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This book provides a thoroughly documented discussion of ancient Roman
ideologies of masculinity and sexuality with a focus on ancient representations
of sexual experience between males.
It gathers a wide range of evidence from the second century B.C. to the second century A.D.--above all from such literary texts as courtroom speeches, love poetry, philosophy, epigram, and history, but also graffiti and other inscriptions as well as artistic artifacts--and uses that evidence to reconstruct the contexts within which Roman texts were created and had their meaning. The book takes as its starting point the thesis that in order to understand the Roman material, we must make the effort to set aside any preconceptions we might have regarding sexuality, masculinity, and effeminacy.
Williams' book argues in detail that for the writers and readers of Roman texts, the important distinctions were drawn not between homosexual and heterosexual, but between free and slave, dominant and subordinate, masculin and effeminate as conceived in specifically Roman terms. Other important questions addressed by this book include the differences between Roman and Greek practices and ideologies; the influence exerted by distinctively Roman ideals of austerity; the ways in which deviations from the norms of masculine sexual practice were negotiated both in the arena of public discourse and in real men's lives; the relationship between the rhetoric of "nature" and representations of sexual practices; and the extent to which same-sex marriages were publicly accepted.
It gathers a wide range of evidence from the second century B.C. to the second century A.D.--above all from such literary texts as courtroom speeches, love poetry, philosophy, epigram, and history, but also graffiti and other inscriptions as well as artistic artifacts--and uses that evidence to reconstruct the contexts within which Roman texts were created and had their meaning. The book takes as its starting point the thesis that in order to understand the Roman material, we must make the effort to set aside any preconceptions we might have regarding sexuality, masculinity, and effeminacy.
Williams' book argues in detail that for the writers and readers of Roman texts, the important distinctions were drawn not between homosexual and heterosexual, but between free and slave, dominant and subordinate, masculin and effeminate as conceived in specifically Roman terms. Other important questions addressed by this book include the differences between Roman and Greek practices and ideologies; the influence exerted by distinctively Roman ideals of austerity; the ways in which deviations from the norms of masculine sexual practice were negotiated both in the arena of public discourse and in real men's lives; the relationship between the rhetoric of "nature" and representations of sexual practices; and the extent to which same-sex marriages were publicly accepted.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"...an important and ground-breaking study."--Choice
"It has become increasingly apparent that although a very wide range of sexual activity appears in Latin literature, the Romans did not classify people as 'homosexuals' or 'heterosexuals,' and that when moral judgement was passed on a sexual act it was not the identity or difference of sex in the participants that mattered--it was taken for granted that the lust of a 'real man' was aroused by young, smooth bodies--but their relative civic status. Craig Williams has now given us an admirably thorough, clear, and perceptive survey of all the relevant evidence for the Romans' evaluation of homosexual acts."--Sir Kenneth Dover
"For an introduction to Roman ideas of masculinity, and Roman attitudes toward same-sex erotic relations, this is the book to read. It is sophisticated, elegantly written, offers a wealth of examples, and explains with exemplary clarity just how Roman views of sex and identity differed from our own. Williams is a first-rate guide to this difficult and fascinating territory."--David Konstan, Brown University
"A tour de force. Roman Homosexuality is a significant contribution to the historical and cross-cultural study of same-sex relations, and a marvellous addition to our knowledge of the erotics of masculinity in Ancient Rome. Not only does the book advance classical studies--it provides a critical commentary on modernity and sexuality in our times."--Gilbert Herdt, San Francisco State University
"...a lucid and enlightening survey of Roman ideas about masculinity and same-sex relations. An important contribution to innovative scholarship in classics."--David Larmour, Texas Tech University
About the Author
About the Author Craig A. Williams received
his Ph.D. in Classical Languages and Literatures from Yale University in 1992
and is currently Associate Professor of Classics at Brooklyn College and the
Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
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Reviews
32 of 34 people found the following review
helpful
By Elba
Format:Paperback
Williams has clearly written the best exposition of male-male
sex and erotics in ancient Rome to date--no contest. He is particularly good at
refuting the anthropologically more naive claims of "(pathic) homosexual
subcultures" and "homosexuals" (as a culturally and/or personally acknowledged
category) at Rome made by scholars like Amy Richlin, Rabun Taylor, Jon Boswell,
John Clarke, and Bernadette Brooten. Though he makes no mention of it, I can't
help thinking he chose his main title, _Roman Homosexuality_, because the
(unjustly) famous book by K. J. Dover is titled _Greek Homosexuality_. (His book
is better than Dover's.)The book is not, however, without its flaws and
shortcomings. (1) Williams aims merely at a phenomenology of male-male sex and
erotics in ancient Rome, ignoring the issues of early historical development
("origins") and of men's/boys' subjective experiences. (2) While alluding at
times to anthropological studies, he fails to weave anthropological insights
into his analysis, sometimes even drawing inappropriate anthropological
parallels--a fact partly responsible for problem (1). (3) Though frequently
alluding to the anal receptivity of Roman freeborn youth, he fails to explore
and explain the phenomenon (i.e., perhaps the rule that Roman boys could not be
penetrated was a relatively late development predating our sources). I believe
some suggestive evidence exists on this point. (4) Lastly, Williams' discussion
of male-male marriage (Appendix 2) is entirely underdeveloped--and therefore
unconvincing, inadequate, and disappointing.While the book gets 5/5 stars, I can
only give it a 95%. Still, that's pretty darn good, and it seems unlikely the
book will be superceded anytime soon.
17 of 19 people found the following review
helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified
Purchase
I have found this book, when added with K.J. Dover's Greek
Homosexuality, to offer me all the information I needed on the subject of
homosexuality in Classical Antiquity. Williams does not make enough, perhaps, of
the fact that the Romans' low estimate of any male citzen performing the passive
role in sexual intercourse - that they equalled with adultery and rape in the
single legal category of *strupum*, in contrast to the Classical Age Athenians'
idealization of the supposedly pure love between the younger *eromenos* and his
*erastes* had much to do with the realities of Rome as an oligarchical political
system where no member of the ruling oligarchy was supposed to submit to
another, in contrast to the more democratic and egalitarian Athenian mores,
where you were supposed to learn to obey in order to learn to give orders. But
then, this is a conclusion that was already there to be drawn. Superb book,
highly recommended.
41 of 51 people found the following review
helpful
By anonymous
Format:Paperback
Ancient Rome merits a contemporary investigation of its
attitudes towards sexuality and homosexuality but sadly Craig A Williams book
"Roman Homosexuality" is not capable of the task. Apart from the dull prose and
paucity of illustrations. A pathetic eight pages of miniscule black and white
photos, including the front cover which is repeated again inside the book
itself. Williams actually has the audacity to state in the introduction that he
will refrain from translating Roman sexual terms such as catamite, virgo,
virtus, irrumator struprum, cinaedus, pudicitia, lingis, futuis, fututor, and
fellator. The reader is therefore greatly hampered from the beginning by the
absence of a Latin glossary and dictionary to guide them through Roman
terminology.
William's book is liberally sprinkled with extracts from conservative poetry
and plays which express mock outrage at licentiousness and addictive sexual
behavior. In Seneca "Naturales Quaestiones" the character Hostius Quadra
confesses that
"I simultaneously submit both to a man and to a woman. Yet I also play the man's role to someone else's disgrace, using, that redundant part of mine. My entire body is engaged in stupra (1.16)
Williams without exception considers the playwrights sexual prudery as being typical of all Romans tastes which is a dangerous assumption because reading actual Romans graffiti in which ordinary Romans brag about the numerous men and women they have slept with implies that the Romans could not be classified as sexually up tight. Their puns, jokes and pranks suggest a high voltage spiritual but bawdy people who considered every sexual act a blessing from the gods. You would hardly know this from Williams dry historical accounts, weighed down inappropriately as they are with references to contemporary French and American philosophers and social theorists. Their inclusion only makes the reading of his book more laborious. However quotes from actual Romans give fleeting insight into their culture and everyday lives. Such as a prayer to the Roman phallic god Priapus from Julius Agathemerus which asks that the following wishes be fulfilled.
"Grant me a flowering youth: grant that I may please good boys and girls with my naughty penis, and that with frequent fun and games I may chase away the worries that harm the soul, and that I may not fear old age too much" (Cil 14, 3565,2-7)
Who could not identify with this lament so universal is its longing to starve of the loneliness of old age? The most striking thing about Roman culture is that unlike the Greeks the Romans had no terms for gender specific sexuality. There were no homosexuals or heterosexuals only sexuality in Rome and it was craved constantly. ON this matter Williams selects extracts from Roman playwrights and poets that were openly critical of promiscuous men and women, who they termed lewd and greedy. However laws restraining adulterous conduct tended to fall on deaf ears. The average Roman parent when seeking a personal tutor for their beautiful son had to take into consideration the risk of his being seduced by his teacher. The parents themselves had access to both male and female slaves and freeborn lovers some of whom were notorious lesbians, concubines and male prostitutes.
In fact the Romans would provide male and female lovers to bribe jurors to ensure a legal case produced a favorable outcome, if they could afford it. The Romans though lusty did not approve of pedophilia and past laws banning what they classified as Amicitiae mos Graecorum or the " Greek practices". Where an adolescent would come under the wing of an older man. The vast majority of Roman men would be classified today as bi-sexual though exclusive homosexuality existed as well. There was no social criticism because some men married other men, but castrati and effeminacy was disliked. This is because the Romans were a warrior society so they did not approve of extreme femininity in men which was associated with the promiscuity of womanizers and male prostitutes. Excessive attention to personal appearance was considered effeminate or feminine behavior not appropriate to a warrior. Who had to be ready to brandish the sword at a moments notice. But in reality it was a free for all and some people flaunted their camp-ness regardless. However the Romans disliked slobs. They expected high standards of personal hygiene from both their men and woman, no nose hair, no dirty armpits, no shapeless haircuts, no frumpy tunics and no sloppy shoes. The Romans admired beauty both male and female as much as they did sex. And celebrated their awe struck wonder of love in their text an example of which can be found in "Satyricon' by the Roman author Petronius
"Ye gods and goddesses, what a night that was! How soft the bed! We clung together hot, and on this side and that we exchanged our wandering souls by our lips"
Sadly juicy extracts such as these are few and far between because their lost within pages of Williams dull pontifications. A better book would be one that simply presented page after page of original Roman comments on their sex lives. accompanied by hundreds of fabulous illustrations.
"I simultaneously submit both to a man and to a woman. Yet I also play the man's role to someone else's disgrace, using, that redundant part of mine. My entire body is engaged in stupra (1.16)
Williams without exception considers the playwrights sexual prudery as being typical of all Romans tastes which is a dangerous assumption because reading actual Romans graffiti in which ordinary Romans brag about the numerous men and women they have slept with implies that the Romans could not be classified as sexually up tight. Their puns, jokes and pranks suggest a high voltage spiritual but bawdy people who considered every sexual act a blessing from the gods. You would hardly know this from Williams dry historical accounts, weighed down inappropriately as they are with references to contemporary French and American philosophers and social theorists. Their inclusion only makes the reading of his book more laborious. However quotes from actual Romans give fleeting insight into their culture and everyday lives. Such as a prayer to the Roman phallic god Priapus from Julius Agathemerus which asks that the following wishes be fulfilled.
"Grant me a flowering youth: grant that I may please good boys and girls with my naughty penis, and that with frequent fun and games I may chase away the worries that harm the soul, and that I may not fear old age too much" (Cil 14, 3565,2-7)
Who could not identify with this lament so universal is its longing to starve of the loneliness of old age? The most striking thing about Roman culture is that unlike the Greeks the Romans had no terms for gender specific sexuality. There were no homosexuals or heterosexuals only sexuality in Rome and it was craved constantly. ON this matter Williams selects extracts from Roman playwrights and poets that were openly critical of promiscuous men and women, who they termed lewd and greedy. However laws restraining adulterous conduct tended to fall on deaf ears. The average Roman parent when seeking a personal tutor for their beautiful son had to take into consideration the risk of his being seduced by his teacher. The parents themselves had access to both male and female slaves and freeborn lovers some of whom were notorious lesbians, concubines and male prostitutes.
In fact the Romans would provide male and female lovers to bribe jurors to ensure a legal case produced a favorable outcome, if they could afford it. The Romans though lusty did not approve of pedophilia and past laws banning what they classified as Amicitiae mos Graecorum or the " Greek practices". Where an adolescent would come under the wing of an older man. The vast majority of Roman men would be classified today as bi-sexual though exclusive homosexuality existed as well. There was no social criticism because some men married other men, but castrati and effeminacy was disliked. This is because the Romans were a warrior society so they did not approve of extreme femininity in men which was associated with the promiscuity of womanizers and male prostitutes. Excessive attention to personal appearance was considered effeminate or feminine behavior not appropriate to a warrior. Who had to be ready to brandish the sword at a moments notice. But in reality it was a free for all and some people flaunted their camp-ness regardless. However the Romans disliked slobs. They expected high standards of personal hygiene from both their men and woman, no nose hair, no dirty armpits, no shapeless haircuts, no frumpy tunics and no sloppy shoes. The Romans admired beauty both male and female as much as they did sex. And celebrated their awe struck wonder of love in their text an example of which can be found in "Satyricon' by the Roman author Petronius
"Ye gods and goddesses, what a night that was! How soft the bed! We clung together hot, and on this side and that we exchanged our wandering souls by our lips"
Sadly juicy extracts such as these are few and far between because their lost within pages of Williams dull pontifications. A better book would be one that simply presented page after page of original Roman comments on their sex lives. accompanied by hundreds of fabulous illustrations.
Most Recent Customer
Reviews
Excellent as
Expected
In college, I took Professor William's class on "Greek and
Roman Sexuality" and looked forward to attending his lectures every other day
and his excellent insights on the... Read more
Published on October 14,
2000 by Aly Walansky
What the ancients thought about gender
is important- buy it.
This is your chance to replace rumor and speculation with
fact. How may times have you over-heard some Blow Hard go on and on at a
cocktail party about how masculinity was... Read
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Published on June 25,
1999
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First Sentence:
Some of the most fascinating problems in the study of Roman cultural traditions arise from the complex interactions between Rome and Greece that resulted in what is often called Greco-Roman culture, a term that points to the extraordinary influence exerted by Greece, nominally the captive nation, on Rome. Read the first page
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Valerius Maximus, Julius Caesar, Scipio Aemilianus, Mother Goddess, Sulpicius Galus, Mark Antony, New York, Amy Richlin, Caelius Aurelianus, Hostius Quadra, Maud Gleason, Bona Dea, Cato the Elder, Eva Cantarella, Good Goddess, Lucius Antonius, Musonius Rufus, Appendix Vergiliana, Asia Minor, Aulus Gellius, Catharine Edwards, House of the Vettii, Juvenal's Naevolus, Museo Nazionale, Pliny the Elder
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Some of the most fascinating problems in the study of Roman cultural traditions arise from the complex interactions between Rome and Greece that resulted in what is often called Greco-Roman culture, a term that points to the extraordinary influence exerted by Greece, nominally the captive nation, on Rome. Read the first page
Valerius Maximus, Julius Caesar, Scipio Aemilianus, Mother Goddess, Sulpicius Galus, Mark Antony, New York, Amy Richlin, Caelius Aurelianus, Hostius Quadra, Maud Gleason, Bona Dea, Cato the Elder, Eva Cantarella, Good Goddess, Lucius Antonius, Musonius Rufus, Appendix Vergiliana, Asia Minor, Aulus Gellius, Catharine Edwards, House of the Vettii, Juvenal's Naevolus, Museo Nazionale, Pliny the Elder
Concordance | Text Stats
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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58 books cite this book:
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- Tusculan disputations (Classical texts) by Marcus Tullius Cicero on 4 pages
- Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity by Judith Butler in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- On the Nature of Things (De Rerum Natura) (Philosophical Classics) by Titus Lucretius Carus on page 27, and Back Matter
- The Art of Love by Ovid in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Ancient Rome (The First Book of Series) by Charles Alexander, Jr. Robinson in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
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all 100 books this book cites - Same-Sex Desire in the English Renaissance: A Sourcebook of Texts, 1470-1650 (Garland Studies in the Renaissance) by Kenneth Borris in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Early Christian Families in Context by Mr. David L. Balch on page 301, and Back Matter
- How to Do the History of Homosexuality by David M. Halperin in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Psalms in Community: Jewish and Christian Textual, Liturgical, and Artistic Traditions (Symposium Series (Society of Biblical Literature), No. 25.) by Harold W. Attridge on page 163, and Back Matter
- New Testament Masculinities (Society of Biblical Literature Semeia Studies) by Stephen Moore in Front Matter, and Back Matter
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