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Loading... Roman Sex: 100 B.C. to A.D. 250by John R. Clarke
None.  PedrBran | Nov 8, 2012 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0810942631, Hardcover)Picture a world where good sex is a blessing of the gods, not a cause for guilt, and where acts often considered immoral, even illegal by our standards are instead celebrated. Such a world is no futurist's fantasy but rather the reality of ancient Rome, 100 BC to 250 AD. In "Roman Sex", an illustrated, contextual study of the erotic art of that era, historian John R. Clarke exposes paintings, sculptures and ceramics featuring such controversial subject matter as group sex, lesbianism and the phallus as talisman. He then uses these works to explain ancient Roman attitudes towards a range of societal issues.(retrieved from Amazon Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:01:54 -0500) "Roman Sex provides a fresh and provocative account of ancient Roman sexual practices. It explains, for the first time, a wealth of newly discovered sexual art, as well as the many paintings, sculptures, and vases hidden away until recently in the world's "secret museums." Many of the works shown here have been photographed in color especially for this lavishly illustrated book and a number have never before been published." "Roman sex was sex before Christianity and Puritan guilt. Romans, both rich and poor, proudly displayed images in their homes that we would hide away. Clarke takes the reader into a society markedly different from ours in its attitudes toward sex. With all its quirks, it was a sexually tolerant society that encouraged the creation and open display of erotic art. Roman Sex will appeal to any reader who wants to understand this culture, which was in other ways so much the forerunner of our own."--BOOK JACKET.… (more) |
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Wikipedia in English (1)
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The author has studied this subject for over three decades and the book is a wonderful exposition of Roman sex as seen through its art along with references to classical texts. Its amazing to see how Romans regarded sex before Rome was Christianized. It truly was a different world.
This was an age when upper class homes had, what we would consider, pornographic art of people copulating for public display in their homes. Children would no doubt view this art from infancy. Erect penises were everywhere and children wore them around their necks as protective talismans. Like yard Gnomes today, ancient Roman courtyards often had statues of Priapus sporting a monstrous erect penis.
It is also important to point out that upper class Romans were not profligate hedonists, but were in many ways prudes. Sex was just not something considered unnatural or dirty.
If you are interested in this subject, this book would be a wonderful addition to your library. (