Weekend Getaways
Explore the ancient city of Pompeii
The omnipresent phallic motifs, that are so shocking nowadays, used to be considered as a good prophecy.
What's this building? - I ask Mariella Bruni who is my guide in the ancient town of Pompeii. - Bordello – says Mariella. - One of the best organized locals under the red lights.
We're going in. On the ground floor there are five little rooms with stone beds and a lavatory. What mostly attract attention are little erotic paintings presenting different sexual positions. Under each fresco you can find a price – from 2 to 8 assi (to compare: a portion of wine cost1 assi).
There were several brothels in Pompeii. Mainly slaves worked there. But erotic frescoes decorated walls also in the suburban baths. Erotic art was interpreted and understood differently than today. For the Romans nudes meant the same what for us means nudity on the Titian's paintings whereas the omnipresent phalli boded abundance therefore they were often placed over the shops' entrances. A lot of functional objects were phallus shaped as well.
Our idea of sexuality doesn't have anything in common with the ancient one where there was no chance for a partnership. 2000 years ago women didn't have civil rights plus slavery existed. Even official wife was inferior to her husband. Furthermore the fact that the population comprised in 50% from slaves caused they were used, both men and women, by their owners to satisfy their passions. The legal definition of a slave was: instrumentum vocale – speaking subject.
If I came here 2000 years ago, I would see a town as many. People visited the temples, drank wine and went to the baths. They had villas at the sea side. They loved art, politics and sex. They didn't expect that at night on 24/25 August 79 their world will end. That night the Mount Vesuvius erupted; over 1500 of people perished, mainly women and children. Pompeii died under a thick layer of lava and volcanic ashes.
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