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Bisexuality in the Ancient World Paperback – April 1, 2002
by
Eva Cantarella
(Author),
Cormac O Cuilleanain
(Translator)
|
Eva Cantarella
(Author)
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| Paperback, April 1, 2002 |
$34.18
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— | $34.09 |
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Print length286 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherYale University Press
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Publication dateApril 1, 2002
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Dimensions7.62 x 5.1 x 0.81 inches
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ISBN-100300093020
-
ISBN-13978-0300093025
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Editorial Reviews
Book Description
In this readable and thought-provoking history of bisexuality in the classical age, Eva Cantarella draws on the full range of sources―from legal texts, inscriptions, and medical documents to poetry and philosophical literature―to reconstruct and compare the bisexual cultures of Athens and Rome.
From the Back Cover
"Cantarella presents the ancient evidence in a straightforward fashion, draws insightful comparisons between heterosexuality and homosexuality, and elucidates the larger cultural context of erotic experience. With its wide scope the book speaks to the classicist, the layman with an interest in antiquity, the student of sexuality, and even the unabashed seeker of piquant anecdotes." John F. Makowski, Classical Journal "An important study that is destined to take its place next to the classic works of Foucault and Pomeroy." Alan Mendelson, History: Reviews of New Books "Offers a valuable, close-in reassessment of intricate evidence, freshly researched, readable, and open- minded."Alan Sinfield, Gay Times "This is a book I recommend for all students of sexology."Milton Diamond, Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality "Easily the best book on the topic."John Buckler, Historian "A valuable contribution to scholarship about sexual orientation."Richard C. Friedman, Psychoanalytic Quarterly "A sexological tour de force. . . . Among students and professionals with even a minimum of sexological curiosity, it will strike a new spark of enlightenment."John Money, Ph.D., Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease "Cantarella's work, based on classical sources, points up the multiplicity of possible social and cultural solutions to the underlying problem of bisexual trends in men. . . . [It] shows us that every society struggles to formulate ways in which order and complexity of human sexuality and thus places our current American efforts within a far larger perspective of human history."Jessica P. Byrne, M.D., Psychoanalytic Books: A Quarterly Journal of Reviews "Eva Cantarella's cultural history of bisexuality in the ancient world . . . is an intriguing and accessible study that draws upon a wide range of primary texts and sources. . . . A fascinating account of the multi- layered nature of bisexuality in ancient times."Paul Johnson, Pink Paper "Ambitious, learned, and thought-provoking. . . . The author displays an impressive command of a wide range of primary and secondary sources, and writes with blessed clarity."Charles C. Chiasson, Southern Humanities Review
About the Author
Eva Cantarella is professor in the Institute of Roman Law at the University of Milan. Cormac O’Cuilleanain is lecturer in Italian at Trinity College, Dublin.
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Product details
- Publisher : Yale University Press; 2nd edition (April 1, 2002)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 286 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0300093020
- ISBN-13 : 978-0300093025
- Item Weight : 11.3 ounces
- Dimensions : 7.62 x 5.1 x 0.81 inches
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#1,609,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,417 in Medical Psychology of Sexuality
- #3,545 in Popular Psychology of Sexuality
- #3,813 in LGBTQ+ Demographic Studies
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
21 global ratings
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
Eva Cantarella, University of Milan professor of law produces an exhaustive study of bisexuality of ancient Rome and Greece. What was practiced then and was considered in the norm will surprise the reader when compared to today's world.
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2019
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Book was in good shape. Shipping fast.
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2015
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This was a very hard book to find. I'm quite glad I found it and really did enjoy it. It will remain in my permanent collection.
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2017
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This is a book that talks more about pederasty than mature bisexual relationships. Didn't want to read this stuff...beware. I understand this was part of their culture but a bit misleading on title. To the trash it goes.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2000
First the problems. When a scholar uses such a wide range of sources, it is inevidentual that some will be used better than others. I think Cantarella has a good grasp of the legal and epigraphical evidence but her use of literature and plays is more tenuous. Likewise she crosses over from time periods at times, combining Greek sources from a Roman context into her discussion about Greece when they might best be a reflection of a new multiculture world. Finally, I can tell this was done on a computer. Several pages are word for word from her previous book "Pandora's Daughters". Computers are wonderful things but I don't think they should take the place of writing something new. There are several good points about this book. She uses a wide range of sources and attempts to place "reality" apart from "philosophy" a difference often overlooked in scholarship it seems. Her attempt to look at women's bisexuality is good though limited by the sources available. Finally the book is written clearly so that both scholar and non-scholar can appreciate and learn from it.
18 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2011
Canterall laid out her ideas and arguments based on many references: texts, papers, boos, investigating museums, etc. She makes valid arguments about how one word translation into many languages can change the original format.
It was easy to read for a non-scholar like myself. Broken down into manageable parts.
The author started with pederasty in Greece. How it was exhalted, intellectual, educational before anything sexual. She explained the 'why' and the 'how' and the 'when'. Boys were worshipped, taught and became leaders.
Then when it spread to Rome it degenerated into a sexual thing with no values, no rules, no regulations.
Cantarella talked about how lesbiansm, transvestites and inverse love. The writing about Rome was exhaustive, over decades bringing into account all areas of love and prostitution.
It was very sad to see how Rome had bastardized pederasty from an important rite of passage with strict rules in Greece to almost a 'free for all in Rome."
Then...enter Christianity.
It was easy to read for a non-scholar like myself. Broken down into manageable parts.
The author started with pederasty in Greece. How it was exhalted, intellectual, educational before anything sexual. She explained the 'why' and the 'how' and the 'when'. Boys were worshipped, taught and became leaders.
Then when it spread to Rome it degenerated into a sexual thing with no values, no rules, no regulations.
Cantarella talked about how lesbiansm, transvestites and inverse love. The writing about Rome was exhaustive, over decades bringing into account all areas of love and prostitution.
It was very sad to see how Rome had bastardized pederasty from an important rite of passage with strict rules in Greece to almost a 'free for all in Rome."
Then...enter Christianity.
6 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Top reviews from other countries
chelsea
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant book, should be taught in schools
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 18, 2019Verified Purchase
I absolutely loved reading this, was absolutely fascinating and Canterella has a gripping writing style to match the interesting content.
The book is split into two parts; the first outlines bisexuality in Greece, the second explores Rome. The book then introduces Christianity and the effect this had on views of homosexuality. It is very interesting to read about how common and very much the norm bisexuality was in both cultures, and how each culture repressed certain expressions and manifestations of same-sex desire and relations depending on their sexist, androcentric world-view, as well as how certain remnants of these archaic ideas remain today. I certainly was not expecting lesbian sex to be reviled by men as this is one way that society currently differs of course, nor was I expecting male same-sex desire to be as commonplace amongst the male population as it was in Rome and Greece as again... not exactly the impression most of us have of the male population. Absolutely fascinating, should be taught in schools as it really does go to show how malleable individuals and society really are in terms of their views and inclincations.
The book is split into two parts; the first outlines bisexuality in Greece, the second explores Rome. The book then introduces Christianity and the effect this had on views of homosexuality. It is very interesting to read about how common and very much the norm bisexuality was in both cultures, and how each culture repressed certain expressions and manifestations of same-sex desire and relations depending on their sexist, androcentric world-view, as well as how certain remnants of these archaic ideas remain today. I certainly was not expecting lesbian sex to be reviled by men as this is one way that society currently differs of course, nor was I expecting male same-sex desire to be as commonplace amongst the male population as it was in Rome and Greece as again... not exactly the impression most of us have of the male population. Absolutely fascinating, should be taught in schools as it really does go to show how malleable individuals and society really are in terms of their views and inclincations.
One person found this helpful
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C. J. C.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting perspective
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2017Verified Purchase
An interesting and accessible read on the topic of sexuality in the ancient classical world.
mozart1756
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2015Verified Purchase
One of the best monographs in this field. A must have!
Jana Hollstein
3.0 out of 5 stars
Durchwachsen
Reviewed in Germany on February 2, 2017Verified Purchase
Grundsätzlich informativ, die Probleme die ich damit habe sind
1. die Autorin hat sich eindeutig nie tiefer mit dem Begriff Bisexualität auseinandergesetzt, denn sie spricht ausschließlich über Homosexualität und Heterosexualität (das mag auf den 1. Blick wie Nitpicking klingen, aber es beeinflusst ihre Konklusionen, die teilweise zweifelhaft sind, und das größtenteils deswegen, weil sie es offenbar nicht für nötig gehalten hat, sich vor ihrem Buch über Sexualität sich mit Sexualität auseinanderzusetzen).
2. das Buch scheint sich nicht ganz sicher zu sein, was es sein will. Auf der einen Seite scheint es sich als Einführungswerk zu verstehen, auf der anderen Seite habe ich mir häufig gedacht, hätte ich nicht die Forschungsdebatten gekannt, hätten mich einige Stellen wahrscheinlich verwirrt. Das macht es mir irgendwie schwer, es weiterzuempfehlen, weil ich nicht weiß, wer angesprochen werden soll.
1. die Autorin hat sich eindeutig nie tiefer mit dem Begriff Bisexualität auseinandergesetzt, denn sie spricht ausschließlich über Homosexualität und Heterosexualität (das mag auf den 1. Blick wie Nitpicking klingen, aber es beeinflusst ihre Konklusionen, die teilweise zweifelhaft sind, und das größtenteils deswegen, weil sie es offenbar nicht für nötig gehalten hat, sich vor ihrem Buch über Sexualität sich mit Sexualität auseinanderzusetzen).
2. das Buch scheint sich nicht ganz sicher zu sein, was es sein will. Auf der einen Seite scheint es sich als Einführungswerk zu verstehen, auf der anderen Seite habe ich mir häufig gedacht, hätte ich nicht die Forschungsdebatten gekannt, hätten mich einige Stellen wahrscheinlich verwirrt. Das macht es mir irgendwie schwer, es weiterzuempfehlen, weil ich nicht weiß, wer angesprochen werden soll.
John David Richardson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Filling a Gap
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2013Verified Purchase
Excellent! Beautifully and sensitively yet objectively written, and explaining a great deal about the sexual habits of our ancient ancestors. Extensively researched; fabulous use of ancient sources.



