Sexuality in Ancient Rome is a topic that offers a glimpse into the social and cultural norms that characterized the daily life of the Romans.
Sexuality in Ancient Rome
The social norms, culture, and laws of ancient Rome strongly influenced sexuality. A wide range of literary and artistic sources have shaped our modern understanding of Roman sexuality. Although interpreting these materials requires caution and careful contextual analysis, from the sources we can draw important indications on how the Romans experienced love and sexuality.
The Roman literary landscape
Authors like Plautus, Cicero, and Ovid provided, through their works, a detailed fresco of the sexual perceptions and practices of their time. Plautus in his comedies often narrated situations of seduction and love encounters.
Cicero, in his orations and letters, inserted gossip and comments about the sexual conduct of the Roman elite. Ovid, in particular, wrote works that are a valuable testimony to the complexity and provocative nature of Roman sexuality. Among these, “Amores” and “Ars Amatoria” stand out particularly.
Sexuality as a social reflection
Roman literature and art reflected not only sexual practices but also the norms and social expectations of the time. Power dynamics and social status strongly linked the dominant or submissive role in sexuality. For example, for a Roman man to assume a passive role in a sexual relationship could correspond to a lowering of his own social status.
However, this was merely one of the many ways that people privately expressed their sexuality, not a rule. Roman sexuality was complex and variable, influenced by legal, social, and personal factors.
The daily love practices of the Ancient Romans
Far from the portraits of lust and decadence often painted by popular culture, the love life of ordinary Romans was rooted in a much more ordinary and daily reality. Sexuality, while being a significant aspect of Roman life, included norms and expectations that reflected the social status and cultural conventions of the time.
Everyday life goes beyond the myths.
For most Roman citizens, daily life unfolded among work activities, family, and social relationships. Well-defined social and legal norms regulated the presence of affections and love manifestations.
Contrary to popular belief, only a small portion of upper society likely participated in events like orgies or sexual parties. In ancient Rome, prostitution served a legitimate purpose, but society did not tolerate excessive, dissolute, and immoral behaviors.
Religious festivals, such as Lupercalia and Floralia, included elements of nudity and rituals for celebration that should not be confused with wild sexual displays and orgies.
These celebrations represented occasions of purification and renewal, where the liberating behavior had a spiritual, symbolic, and community meaning. Even in these contexts, Romans followed well-defined rules and limits. The religious authorities intervened only to reform practices considered excessive.
Kisses in Ancient Rome
In ancient Rome, the kiss was a manifestation of affection and sexual desire. Man had to take the initiative. Kisses given with the tongue were manifestations of ardent passion. So, nothing different from our days. The Republican era forbade public kissing. This prohibition primarily affected members of the political and administrative elite, reflecting the moralistic and conservative nature of the era.
Consider the famous verses of Catullus:
“Let us live, my Lesbia and let us love,
and as for the mutterings of over-severe old men,
we’ll reckon them all worth merely a penny.
Suns can set and return:
for us, when the brief light once sets,
there is one everlasting night, enforcing sleep.
Give me a thousand kisses, then a hundred,
then another thousand, then a second hundred,
then yet another thousand, then a hundred,
then, when we’ve made many thousands,
we’ll mix them up, so that we lose count,
or no bad person can envy us,
when he learns how many kisses there are.”
They embody a highly precise protest against a moralistic and hypocritical society. During the Imperial era, high-ranking men would kiss each other on the street to express their greetings. But many considered this gesture an invasive and unhygienic affectation. The emperor Tiberius (42 BC–AAD 37) tried to end the kiss as a greeting but was unsuccessful, and the practice continued.
Various types of kiss
It was customary for relatives to kiss each other on special occasions, such as a return home or a reconciliation.
Women could kiss their husband’s relatives. For the husband, the kiss was also a way to discover if the spouse had drunk wine without his permission. One could freely kiss children, while a kiss on the hand signified reverence.
Laws and sexuality in Ancient Rome
The laws of Ancient Rome not only reflected, but also shaped the perceptions and practices of sexuality. Roman law offered a normative framework that outlined what was socially and morally acceptable. This influenced the sexual behavior of citizens.
Laws and Morality
A Roman husband, for example, could legally have sexual relations outside of marriage, provided the partner was a prostitute, a slave, or an infamis (person of low social status, such as an actress).
However, Roman women were strictly forbidden from committing adultery. Toward them, there were rigid expectations regarding virtue and fidelity. These norms reflected and reinforced the patriarchal structure of Roman society. Masculinity and male honor were of primary importance.
Punishments for regulating public morality
Roman laws were also tools to regulate public morality. For example, the Leges Iuliae, introduced by Emperor Augustus in 18–17 B.C., encouraged marriage and procreation and the restoration of the morality of the upper classes. These laws regulated the issue of abortion and included specific provisions on adultery. Adultery was considered a public crime, punishable by either exile or partial confiscation of goods.
In extreme cases, the law allowed the husband or father of the adulterous woman to kill her lover, although this rarely happened. The laws demonstrate how sexuality in Ancient Rome reflected the social norms and values of the time.
Intertwining with power
Sexuality in Ancient Rome encompassed notions of gender and power and reflected the social dynamics and values of a strongly patriarchal and hierarchical society. Masculinity, for example, was strictly about the exercise of control and power. This was especially true in public but also in private. The expectation was that Roman men would take an active and dominant role in sexual relationships.
Assuming a passive role, especially in a homosexual relationship, was considered a lowering of one’s status and a loss of one’s virility. This rigidly binary view of sexual behavior reflected and reinforced the social hierarchy and class distinctions of the time.
The role of women
On the other hand, women were subject to a strict moral code that emphasized chastity and fidelity. A Roman woman had to preserve her reputation and that of her family, especially in terms of sexual behavior.
While men had a certain degree of sexual freedom, women had to adhere to much more restrictive behaviors. This led to the establishment of a dual moral standard during that era.
The impact of power and status
Power dynamics also influenced relationships between different social classes. Romans of high rank had greater freedom and flexibility in their sexual relations. For the lower classes and for slaves, the consequences of transgressing the rules were much more severe. Even within homosexual relationships, social status played a key role in determining the acceptability and perception of sexual behavior.
These norms and standards not only shaped the daily life of the Romans but have influenced subsequent conceptions of gender and sexuality in our society.
Explore the intricacies and tales surrounding sexuality in Ancient Rome.
Some curiosities and anecdotes about love and sexuality in ancient Rome shed light on less known aspects of this historical period.
- Love and poetry. Roman poets like Catullus and Ovid explored a wide range of erotic experiences in their works. Catullus, in particular, is known for his poetry that oscillates between delicate romanticism and vulgar invective. Such alternation reflects the complexity of romantic love and passionate, carnal desire.
- Festivities and fertility. On February 15, the religious festival Lupercalia dedicated itself to purification and fertility. During the festival, some participants ran semi-naked through the streets of Rome, imitating the god Lupercus.
- Art and sexuality. Roman art often depicted scenes of an erotic nature, especially in home decorations. These works were not considered taboo, but rather were normal expressions of Roman life and religiosity. People regularly linked them to superstitions and fertility symbols. Brothels were the most common places to find them.
- Laws and traditions. Despite the modern perception of a sexually free ancient Rome, the laws of the time reflected a surprisingly conservative society. There was a strong emphasis on marriage and procreation.
- Mythology and Seduction. Roman mythology was rich in deities related to love and fertility. We have Venus (goddess of love), Cupid (god of desire), and Bacchus (god of viticulture and freedom). Each of them reflected the different facets of love and sexuality.
Sexuality in Ancient Rome Gallery
