Ancient Views on Sexuality Presentation by Aliya Estes
Ancient Views on Sexuality Presentation by: Aliya Estes
Current Modern View Sexuality based on gender preference Heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, etc. Homsexuality is looked down on by religious grounds Heterosexuality is seen as the norm by Western Society A person’s sexuality defines who they are
Ancient Roman View Not concerned with inherent sexual preference Everyone respectable had to marry The purpose of marriage was to produce children to give/receive dowry Wives were required to be chaste (to be sure the children she had were the husband’s) The Roman family was built upon marriage Romans were okay with homsexuality (MYTH. . . kind of) “The line does not exist” No enacted societal principle of homosexuality being wrong
In the text - The Satyricon Trimalchio and his cohorts are not held accountable/taken seriously by the audience for their misbehavior because they are not respectable people: none of the guests are married Trimalchio is married but he has no children This goes against traditional Roman lifestyle
The Teratogenic Grid Roman sexual schema is rigidly phallocentric Active by definition is male Passive by definition is female classification system not based on gender but on active versus passive Four sexual categories for people
Active vs. Passive Active normal/active male -- vir Antitype: passive/abnormal man pathicus/cinaedaus Having sex with other men is proof that a man identified as a vir is a manly man Passive normal/passive female -- femina/puella Antitype: active/abnormal woman virago/tribas/moecha A woman is defined as one who is penetrated in the vagina -puella/femina Anything that does not involve penetration
Two Important Prohibitions for Male Romans: 1. Passive Sexuality a. Male being penetrated marked him as degraded/feminized b. Men were considered men because they were able to penetrate c. Only low status/no status men were penetrated 2. Oral Sex a. The pleasure giver is in the inferior role b. For a man to give oral sex is for him to be passive i. Oral sex performed on woman was considered a source of permanent shame
The Teratogenic Grid
The Teratogenic Grid futere/pedicare/irrumare - to penetrate futuor/pedicator/irrumator - penetrator futui/pedicari/irrumari - to be penetrated cunnilinctor/cinaedus/fellator - the penetrated (male) puella/pathica/fellatrix - the penetrated (female)
- Slides: 9