Love and Sex in the Ancient World

The Ancient World is well known for its interest in all things salacious. Men and women, young and old, all partook in celebrations of love and sex on a surprisingly frequent basis. Nudity and genitalia were ever-present in art and sculpture, and several deities associated with desire and eroticism were worshipped with enthusiasm. But why was this the case? Today, in this subscriber exclusive episode of The Ancients, we find out  by romping our way through sexual desire in all its forms; from homosexuality in Ancient Greece to sex work in Pompeii, from heavenly devotion with a discussion on Aphrodite to what the ancient Greeks wrote in their most salacious novels. Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. The Ancients is a podcast from History Hit. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code ANCIENTS - sign up here. Vote for The Ancients in the Listeners Choice category of British Podcast Awards here. You can take part in our listener survey here.