The ancient Romans and Greeks had a highly liberated attitude toward sex—one that is surprising, even by today’s standards. They had gods devoted to it, festivals to partake in it, and local economies that surrounded it. Sex was not something to be ashamed of or hidden from public view. Rather, it was something to rejoice in.

10Phallic Bricks Of Pompeii

We all know the legend surrounding Pompeii. The original City of Sin’s people basked in a perpetual heat of promiscuity—promiscuity said to have inspired the gods’ rage with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Since excavation of its near-perfectly preserved remains began in the 18th century, archaeologists have discovered a great deal regarding Pompeii’s sexual identity.

Pompeii’s economy thrived on more than 40 brothels, the most famous of which was named “Lupanare Grande,” translated today as “pleasure house.” The rooms in these brothels were often cramped and dim, with a small straw mattress positioned beneath a piece of pornographic artwork hung on the wall. Despite their appearances, it would be misleading to classify these brothels as the seedy underbelly of Pompeii’s economy. Rather, they existed on a highly public and unashamed platform, alongside the forum and communal bath houses, both of which were important sites of a larger (public) sex system.

Visit the ruins of Pompeii today, and you will no doubt see the “phallic bricks” of Pompeii pointing the way to the nearest pleasure house with an erect phallus engraved into its stone. And if those weren’t clear enough markers, erect phalluses were often positioned above the doors of brothels and private residences as tidings of good luck.

9Voyeurism

“You may look, but don’t touch,” was somewhat of a guiding theme across Ancient Roman and Greek artwork, as indicated by the many pieces of art uncovered today displaying such provocations. One could discover this for themselves at The Gabinetto Segreto in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

This “Secret Cabinet” houses a collection of erotic artwork from Ancient Rome. One such wall painting from, unsurprisingly, Pompeii, displays this voyeurism with a man and a woman having intercourse in front of their attendant, who is visible in the background.

In Ancient Greece, there exists a body of art dedicated to Maenads, the feverous female followers of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, ritual madness, religious euphoria, and theatre. Artwork surrounding these women were highly explicit, and the sexual acts represented by the artwork displayed the figures as objects to be observed. This idea of voyeurism in erotic art was twofold, where a voyeur existed within the artwork, as was the case in one hydria painting Sleeping Maenad and Satyrs, as well as external to the artwork, where the onlooker (or “innocent bystander”) also became a voyeur.

8The Wife-Sharing Economy

The Etruscan civilization was assimilated into the Roman Republic during the fourth century BC. However, their customs remained largely intact.

The Etruscan women were known for their liberated attitude toward intercourse and nudity. They kept their bodies in fit condition and often walked around in the nude, enjoying the pleasure of all men who came by. “Marriage” was a loose construct. It was common for children to have no clue who their father was, and for women not to ask.

Frescoes painted on the Tombs of The Bulls, The Bigas, and The Floggings, in Tarquinia, display these kinds of erotic scenes.

7Fruitful Contest Of The Sexes

Kenneth Reckford, an expert of the Classics, analyzed Aristophanes’s work in a series of essays entitled Aristophanes’s Old-and-New Comedy. One essay, “Aischrologia,” addresses the season ritual of Thesmophoria in Ancient Greece. Only married Athenian women participated in this ritual, which aimed to promote fertility. In preparation, women would abstain from intercourse and oftentimes bathe as an act of purification. During this three-day affair, women would perform various acts of “fertility magic.” In addition, they would share lewd jokes and tales of their indecencies, and play with toys replicating both the male and female genitals.

This ritual, coupled with the Eleusinian Haloa festival, gave women the opportunity to release pent-up sexual frustration through liberal use of sex symbols, pornographic sweets, raucous activities, and free-range slut-shaming—for lack of a better phrase. During Haloa, according to Reckford, Greek women could “say the most ugly and shameful things to one another,” shooting insults at each other regarding sexuality and vulgarity, while proclaiming their own indiscretions.

6Fun At The Carnival

According to Mikhail Bakhtin, a scholar of literary theory and philosophy, the Carnival of ancient literature was a free-for-all, where people would throw class division, respect, and sensitivity out the window. There was no “saying no,” and certainly no saying “too much.” Carnival was pure id. Suspend reality and imagine a scene of extravagance, with banquets of food and wine, laughter, and sex. At Carnival, everyone was equal, and even degrading remarks inspired a regenerative energy—though, that may be in part due to the number of drugs and intoxicants they used to strip inhibitions.

Arthur Edward Waite in his book A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry says, “The Festivals were orgies of wine and sex: there was every kind of drunkenness and every aberration of sex, the one leading up to the other. Over all reigned the Phallus.”

These Carnival rituals date back to as early as the fifth century BC and were held during the spring equinox. It should come as no surprise that these festivals, called The Dionysian Mysteries, were dedicated to Dionysus, the Greek god of all your earthly desires and the enabler of all your poor decision-making. This carnival inspired the Roman equivalent, Bacchanalia.

Most of the initiation process for men and women are known thanks to a collection of frescoes preserved in the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. And, in all fairness, it is a bit reminiscent of what one might expect in Greek life initiation today. The murals a declaration of initiation at the feet of the priestess followed by a descent into the underworld (katabasis), before returning anew. Aristophanes, in his play The Frogs, assumes the origin of this ritual with descent of Dionysis into Hades.

5Before Viagra, There Was Priapus

The Greeks had a very firm relationship with the phallus—more an obsession, really. In particular was Priapus, the Greek god equivalent to Dionysus, known for his extremely long and permanently erect penis. If you think you recognize the term, it’s because Priapus inspired the medical term priapism.

And even if Priapus didn’t play too well with the other gods, he was revered on Earth. The Priapeia contains a collection of 95 poems dedicated to the sexually driven vulgarity of Priapus.

With this gift of dirty pictures
from the tract of Elephantis
Lalage asks if the horny
deity could help her do it
just like in the illustrations

The law which (as they say) Priapus coined
for boys appear immediately subjoined
“Come pluck my garden’s contents without blame
if in your garden I can do the same.”

4They Threw Some Serious Shade

Hipponax of Ephesus was a highly controversial iambic poet, even for ancient Greece. Where he excelled were his insults, which were raunchy and lewd and often satirical of the high (dignified) language of his targets.

In fact, as the story goes, he was so skillful at insults, they drove one victim to suicide. Hipponax was apparently after the daughter of Bupalus, but Hipponax’s deformed looks ultimately led to his rejection. In jest, Bupalus made a statue of Hipponax so ugly that Hipponax retaliated with accusations of Bupalus having an incestuous relationship with his mother:

“Bupalus, the mother-f—r with Arete, fooling with these words the Erythraeans preparing to draw back his damnable foreskin”

Other notable shade interpreted in Hipponax’s work includes the dissection of Bupalus’s name, Bou-phallus, meaning quite literally “ox phallus,” and the ever-charming “interprandial pooper,” meaning a person who must get up during the middle of a meal to defecate.

3Using Sex For World Peace

Aristophanes, considered one of the most famous comic playwrights of ancient Greece, was known for his poignant commentary of the social and political landscapes of Athens during the late fifth and early fourth centuries BC. In one such play, Lysistrata, Aristophanes parodies warfare with a battle of the sexes.

The women use the men’s desires against them, forcing abstinence to compel peace between the Athenians and the Spartans. Women thus use their sexuality to put things in perspective for men, and to ultimately remind them of the “transcendental significance” of sex. According to the women, the men had forgotten this amidst their stubbornness over more trivial matters, like war.

In the end, Peace appears to the men as a young, naked woman to remind the men of their sexual desires to “plow a few furrows” and “work a few loads of fertilizer in.” The men, in turn, realize the importance of sex to their society enough that they put war behind them.

2“Ars Amatoria”

A short cry from Karma Sutra was the work of one Ancient Roman poet, Ovid (43 BC–AD 17). His work provided instruction for sexual proclivities, with titles including “Amores” (Love), “Medicamina Faciei” (Remedies for Love) “Remedia Amoris,” and most infamously, “Ars Amatoria” (the Art of Love). While his work may sound wholesome, Ars Amatoria became a guidebook for lovers and adulterers alike.

In many ways, he created The Game, which confuses both men and women to this day. He advises men to let their women miss them—but not too much, while advising women to make their men jealous at times, to ensure they do not grow lax nor lazy. In the bedroom, Ovid details what form women should take, to not only maximize pleasure for themselves, but also to make it most pleasurable to the man’s gaze. In one sense, he moved away from the notion of women as possession—as they were equal players in the game of love—while on the other hand, reinforcing manipulative tactics to keep one’s lover constantly on their toes.

Though his language never broke into vulgarity, it was quite explicit in its detail, and in a matter of poor timing, resulted in his exile by Augustus, who was still coping with the news of his daughter’s copulations.

1Martial

As with other emotional impulses, shock lies in the space between expectations and reality. Marcus Valerius Martialis, or Martial, was a Roman poet from first century, who was made famous by his 12 books of epigrams. To this day, Martial’s epigrams are shocking due to their obscene, and oftentimes graphic, language. If nothing else, their vulgarity sheds light on the type of work published at the time.

Epigrams 79 and 80 of Book III convey vulgarity in a distinct structure. In these epigrams, insults are initially targeted at the subjects’ character and are then redirected by insulting subjects’ sexual “short-cummings.” In Epigram 79, Martial begins by declaring:

“Sertorius finishes nothing, and starts everything. When he fornicates, I don’t suppose he completes.”

Martial’s sharp words pivot this insult more pointedly at Sertorius’s sexual incapability. Likewise, Epigram 80 introduces its subject with a more general observation followed by a hyper-sexualized observation.

“You talk of nobody, Apicius, speak ill of nobody, yet rumor says you have an evil tongue.”

While the former could pose as a general remark to Apicius’s soft-spoken character, the latter angles the reader to the true central insult: Apicius’s skill at oral sex. Here, “evil” is more likely a term for “wild,” suggesting that Apicius’s tongue causes his sexual partner to lose control and that he is skillful at giving head. The explicit quality of this language indicates the level of tolerance Ancient society had at the time regarding sex.

Emma Marie is a student, photographer, traveler, and certified freediver.

We like to think of the non-meat eating parts of the animal kingdom as friends just waiting to happen. For some reason, the fact they don’t eat meat triggers us to think that these are super nice creatures who would never do us harm, and many times we end up giving animals reputations for kindness that they do not deserve. Animals who are herbivores may not eat meat, but that does not mean they aren’t dangerous to humans — and some of the cutest animals have disgusting secrets that may make them far less endearing to you as you once thought. 

10. Monkeys Have Overrun Delhi, India And Killed The Deputy Mayor

What We Expect: 

Monkeys are known to be mostly harmless pranksters, as far as the majority of people are concerned. They are silly and might fling poo, but for the most part they don’t really cause that much trouble. Plus, they’re fun to watch at the zoo as they get up to all kinds of hijinks. 

The Disturbing Reality: 

Monkeys can gang up on people in areas where the populations get too big and too close to humans, and this was no more apparent than in Delhi, India where monkeys are invasive and cause serious problems for the locals. In Delhi the monkeys attack people and steal their food, and in 2007 they attacked the deputy mayor and killed him by knocking him off his own balcony. 

9. Dolphins Are Believed To Be Friendly But They Are The Bullies Of The Sea

What We Expect:

Dolphins are known for being fun and playful, and there are many alleged accounts of them helping people who are lost at sea. People love to go to dolphin shows, and there are cutesy movies about them. Most people think dolphins are friendly sea buddies who love you and just want to be your friend. 

The Disturbing Reality: 

Dolphins are basically the bullies of the sea. Dolphins have been known to attack porpoises and kill them for no reason, and have committed infanticide among even their own species. To make matters worse, they have been known to capture dolphin females and hold them in a group while they have gang sex with her against her will. There was also a recent incident where a dolphin known as Nick was coming towards children in a harbor while being sexually aggressive, and the children were warned to get out of the water to avoid him. Now, while there are little — if any — records of dolphins killing people, it is a fairly common occurrence for them to bite trainers and kids while in captivity. 

8. Armadillos Are Becoming Trendy But They Can Carry Hansen’s Disease

What We Expect: 

Armadillos can be found in parts of the southern United States and are starting to become a trendy exotic pet. They are not aggressive, they are cute and playful, and they don’t shed since they don’t have fur. Some people buy them from exotic pet dealers, and the laws vary greatly from state to state as to whether you are legally allowed to own one or not. 

The Disturbing Reality:

Armadillos can carry Hansen’s Disease, which is also known as leprosy. You know, that disease from the bible that got people sequestered from the general population. Nowadays there are cures, but it can still cause nerve damage and painful lesions. While it is not super common among American armadillos, it is not a risk worth taking. It should also be noted that Amazonian armadillos are known to be much bigger carriers, at a rate of almost 50 percent. 

7. Koalas Are Cute But They Are Riddled With Chlamydia

What We Expect:

Koalas are basically living teddy bears, even if they aren’t really bears. They look like a cute stuffed animal , they only eat leaves, they are completely and utterly harmless, and it seems like they would make a great pet… at least until you get a bit further into the koala’s biggest problem. 

The Disturbing Reality:

Koalas are actually mostly useless, as they spend almost all their time sleeping, but on top of that, they are actually kind of gross. Koalas are riddled with chlamydia, an STD that can cause infertility and ectopic pregnancies in women. Nearly 100 percent of koalas have chlamydia, and it is leading to a decline in their population. 

6. The Christmas Song Is Fun But Hippos Are Incredibly Dangerous 

What We Expect: 

We have all heard the cutesy Christmas song about a girl who wants her very own hippo hero for Christmas, and it is ear-wormy and mostly fun to listen to. It makes us think hippos are fun, loveable vegetarian animals who wouldn’t hurt a fly and would make a great pet. 

The Disturbing Reality: 

The hippopotamus is the most dangerous animal in Africa and one of the most dangerous in the world, despite being a herbivore.They attack people and swamp their boats, and are known for being incredibly territorial, biting people apart with their huge jaws with little to no provocation. There are theories that King Tut was killed by a hippo while out hunting, and even Steve Irwin, the famous animal specialist, would not mess with hippos when he came near them. 

They can also quickly become an invasive species, as they are becoming in Colombia, where Pablo Escobar’s hippos got loose. Their government is now trying desperately to cull them and get the situation under control before ecological disaster occurs. 

5. Deer Cause More Deaths Than Bears, Alligators, Dogs, And Sharks Combined 

What We Expect: 

Deer are an animal most of us think as super peaceful and kind. We generally tend to like seeing them show up in our yard and eat some fruit or leaves. Some people even try to approach them. Many people have grown up seeing Bambi, making the love for deer even greater, and a lot of people think it is wrong to hunt them after watching the famous animated film. . 

The Disturbing Reality: 

Deer kill more people every year than bears, alligators, dogs, and sharks combined — between 120 and 200. While most of these deaths are due to vehicular accidents, that does not mean that deer won’t attack you. While statistics can be hard to come by, as many attacks go unreported, experts have been warning people more in recent years to keep their distance from deer and remember that these are dangerous wild animals. A deer is basically a very large wild horse, and the males have antlers that can gore you. They should not be approached at all as they are still very wild and territorial creatures that can kill you very quickly. 

4. Elephants Are Becoming Increasingly Violent to Counter Poachers 

What We Expect: 

Elephants are known for being so tame that even as big as they are, they used to be a regular presence at the circus, before the abusive practice ended. They are known for being fun and playful and even sometimes thinking that humans are cute under the right conditions. Most people just love them, and of course we have every reason to hate the poaching of elephants, as they are intelligent creatures. 

The Disturbing Reality:

That being said, you should still probably keep your distance from  elephants, especially a truly wild one, if you don’t know what you are doing. Elephants are incredibly large animals that could accidentally kill you very easily, and have become increasingly violent in recent years in order to counter poachers. In response, they’ve become more and more territorial against unknown humans, when before they were indeed more friendly. Of course, even then, they have not always been friendly beasts. In ancient days they used to be used as war animals, and even sometimes in executions. 

3. Camels Can Get Incredibly Violent and Are invasive In Australia 

What We Expect: 

While camels may not necessarily be seen as cute or pretty, most people think of them as mostly harmless and maybe kind of funny. They are seen as the horses of the desert and are known for their ability to carry people long distances while needing little water. 

The Disturbing Reality:

Camels are actually extremely dangerous, and are an invasive species in Australia, where they are causing huge problems for the environment. They’re so dangerous to approach that when they are culling them, they snipe them by helicopter. They attack people if they get too close and can be downright vicious. 

Even tame camels can be very deadly. In one case a camel bit off its owner’s head for leaving it in the sun too long. In another case, a camel smothered its owner to death and it took 25 villagers six hours to haul the camel off of the dead body. After some investigation, they believe the camel was angry that it did not get its daily Coca-Cola. 

2. German Shepherds Have A Powerful Bite Force And Are One Of The Most Dangerous Dogs 

What We Expect: 

German Shepherds are known for being one of the gentler and kinder of the bigger dog breeds, and they do make good pets overall in most people’s eyes. Many people try to get them as a starter pet, because they are a popular choice for police dogs or guide dogs due to their trainability. 

The Disturbing Reality: 

Now, we want to be clear first that German Shepherds are not known for being particularly aggressive, and neither are pitbulls, for that matter, unless they are trained for that purpose. However, German Shepherds have an incredibly strong bite force for a dog their size, kill a few people every year, and come in third or fourth yearly in that category, only being beaten out by dogs who are usually raised by dog abusers for combat.

This does not mean a German Shepherd cannot make a great pet, but larger dogs like that, with powerful jaws, are best left for dog owners with a bit more experience who also have the space for a large dog to get its energy out. German Shepherds may be very trainable dogs, but they are also large and powerful animals and must be treated with respect and skillful handling.   

1. The Cane Toad Can Kill Your Pets And Is Invasive In Florida

What We Expect: 

A lot of people may consider toads to be a bit gross, but most consider them mostly harmless even if a bit icky, and plenty of kids love to play with them. Many even try to take them home, and will mess around with them thinking it really isn’t a big deal. Kids, of course, will be kids, and since toads are not scary like snakes, children who like stuff that isn’t just furry are bound to pick them up, and most parents aren’t that worried about it. 

The Disturbing Reality: 

Those parents probably would do well to be concerned about it, because in general toads can carry salmonella, and all types of other diseases. But even worse, in Florida, the Cane Toad has become an invasive species similar to the python and could easily spread to other parts of the USA. It is particularly problematic because its poison can easily kill pets and make your kids very sick. Overall, it is best if you just keep your kids and pets far away from toads, as you never know what they might be carrying.