Were orgies and same-sex relationships the most natural thing in the world for the Romans? That turns out to be quite easy, according to the book Roma Intima. But they were rude.
“Your penis, Papylus, is as big as your nose. So you can smell it whenever you have a boner.” These lewd words wrote Marcus Valerius Martialis in his Epigrams, in the first century of our era. The book Roma Intima is full of these kinds of translated texts by ancient authors. Martialis takes the cake when it comes to coarse language. In our contemporary eyes then:for example, I got a bit of shame and replaced the word dick for dick…
The Romans themselves had a lot less shame about sexuality, as classicist Bert Gevaert and urologist Johan Mattelaer show in their book. Walking around naked in the bathhouse and sitting together on the toilet, for example, was very normal, as was foul language. And that big dick? It appears to be omnipresent, not only in texts, but also as amulets and figurines. It was a sign of masculine strength and served as a repellent against evil. A cock chain around your neck was therefore the most natural thing in the world and much less sexual than we would now think.
On the wrong foot
How do we arrive at that image of the lusty Roman? The last chapter of the book shows that this is a creation of later times. Shame about nudity and sexuality is a legacy of Christianity and painters were therefore not allowed to make erotic paintings. The Roman gods in their nakedness were an exception and the painters often seized this opportunity.
The idea that Romans liked orgies a lot is more recent and comes from their widespread use in porn. This is not based on truth:there is only one example of an orgy in Roman texts, the authors say. Gevaert and Mattelaer play with these kinds of associations and prejudices of the reader. They make a setup, which makes you think you see your prejudice confirmed, and then show how it really was. This setup works quite well, as a reader you are regularly misled.
From A to Z
The book is organized thematically and each chapter describes a different part of intimate Roman life. The choice of subjects is remarkably complete. From sexual preferences to married life and from the ideal body to intimate hygiene.
The chapter on all kinds of sexual acts really does cover everything:masturbation, prostitution, anal sex, oral sex, and special preferences such as sex with people with dwarfism. There are many interesting facts in the book and while reading I regularly had an aha experience. For example, there are as many as 50 words in Latin for sex workers, more than in any other language, according to the authors. Brothels were then the most natural thing in the world, there was no taboo on them.
The chapter on different genders is also enlightening. Homosexuality is often seen as accepted in ancient times, but the authors explain in great detail that this was not the case. A real man, according to the Romans, did not allow himself to be penetrated by another and he always had power over the one he penetrated. For example, that was almost always a young slave. Two adult men who were openly in an equal relationship were taunted for not being real men.
If you want to read more about a subject, you will find a brief biography for each chapter. The book is also beautifully designed with many large and colored photos of archaeological finds that illustrate the text well. There are also some minor topics that are discussed separately in 'quickies', such as lingerie, obscene language and birth control. They are nice for a change, but they could also have been part of the regular text.
Featured by the editors
MedicineWhat are the microplastics doing in my sunscreen?!
AstronomySun, sea and science
BiologyExpedition to melting land
On the edge?
The authors have focused on the period when the Roman Empire was at its peak, from the first century BC to the third century AD. Many texts and archaeological finds from that time have been preserved. The context provided by the authors gives the reader a good idea of what the Romans thought of intimate subjects. And by 'the Romans' I mean free men:women and slaves had no voice.
The book is intended for anyone who wants to know more about intimate life at that time. It is based on recent scientific research, yet easy to read, even without much classical knowledge. The subject of sex is deliberately not approached too seriously. However, the choice of words is not always successful. And I don't mean the rudeness of the translated texts, but supposedly humorous subheadings such as 'Nichten metnaam' about famous homosexuals. Or about the wife as lady and whore, 'an ideal that many contemporary men still cherish... or not?'. Pfff.
All in all, an interesting and educational book. Of course there will also be readers who will grab this book because of the explicit texts and images, but that does not do it justice. The way in which sexuality is experienced says a lot about a culture.