Sexuality in Greece and Rome
•Please read in order.
Here are some things that may make your reading a little easier:
1) nomos is the ancient Greek word for 'norm, law, convention, custom'. These were all recognized as
creations of men who live in a civilized community.
2) physis is the ancient Greek word for 'nature'. The ancient Greeks liked to use antithetical
frameworks in order to organize their thoughts. Plato's interlocutors (those with whom Socrates holds
discussions) even mention that the best way to win a debate is by arguing the opposite position, so, for
example, if someone argues that he is right because it is natural, one should argue instead that this is
only conventional.
3) kinidos is a 'man who will do anything for pleasure and actively enjoys submitting himself to sexual
domination by other men' (Halperin, 'Why is Diotima a Woman?' 270).
Reading One:
Winkler, J. J. "Unnatural Acts: Erotic Protocols in Artemidoros' Dream Analysis." The Constraints of
Desire. The Anthropology of Sex and Gender in Ancient Greece. ed. J. J. Winkler. New York:
Routledge, 1990. 17-44.
Artemidoros, Dream Analysis
This reading considers how the meaning of sexual acts is culturally and historically situated. Winkler
draws a comparison between Freudian interpretations of sexual acts in dreams and those of Artemidoros,
an ancient interpreter of dreams. I've also attached a selection from Artemidoros' Dream Analysis that
Winkler bases his argument on. It is short and super interesting.
Reading Two:
Winkler, J. J. "Laying Down the Law: The Oversight of Men's Sexual Behavior in Classical Athens."
Before Sexuality. The Construction of the Erotic Experience in the Ancient Greek World. eds. David
Halperin, J.J. Winkler, Froma Zeitlin, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990. 171-204.
Reading Three:
Parker, Holt N. "The Teratogenic Grid." Roman Sexualities. eds. Judith P. Hallett and Marilyn B. Skinner.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997. 47-63.
This argument is based on close readings of Latin texts. However, the few Latin words that you need to
understand Parker's argument appear in the short section where he describes his grid of sexual acts at
the beginning of the article.
Reading Four:
Step One: First read the introduction to the Bacchanlia (I've marked which pages you should read).
Step Two: Read Livy's report of the Bacchanalia here:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/livy39.asp