- On August 24, 79 C.E., Mount Vesuvius erupted and encased the nearby Roman city of Pompeii in ash.
- Today, the city is a time capsule of the Roman Empire, and new discoveries in an uncommonly small home shows the changing economics of the empire—as well as its well-documented love for erotic frescoes.
- Called the House of Phaedra—named after a fresco of the Athenian Queen found inside—the house contains similarly erotic works of art to others that have been found throughout the entombed city.
The Romans were many things, but chaste wasn’t one of them. Practitioners of a religion filled with sexual escapades (and more than a few devious transgressions), this ancient republic-turned-empire had a lot fewer hang-ups about the naked human form than many people living thousands of years later.
Now, new discoveries from the archaeological treasure trove of Pompeii, which was famously buried in ash and pumice from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E., only reaffirm the erotic predilections of Roman art and culture. A newly uncovered abode features depictions of sexual encounters with a satyr and a nymph, as well as a scantily clad Phaedra—the mythological queen of Athens who falsely accused her stepson of rape (and then fatally regretted the decision once he was torn to pieces). Archaeologists have provisionally nicknamed this new building “the House of Phaedra.”
Although depictions of Rome often fall into the trap of the “white lie”—the idea that buildings and statues were just blank white canvases rather than full-color masterworks—Pompeii gives an incredible glimpse into the multi-hued existence of 1st century C.E. Romans. Although August 24th, 79 C.E., was certainly a bad day for the residents of this Italian city, the cascade of pumice and ash effectively froze the city in time, making Pompeii one of the most indelible locations in the former Roman Empire.
These newly discovered frescoes only add to the city’s well-documented erotic nature. Hundreds of sexually explicit works from Pompeii fill the Secret Museum in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, including graphic sex scenes (possibly advertisements for the local brothel) and phallic statuary (believed to bring wealth, fertility, and good luck). In fact, these pieces were so spicy that the items were deemed “pornographic” in 1821, and the museum bricked up the room in 1849. The Secret Museum didn’t reopen for good until 2000.
Apart from these exquisitely preserved frescoes, the House of Phaedra is also notable for its uncommonly small size. Most of the rich architecture in Pompeii features an atrium that included an impluvium, or basin, to collect rainwater. However, such a feature is completely absent from this structure, according to an official statement. This is likely due to the changing economics the Empire faced at the time.
“The atrium was associated with rich Romans receiving their clients and supporters and as a place to display family heirlooms,” Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the site, told The Times, but as Rome entered the 2nd century C.E., many freed slaves and merchants of humble origin were achieving social status while old money was slipping… it was clothes and jewels that were beginning to show status.”
However, these small digs didn’t skimp on the erotic displays that also adorned the walls of more expansive homes.
“The house is striking for the high level of wall decorations,” the statement reads, “which have nothing to envy of the larger and richer house[s].”
Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.
