preview

The And Sexual Graffiti And Erotic Art

Better Essays

The information about brothels in Pompeii is much disputed. There is only one location, now called the Lupanar or Purpose-Built Brothel, which has been conclusively identified as a brothel. Accepted indications of ancient brothels include sexual graffiti, erotic art, and small rooms with stone beds. These indicators are found in more than 35 sites around Pompeii. Further research of these sites reveals that many were actually bars, inns, and baths, as well as stalls on the street that could easily have been shelters for the poor. Many historians hypothesize that sex was in fact sold in these places, but since that was not their primary business, it is difficult to know for certain whether these places were used for prostitution, and nearly impossible to identify them as brothels. As the only known brothel, the Lupanar has been analyzed extensively. The graffiti and erotic art provide a uniquely non-elite view of prostitution and its relation to social status in the ancient Roman world. The Lupanar is located just behind the Suburban Baths (VII, 12, 18–20), about two blocks east of the forum (Beard 237; Levin-Richardson 2004). The area surrounding it seems to be rich with possibilities for prostitution, including two small cell like rooms, or cellae meritriciae, a large hotel, a tavern, and the nearby Stabian Baths, but it appears to be the only ‘purpose-built brothel’ in town (McGinn 15). The Lupanar is especially conspicuous for its alleyway entrance. There are two

Get Access