LUPANARE GRANDE
POMPEII - A CITY STEEPED IN SEX
Pompeii was a city thriving from the business of sex, as it was virtually available anywhere with over 40 brothels uncovered by archaeologists not including the vast numbers of taverns and hotels, which were also sites of prostitution. Even in the most public areas such as the Forum and the public baths we see evidence of an elaborate system of sex that was so openly accessible to all classes of Pompeii’s society. Archaeologists had discovered these brothels due to numerous sexually explicit clues such as phalluses, pornographic pictures, graffiti of erotic nature and through analyzing the structures of rooms in these brothels that weren’t part of residential units- spaces made for the sale of sex. This evidence helps to reveal human sexuality in an ancient Roman civilization and also gives us an idea of the economic reality in Pompeii and many other Roman cities at the time wherein prostitution was widely accepted and even people with a low income with just a little bit of pocket money could afford a visit to the brothel.
Why was it so openly available? It is important to consider the fact that almost 80% of the population of Pompeii was poor and that prostitution was at the time one of the few high paying careers available for lower class citizens, with wages almost three times more than a working class labourer. And so ultimately these citizens collectively powered Pompeii’s economic success, making it a large part of their society and therefore normalized and predominantly accepted. Another factor to consider is the class system evident in their society at that time wherein those considered lower class were of a degraded status, slave status. Most prostitutes would have been mostly either slaves or freedwomen from the East, hired to engage in sexual acts. Although there were also men and free Roman women that also engaged in such a profession as this, the prostitutes would have been predominantly females taken from conquered lands, making it easy to arrange sexual episodes, an act which was not criticized in their ancient Roman society. This also suggests another reason why prostitution was so common at the time- most of these slaves had come from the East and were most likely not trained in any other profession, so had no real alternatives.
Prostitutes would have been available in ‘pleasure houses’ or brothels owned most likely by members of the upper class who were motivated purely by profit as prostitution proved to be successful businesses in their society, and would bring in much income for the owners. Another factor that is also important to remember is that Christianity had not emerged at this time, and so the pagan idea of eroticism would have played a major role in the availability and acceptance of prostitution, viewing sexual acts as merely an impulse, free from moral and religious principles.
Why was it so openly available? It is important to consider the fact that almost 80% of the population of Pompeii was poor and that prostitution was at the time one of the few high paying careers available for lower class citizens, with wages almost three times more than a working class labourer. And so ultimately these citizens collectively powered Pompeii’s economic success, making it a large part of their society and therefore normalized and predominantly accepted. Another factor to consider is the class system evident in their society at that time wherein those considered lower class were of a degraded status, slave status. Most prostitutes would have been mostly either slaves or freedwomen from the East, hired to engage in sexual acts. Although there were also men and free Roman women that also engaged in such a profession as this, the prostitutes would have been predominantly females taken from conquered lands, making it easy to arrange sexual episodes, an act which was not criticized in their ancient Roman society. This also suggests another reason why prostitution was so common at the time- most of these slaves had come from the East and were most likely not trained in any other profession, so had no real alternatives.
Prostitutes would have been available in ‘pleasure houses’ or brothels owned most likely by members of the upper class who were motivated purely by profit as prostitution proved to be successful businesses in their society, and would bring in much income for the owners. Another factor that is also important to remember is that Christianity had not emerged at this time, and so the pagan idea of eroticism would have played a major role in the availability and acceptance of prostitution, viewing sexual acts as merely an impulse, free from moral and religious principles.
We know this by analyzing the quarters within which they performed these sexual acts- the most notable being the Lupanare Grande, which was undeniably the center of sex in Pompeii. Lupanare being a Roman expression for a ‘pleasure house,’ translating to a ‘den of the she or he wolves.’ Lupanare Grande is a brothel that opened daily in Pompeii, nine hours after sunrise, which is why the female prostitutes were referred to by the citizens as nonariae- the ninth hour girls. Prostitution in Pompeii is made evident in this brothel through a number of clues- one being the pornographic artworks that decorate the walls of this ancient brothel as well as many of the private houses and public buildings in the city. These artworks depict prostitutes engaging in various sexual positions and would have served as some sort of catalogue for customers participating in the business of sexual pleasure wherein one might request which positions they preferred. We know this from the numerous graffiti sprawled on the walls of these buildings as they indicate service charges as well as explicit sexual references. They suggest that prices of a prostitute’s ‘average’ services would have varied depending on the age, desirability and skills of these slaves where one with less appeal would probably have earned as much as 2 copper coins (the price of a loaf of bread) whereas those considered more higher end prostitutes would have earned ten times as much as this. Male prostitutes on the other hand would have struggled in earning as much as this, only receiving about as much as a fraction of the average female prostitute’s wages. However, the artworks that adorn the walls of the brothel would have been idealized or fantasized versions of the services the customers would have received. This is made evident in the five first floor rooms of the Lupanare Grande, wherein a small bed in each of these rooms were made of stone where only a straw mattress would have been used for comfort. From this, we get the impression that these rooms would have interested working-class citizens due to the inexpensive cost and would have most likely appealed to those who preferred walk-in services as the location would have made it easily accessible. And so reinforces the fact that the sex was not as pleasurable as advertised in the artworks, as the rooms would have been cramped and the experience rapid and not so relaxed. The second floor of the Lupanare Grande is different, however, as there is no evidence of erotic art, graffiti, and stone beds. Archaeologists believe that perhaps wooden beds with expensive curtains might have been used here, a more luxurious and therefore expensive experience compared to the small rooms below. On this second floor, there is plenty of space for large parties of people, which suggests that this area of the brothel would have been hired by those who could afford it, those who wished to somewhat simulate to some extent the fantasies shown in the erotic artworks. Not only this, but also gives us the impression that even the wealthiest citizens of Pompeii had participated in this sex system and were not subjected to any moral criticism or punishment.
This idea of noble men engaging in such activities is evident in a fresco discovered in the House of the Prince of Montenegro in Pompeii portraying a drunken Hercules in the presence of women and cupids who play with his club and quiver. Here we see Hercules wearing a woman’s dress with a wreath on his head, we notice he has put down his club, suggesting that he’s taking a rest from his public image and instead chooses to enjoy himself. In this same way wealthy men of Pompeii, who were in those times political figures such as magistrates, choose to rest from their image and duties and enjoy the pleasures that come with their wealth and status. They would have been able to afford arranging a banquet, where food and wine were enjoyed as well as the sexual pleasures that came with the prostitutes. Another piece of evidence that shows that prostitution had been normalized and accepted in Roman societies at the time is a piece of writing by Roman historian Maximus, complaining about one particularly wild party in 52 BC. He explains that a landowner had chosen to hold such a party in order to impress a local magistrate. And in doing so, had brought two noblewomen and a well-born boy to engage in sexual acts. He states that their “bodies were shamefully compliant, destined to be the sport of drunken lust.” Here we get the impression that Maximus is not complaining about the sex itself but instead criticizes the fact that the man had used sex for his own social and political gain, reinforcing the fact that prostitution was no surprise for the citizens in an ancient Roman society.
STABIAN BATHS
Prostitution was available virtually everywhere including the forum the heart of local government. The arches here leading into the Amphitheater were popular pickup spots wherein caved dens were called fornicades (the root of modern word fornicate). As were the various baths in Pompeii, where archaeologists revealed numerous erotic artworks displayed on the walls. Men and women, men and men-the rich and the poor- mingling naked and engaging in sexual acts. It is important to understand that prostitution in their society was not considered a form of adultery nor did it cause any form of moral censure, this resulted in prostitution becoming such a success in this time. This also explains why public baths would have been erotically charged pleasure places, a steamy atmosphere wherein food, drink, and sex were sold. Not to forget the rooms’ walls were adorned with explicit frescoes that would have encouraged people to engage in such sexual activities. Recent evidence reveals that in the city of Pompeii alone, 13 cribs, or rooms, right off the street were set aside for prostitution; nine baths, theaters, and amphitheaters where sex was available for a price; at least seven private sex clubs for the rich; and 41 confirmed brothels, including the world's oldest known purpose-built brothel, the Lupanare Grande.