Sexuality in Greek and Roman Literature and Society: A Sourcebook

by Marguerite Johnson, Terry Ryan

This Sourcebook contains numerous original translations of ancient poetry, inscriptions and documents, all of which illuminate the multifaceted nature of sexuality in antiquity.
The detailed introduction provides full social and historical context for the sources, and guides students on how to use the material most effectively. Themes such as marriage, prostitution and same-sex attraction are presented comparatively, with material from the Greek and Roman worlds shown side by side. This approach allows readers to interpret the written records with a full awareness of the different context of these separate but related societies. Commentaries are provided throughout, focusing on vocabulary and social and historical context.
This is the first major sourcebook on ancient sexuality; it will be of particular use on related courses in classics, ancient history and gender studies.

Genres: Research, Nonfiction, History

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[TammyJo Eckhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the type of source book I wish I had access to when I was teaching courses about gender and sexuality in the Greek and Roman worlds. The introduction is well-worth reading and adheres to the consensus about the topics and history in general. The categories the sources are listed in are easy to follow and flow well. This is NOT the total number of texts one could use to study sexuality in these cultures, but it is a useful overview. It is probably what most undergraduate college courses need and a decent start for graduate or expert explorations.

The photographs are nice but I wish they were spread out more to highlight the chapter categories. The glossaries of authors and Greek & Latin terms are good references though a touch short at points. That's why you use this in a classroom.

[meg (the.hidden.colophon) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for my Sexuality in the Ancient World class in Spring ‘25. Unfortunately, my instructor should have kept this one for her own reference and not made students read it. The audience for this is clearly lesson planners and researchers. It is well done, though.