Warning: references and images of a sexual nature. Above: Wall fresco of Roman prostitutes and customers; Pompeii. The sexual freedoms of imperial Rome and the lewd images of Pompeii are well known. If sex was so easy, then why prostitution and brothels? read more
10. Slave Sex. It’s no secret that Roman society ran on slavery. Men and women captured during military conquests were shipped all over the Empire and auctioned off to the highest bidder – at which point they became the property of some aristocrat or other. And those aristocrats usually had one thing on their minds when buying a young slave: sex. read more
Generally sex-slavery was an uncontroversial aspect of slavery in general, which saw very little criticism in the ancient world. The only real change happened in the 4th and 5th centuries, when Christian emperors began limiting the right of masters to sexual use of their slaves. read more
Shockingly, at the height of Rome’s power, slaves represented 10-15% of the total population of the Empire. Systematic Rape. In antiquity, war rape was an integral aspect of virtually all military conflicts, with conquered civilians (both men and women) serving as spoils for the Roman soldiery. read more