughout the text, the absence of a lengthy bibliography leaves Eroticism in Pompeii somewhat isolated from similar works. Still, it is a fantastic and visually beautiful stand-alone volume.

Eroticism in Pompeii gives the reader a look into sexual thought and practice in a long gone culture. Antonio Varone has blended a wonderful combination of information, pictures and illustrations. Due to content, I would not recommend this for young readers. But for anyone with a love of history of the Romans and Pompeii, it is worth the read.

Varone covers subjects from Eroticism at the Banquet and Erotic Performances, to their thoughts on Erotic Reading, imagery, nudity, voyeurism and exhibitionism. And concludes with Eroticism in their Religious festivals and fertility rites. So take a trip back to old Pompeii and see how the Romans did it.