Centuries-old wall paintings in a historic Pompeii brothel have provided a peek into the erotic activities of ancient Italians. The ‘Lupanar of Pompeii’ is adorned with explicit depictions of sexual acts, serving as a testament to the sexual culture of wealthy businessmen and politicians who frequented the establishment. The brothel was eventually buried by volcanic ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, preserving its scandalous secrets for centuries to come.
Wall paintings in a historic Pompeii brothel have revealed the amorous activities of ancient Italians. The ‘Lupanar of Pompeii’ is decorated with centuries-old wall paintings depicting explicit sex scenes
Researchers believe the erotic paintings depicting group sex and other acts may have indicated the services offered by prostitutes.
The Lupanar of Pompeii was the centre point for the doomed city’s thriving red light district.
The ancient Roman brothel was originally discovered in the nineteenth century.
It was closed, but was recently re-opened to the public in October 2006.
While the brothel is neither the most luxurious nor the most important historic building in what remains of Pompeii, it is the most frequently visited by tourists from across the world.
The ancient Roman brothel was originally discovered in the nineteenth century. It was closed, but was recently re-opened to the public in October 2006
Prostitutes at the brothel were not exclusively women.
Men, especially young former-slaves, sold themselves there too – to both men and women.
The erotic lives of Pompeii’s prostitues were recently illustrated by Western University professor, Kelly Olson.
Professor Olson focuses her work on the role of women in Roman society, and the apparent open sexuality visible in the many frescos and sculptures.
The Classical Studies professor travelled to the ancient city last month as a featured expert on Canadian broadcaster CBC’s programme ‘The Nature of Things’.
Speaking of life in ancient Pompeii brothels, she said: ‘It’s not a very nice place to work.’
The Lupanar of Pompeii – a Unesco World Heritage Site – was once a hangout for wealthy businessmen and politicians before the Roman city was famously wiped out by a volcanic eruption in 79 AD
‘It’s very small, dank and the rooms are rather dark and uncomfortable,’ she told CBC.
‘Married men could sleep with anyone as long as they kept their hands off other men’s wives,’ she said.
‘Married women were not supposed to have sex with anyone else.’
The building is located in Pompeii’s oldest district.
The two side streets that line the brothel were once dotted with taverns and inns.
CAUGHT RED HANDED
Though the historic sex site has been ‘closed for business’ for some time, that hasn’t stopped some raunchy holiday makers attempting to re-christen the building.
In 2014, three French holidaymakers were arrested for trespassing after breaking into the brothel ruins for a late night sex romp.
A Frenchman and two Italian women, all aged 23 to 27, allegedly broke into the Suburban Baths to fulfil their fantasies inside a former brothel that is still decorated with centuries-old wall paintings depicting explicit sex scenes.
But authorities brought the group’s middle-of-the-night threesome to a premature end.
Upon entering the building, visitors are met by striking murals of erotic scenes painted on the walls and ceilings.
In each of the paintings, couples engage in different sexual acts.
According to historians, the paintings weren’t merely for decoration – they were catalogues detailing the speciality of the prostitute in each room.
Two thousand years ago, before the devastating volcanic eruption, prostitution was legal in the Roman city.
Slaves of both sexes, many imported from Greece and other countries under Roman rule, were the primary workforce.
Researchers believe the erotic paintings depicting group sex and other naughty acts may have indicated the services offered by prostitutes
The Unesco World Heritage Site is of special importance because, unlike other Pompeii brothels at the time, the Lupanar of Pompeii was built exclusively for prostitution appointments, serving no alternative function.
Its walls remain scarred by inscriptions left by past customers and working girls.
Researchers have managed to identify 120 carved phrases, including the names of customers and employees who died almost two thousand of years ago.
Many of these inscriptions include similar phrases to those one would find in a modern day bathroom, including men boasting of their sexual prowess.
On the top floor of the building sit five rooms, each with a balcony from which the working girls would call to potential customers on the street.
2,000 years ago, before the devastating volcanic eruption, prostitution was legal in the Roman city. Slaves of both sexes, many imported from Greece and other countries under Roman rule, were the primary workforce
Much like in ancient Rome, researchers speculate that Pompeii prostitutes were required to legally register for a licence, pay taxes, and follow separate rules to regular Pompeii women.
For example: When out on the street, Pompeii’s working girls wore strict attire – they wore a reddish brown coat at all times, and dyed their hair blonde.
Prostitutes were separated into different classes depending on where they worked and the customers they served.
The Unesco World Heritage Site is of special importance because, unlike other Pompeii brothels, the Lupanar of Pompeii was built exclusively for prostitution appointments, and served no alternative function
Though the historic sex site has been ‘closed for business’ for some time, that hasn’t stopped some raunchy holiday makers attempting to re-christen the building.
In 2014, three French holidaymakers were arrested for trespassing after breaking into the brothel ruins for a late night sex romp.
A Frenchman and two Italian women, all aged 23 to 27, allegedly broke into the Suburban Baths to fulfil their fantasies inside a former brothel that is still decorated with centuries-old wall paintings depicting explicit sex scenes.
But authorities brought the group’s middle-of-the-night threesome to a premature end.
In 2014, three French holidaymakers were arrested for trespassing after breaking into the brothel ruins for a late night sex romp
