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Sex in the Ancient World

In the beginning was sex. To the ancient cultures, sexuality, love and sex were inextricably connected with the creation of the earth, the heavens and the underworld.

To the citizens of the ancient civilizations that gave birth to ours, sensuality and sexuality were an integral part of society. This series exploration of Egyptian and Roman sexual practice allows viewers the opportunity to see how attitudes and beliefs about sexuality functioned in the early civilizations, and how those attitudes reveal the unspoken rules that defined public and private behavior.

Episodes cover human sex and sexuality from a historical perspective, and examines in detail different texts and images which provide us with evidence about sexual practices, beliefs and ideologies in the ancient world – from erotica on pots to legal texts, phallic votive objects, fertility ceremonies, prostitution, female and hermaphroditic creator deities, from religious rituals to sex manuals.

Show Info

Network: United States History (2009 - 2009)
Schedule: Mondays, Saturdays (90 min)
Status: Ended
Show Type: Documentary
Genres: History

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Previous Episode

Egyptian Erotica

Episode 1x02; Aug 8, 2009

A graphic 3,000-year-old papyrus is discovered that seems pornographic. Is it a message to the Gods, part of a fertility ritual, or simply evidence of erotica? Experts decode the evidence to reveal its true meaning, shedding new light on the everyday

Previous Episodes

Episode NameAirdateTrailer
1x02: Egyptian EroticaAug 8, 2009
1x01: Prostitution in PompeiiAug 3, 2009
View full episode list »
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