{"id":3716,"date":"2013-07-29T10:11:08","date_gmt":"2013-07-29T09:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarragonaexperience.com\/2013\/07\/29\/we-talk-about-sex-how-did-romans-make-it\/"},"modified":"2025-05-13T12:24:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T10:24:08","slug":"we-talk-about-sex-how-did-romans-make-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tarragonaexperience.com\/en\/2013\/07\/29\/we-talk-about-sex-how-did-romans-make-it\/","title":{"rendered":"We talk about sex. How did Romans make it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona (MNAT)<\/a><\/strong> brings us, until Septembre 29, \u2018Sex in the Roman era\u2019<\/strong>, an exhibit which gathers a number of objects of the Roman time that have been preserved in Catalan museums, besides pictorial reproductions and texts by Latin authors, like this one by Ovid<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\u201cShe who\u2019s known for her face, lie there face upwards:
\nLet her back be seen, she who\u2019s back delights. [\u2026]
\nLet a woman noted for her length of body,
\npress the bed with her knees, arch her neck slightly.
\nShe who has youthful thighs, and faultless breasts,
\nThe man might stand, she spread, with her body downwards.<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

And up to ten other undercurrents.<\/p>\n

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A quick incursion into \u2018Sex in the Roman era\u2019<\/strong> allows visitors to confirm two things: first, the profound inequalities that would embrace both men and women back in that time; and second, the fact that sexual life has not changed that much since. Prostitution, adultery, heterosexuality, homosexuality\u2026 Quite a challenge to try and find the seven differences between ancient Romans and us.<\/p>\n

The exhibition, available on both a free or guided tour (prior reservation), which is also complemented by a cycle of conferences, tells us about sex in marriage and adulterous relationships, the different ways of making love, the art of seduction, and love affairs, passions, transgressions, cheatings and disillusions which used to be part back then (in the same way they are now) of people\u2019s sex relations.<\/p>\n

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The content of the showing does also demonstrate the uninhibited nature of the Romans, also under certain taboos and a double standard for morality. The exhibition is addressed to adults, and it is divided in five main fields: sex and marriage<\/strong>, dedicated to men-women relationships, and their evolution throughout history; sex, seduction and beauty<\/strong>, which talks about physical attraction and possible ways of seducing others; sexual practice<\/strong>s, which describes several sexual habits documented by Roman society; divine sexuality<\/strong>, as the pretext that justifies human\u2019s sexual life (Jupiter, Venus, Cupid, Hermaphrodite, Priapus and Bacchus had their seduction strategies, their sex affairs, and their cheatings and disillusions); and the adulterous relationships<\/strong>, which highlights the number of extramarital relationships, this being with either people of the same gender, prostitutes, or even, animals.<\/p>\n

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ACTIVITIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exhibition guided tours<\/strong>
\nSunday, July 21, August 4 and 18, and September 1, 15 and 29, at 12am.
\nAddressed to general public (included in the price of the ticket).
\nInformation and reservations: (0034) 977 251 515 \/ (0034) 977 236 209
\nmnat@gencat.cat \/ www.mnat.cat<\/a><\/p>\n

Conferences<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wednesday, September 18, 2013
\nLove and sexuality in Rome<\/strong>
\nBy Alfonso Cuatrecasas, Doctor in Classical Philology<\/p>\n

Wednesday, September 25, 2013
\nSex through classical texts<\/strong>
\nBy Carolina Altolaguirre, Graduated in Classical Philology<\/p>\n

Thursday, September 26, 2013
\nCellae meretrices. Sex business in Pompey<\/strong>
\nBy Joaqu\u00edn Ruiz de Arbulo<\/strong>, Archaeology Lecturer for the URV<\/p>\n

Conferences will take place in the \u2018Sala d\u2019Actes\u2019 of the Museu Nacional Arqueol\u00f2gic de Tarragona<\/a><\/strong> (Pla\u00e7a del Rei, 5), at 7pm.<\/p>\n

Open house<\/strong>
\nSaturday, September 28
\nSunday, August 18, and September 22 and 29<\/p>\n

Exhibition\u2019s schedule:<\/strong>
\nTuesday to Saturday, 9.30am \u2013 8.30pm
\nSunday, 10am \u2013 2pm
\nMonday, closed<\/p>\n

National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona<\/a><\/strong>. Pla\u00e7a del Rei, 5. 43003 Tarragona
\nTel: (0034) 977 251 515 \/ (0034) 977 236 209
\nmnat@gencat.cat
\nwww.mnat.cat<\/a>
\nwww.arqueoxarxa.cat<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Text: Ivan Rodon<\/a> (@irodon<\/a>)<\/strong>
\nTranslation: Artur Santos<\/a> (@artur_1983<\/a>)<\/strong>
\nPhotos: MNAT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n