Statue of Daedalus on the cities north side
Our vacation of a lifetime is now more than a month in the past and there was so much to see, so much to take in, so much to document, so many photos to edit, and now it is time to write my next and not final blog on our trip to Italy.
Warning: This BLOG contains some explicit sexual content. I am only attempting to document history!
Let me say right at the forefront, I knew nothing about Pompeii before our visit there and the few things I read about prior to this most incredible day. I don’t want to pretend to be a historian, an expert nor am I even a great writer. I write with my heart and my soul and leave it all on the table. You can agree or disagree with my thoughts and conclusions, and that’s totally OK with me. Perhaps that is why some people enjoy reading my blogs.
Our ride to Pompeii from Amalfi
Our trip to Pompeii started with a personal driver from our villa up the 250 steps in Amalfi. The personal drivers in Pompeii never cease to amaze me. The drive was hazardous, treacherous, beautiful and even made me a bit “motion sick…”. The drive seems to take about 1.5 or more hours. Our driver stayed with us the entire day and took us home to the “stairs from hell” at the end.
Driver: Aut Matteo from Scialone Limo Service (Sorranto)
Pompeii has changed
Alice had already been to Pompeii Italy before and certainly had expectations of what to see, what was there, etc. Alice was certainly discouraged by many of the artifacts that have been moved to museums in Naples as well as the barrier to get into the colosseum. For me, I was in AWE and wonderment. Such an amazing place. I wish there were NOT so many people there. I was told they put NO limit on the amount of visitors during the day since the opening after COVID shutdown. All the workers especially the tour guides were happy to be back to work.
All the above artifacts were at the entrance when Alice visited last previously are now in a museum in Naples
What was life like in Pompeii?
Shops were open, markets were ready, farmers were in the fields. Everyone was performing his/her personal job. Streets were crowded, market was full of life, sellers sold and citizens bought what they needed. In the forum people walked, talked, discussed about problems of the town.
Pompeii Italy was a city like many Roman towns in the area. On August 24, 79 the city was about their normal hustle and bustle with children in the street, businessmen doing their thing, and bathers taking baths in the public bath houses.
Mt Vesuvius Volcanic irruption
Mt (Mount) Vesuvius a volcanic mountain towing above the city frequently had tremors. This day in August will be their last. A cloud shaped pillar rose in the sky. Volcanic ash rain down hard and fast. Thick ash clogged every ones nose and eyes. Sixteen inches of pumice had fallen to the ground. Only a few survived to tell the story. Four days later, the pumice piled up to 8 feet deep. One last time Mt. Vesuvius surged again with poisoned gas, ash and rock as it raced down the mountains. This BIG city of Pompeii no longer exists. Over 20,000 people had quickly died a very painful death only to be discovered nearly 1700 years later.
Ash hardened to form a mold around the person or animal that died. Of the 1,150 bodies recovered by archaeologists at Pompeii, 394 were killed by falling pumice and the debris of collapsing buildings.
This 2,000 year old ‘masturbating’ Pompeii man is going viral
The archeologic discovery of all time
The first discovery of the site was around 1710 when a farmer was digging a well on the slops of Mt. Vesuvius. The first official excavation was in 1860 by an archaeologist name Giuseppe Fiorelli. No question, this is this most incredible archeological find ever. Even to this day, the day we were there, they are still carefully digging and finding new and exciting relics.
The Brothel’s of Pompeii
One of the most interesting and personally intriguing things about Pompeii is the Brothel found in the hearty of town. The crowd was big and space was tight to get into the brothel that was buried in that terrible day in August 79 AD. Our tour guide was attentive to show us all the SIGNS on the street leading to the Brothel.
Our tour guide was attentive and very knowledgeable, Alice loves to bend their ears
I found it interesting our tour guide was carful to show us each and every phallic symbol “male penis” sign guiding its customers to the ever popular Brothel.
Phallic Symbols point the way to the Pompeii Brothels.
Because of the crowd I was unable to get proper photographs of all the interesting artifacts in this historic site.
Prostitution was permitted both socially and legally in Pompeii, and it was seen as a social norm for Roman men to engage in regular visits to the Brothels. Brothels had no stigma within the city, seen as a typical shop offering services like any other.
Pompeii once a popular vacation spot for high-class citizens, extravagances were bountiful in the form of exotic foods, fashion, and prostitutes. During the long-standing excavation of Pompeii, archaeologists have discovered at least 25 separate brothels scattered all over the city with each giving away numerous secrets to the city’s erotic past.
How about a Big Mac?
When you enter the brothel, you see the incredible frescos on the wall. Sort of like walking into McDonald’s trying to choose between a Big Mac and a Quarter Pounder knowing nothing on the menu is good for you. The moment you eat a Big Mac, the sensation is YUMMY. Tell me my friends, an hour after you eat a Big Mac, how do you feel? I like McDonald’s because of their french fries and their custom blend of Diet Coke made only for McDonald’s.
Fresco’s a menu of choice
The most well-known feature of the brothel are the erotic frescoes that are found lining the hallways above the door lintels. There are eight notable frescoes in total, although only seven are still in surviving condition. Of the frescoes still intact, five of them depict different sex positions between a male and female. frescoes illustrate the positions of Women on Top, Missionary Position, Doggy Style, 69 position and Anal sex. The sixth fresco shows a seated male accompanied by a standing woman; the male gestures towards what scholars believe to be a smaller sex image. The seventh fresco features a prominent deity, Priapus, a male god of fertility known for his permanent and pronounced erection, surrounded by two stylized erections. The eighth fresco is in incredibly poor condition but is believed to depict yet another sexual engagement.
The frescoes were originally discovered during an excavation in 1862. They can be dated back to 72 CE. This is because there is an impression of a coin within the walls' plaster that can be traced back to this date.
5 major flavors on the Menu
After studying the remaining frescoes, archaeologists have guessed there were five major services provided; intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, active anal sex, and passive anal sex.
The truth of these Pompeii brothels and the prostitutes within was, in fact, harsh and quite heartbreaking.
And then there are the beds found in these Brothels. They were made out of stone, including a stone pillow of sorts. Perhaps the owners did NOT want their customers getting too comfortable. Even though there were no doors in each separate “bay” I am sure there were drapes, linens, and lots of “sexy” smelling perfumes. Candles and incense galore I would guess.
Pompeii brothel, The brothel beds of Pompeii —- COMFY
Extra FIRM for me…
I’ll take a Big Mac, order of fries and a Diet Coke Please… to go!
The SEX Workers - Prostitutes
The majority of the sex workers within Pompeii were slaves who lived a harsh life until they were of no further use to the brothels. They were given only the basic essentials, with all the payments from their clients going to the brothel owners. It is suggested from the city’s remains that a large number of slaves were of Oriental or Greek origin, ripped from their families and taken into the slave trade when Romans or traders invaded their land.
Confined to the premises, the workers rarely saw the outside world, being under complete control of the brothel owner at all times. By being completely closed off, the salves had no other distractions from their work. Despite this cruel lifestyle, the workers were meant to put on a smiling face, with punishments if they misbehaved.
Lastly, although sex was an accepted and natural experience for the Pompeii men, prostitutes still lacked respect. Stigmatizing women that made them ineligible for any alternative and respectable work, committing them to the lower class of society.
The Roman word for brothel was lupanar, meaning a wolf den, and a prostitute was called a lupa (“she-wolf”).
What was it like to be a Woman in Pompeii?
Generally, the role of women was a domestic one. Women completed domestic duties and raised the children. Upper class women were often educated and could read and write. Wall paintings of women holding writing implements reveal that this ability was revered in Roman society.
The City of Sin?
This is where my moral conscience sets in. I wonder what the state of morality was during this time and before. The 10 Commandments given to MOSES by GOD on Mount Sinai. Commandment # 6: “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. In my MORMON growing up world this meant NO SEX before marriage, NO promiscuity ever, and NO having SEX with someone else outside your marriage. These sins were severe even to the point of church excommunication. Yes fans, I went on a mission for the Mormon church. I was one of those young lads in a white shirt riding bicycles two by two and knocking on doors to convince the world they to repent and be baptized. I have long left my Mormon upbringing and have not been to church for well over 30 years. In any case the foundational thoughts still prevail in some part of my brain.
It seems from my studies that the Brothels of Rome were common and popular. The treatment of the “women of the night”.
Prostitution by definition is the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment.
What Are the Different Types of Prostitution?
Street: Clients solicited on the street, park or other public places. ...
Brothel: Premises explicitly dedicated to providing sex. ...
Escort: Client contacts sex worker by phone or via hotel staff. ...
Private: Client contacts sex worker by phone.
I digress, back to the moral conscience. Did the Romans have NONE? Are we all actually given a conscious as human beings even if we have never been trained nor tutored in the Judaeo Christian society? We (the Mormons) were taught that at the age of 8 humans have the innate ability to discern and choose between right and wrong. They called it the “age of accountability”. I guess Exodus chapter 20 had not been written yet…
Did I miss the point
Of course I did. There are so many things that I could have written about this incredible place, including the incredible architecture, plumbing, advanced civilization and history of this amazing place. Perhaps another blog. Better yet, I suggest you go there yourself and discover one of the most incredible places on earth.
I will be adding a video to this post on the near future which will include videos from my GOPro, Alice’s iPhone and photos taken from my Nikon Z6 II.
Thomas Schmuki, Delray Beach Photographer
If you are interested in some references used in this blog and other interesting links:
https://www.pompeiitours.it/attractions/brothels-of-pompeii/