
Brothels of Ancient Pompeii - diodorus
https://www.historytoday.com/reviews/brothels-ancient-pompeii
======
kipchak
If you'd like to read some more (very amusing) Pompeii graffiti examples
there's some more here. The original page is slightly broken now.

[https://web.archive.org/web/20171124060939/http://www.pompei...](https://web.archive.org/web/20171124060939/http://www.pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti%20from%20Pompeii.htm)

~~~
cultus
It's fascinating that aside from being Latin, most of that ancient graffiti
could have just as easily been scribbled on a modern toilet stall. Dick jokes
are fundamental to what it means to be human.

~~~
0x8BADF00D
In the case of the brothel, it was their version of Backpage (with reviews and
everything!)

------
Jun8
Article mentions Mark Twain's visit to Pompeii brothels in passing, as if he
stumbled upon it during his travels, which certainly is not the case.

Twain is probably not the first name that pops to mind when erotica is
mentioned but he was quite into it. His posthumous _1601_
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1601_(Mark_Twain)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1601_\(Mark_Twain\)))
was an early example of "pornography" in America; scare quotes since the
content is quite tame by today's standards (you can judge for yourself:
[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3190/3190-h/3190-h.htm](https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3190/3190-h/3190-h.htm))

His sex toys were in the news about a decade ago
([https://www.thedailybeast.com/mark-twains-sex-
toys](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mark-twains-sex-toys), but see for a less
hysterical writeup)

~~~
crunchatized
_> but see for a less hysterical writeup)_

See where? Did you miss including another link here?

~~~
Jun8
Thanks for pointing out, link is this one:
[https://www.ucpress.edu/blog/9857/mark-twain-his-own-
devices...](https://www.ucpress.edu/blog/9857/mark-twain-his-own-devices/)

------
peteretep
This article gets confused.

A particular example:

> Enslaved men and women most often staffed ancient brothels ... like all
> enslaved persons, their bodies were also vulnerable to sexual assault, rape

What? If they were enslaved people compelled to engage in sexual services,
that was just straight up rape/assault, not vulnerability to rape/assault. An
enslaved person can't give consent.

~~~
kortilla
> An enslaved person can't give consent.

Yes they can. Consent means you agree to do something: [https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/consent](https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/consent)

Prisoners are effectively slaves and they frequently consent to have sex with
each other.

~~~
peteretep
Legally a prisoner can’t give consent to their captors

~~~
watwut
That is legal construct to make rape prosecution and corruption prosecution
remotely possible. Plus, generally institutions don't want prisoners to have
consensual sex or relationships with guards either.

To the prisoner having that sex, there is difference between when he/she wants
that sex, is willing to barter sex for something and is forced to have sex
without wanting it.

------
LessDmesg
Romans... Slavers who washed their mouths and clothes with urine, and shat on
the streets. They really weren't into this "treating people humanely" thing.
Most of their lives were quite brutal:
[https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2016/05/arthriti...](https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2016/05/arthritis-
brought-ancient-romans-to.html?m=1)

> The average ancient Roman worker was riddled with arthritis, suffered broken
> bones and was dead by 30 thanks to a diet of rotting grains and a lifetime
> of hard labour, a new study has found

~~~
biztos
I'm probably too squeamish to wash my mouth with it (did Romans really do
that?) but washing clothes with publicly collected urine is generally
considered to be a pretty impressive bit of urban engineering, not to mention
very environmentally friendly. Wouldn't knock it till you've tried it.

~~~
AdmiralAsshat
> (did Romans really do that?)

There's a Catullus poem that suggested they did, but clearly it wasn't _all_
Romans, and some of the others even derided them for it.

[http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/e39.htm](http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/e39.htm)

~~~
pmarreck
Love the long-form put-down style here

