Scenes from a symposion. Attic red-figure kylix, 490-480 BC. Florence, National Archaeological Museum, inv. no. 3921. 

Context in source publication

Context 1

... erotic scenes in all their glory, from a tender couple’s embrace to a variety of wild sexual congresses, including anal and acrobatic sex, sadism and fellatio (see figure 4). In the corner, the reconstruction of a humble brothel room ( lupanar in Latin) based on a model unearthed in Pompeii (c.72 AD) introduces the visitor to the workplace of the lower paid prostitutes (see figure 5). Sexual scenes were omnipresent in brothels, appearing on a range of surfaces from wall paintings to Roman oil-lamps. ‘Homoerotic love’ including pederasty follows next, which describes the pedagogic connection developed between experienced male adults, known as erastes (lovers), and adolescent boys (aged 12-to-17-years-old), known as eromenoi (beloveds). Stampolidis has been asked by many, “Why call it ‘homoerotic’ and not ‘gay’ love?” ‘Because there were rules to follow,’ he explains. Law permitted pederastic relationships exclusively among free citizens, whereas male prostitution was out of the question, leading to the loss of political rights for anyone caught soliciting. Unwritten rules seemed to have permeated male sexual intercourse, favouring erotic acts and positions that preserved the eromenoi ’s dignity. An example of this was intercrural sex (known as diamerizein ) where the lovers stand face-to-face, as an attic black-figure lekythos from early fifth century BC depicts (see figure 6). Images of anal intercourse (known as pygizein ) on the other hand, rarely appeared. The practice, featured on a sixth century BC plate in the exhibition, was considered to be humiliating for the passive partner according to ancient ...