Porneia: On Desire and the Body in Antiquity

Family, Sexuality, and Social Relations in Past Times

by Aline Rousselle

Porneia means fornication, unchastity, desire for another's body. Drawing on Roman and Greek works of science, medicine, gynaecology and law and on Christian and pagan religious texts, Aline Rousselle discovers the intimate fears, passions, superstitions and ambitions of the people of the Mediterranean world during the first four centuries AD. The first part of the book describes Roman notions of male and female sexuality, including the extraordinary rituals of orgy, castration and sacrifice associated with ancient rites of fertility and spirituality. The second part is concerned with the impact of Christian ideas upon a settled pagan tradition. Abstinence, once associated with the enhancement of fertility, becomes the key to salvation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Sexuality, Philosophy, Bodies

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice treatise on the Roman stuprum (Roman laws pertaining to marriage, sexuality, adultery, prostitution, etc.), Hippocratic Collection (Ancient Greek medical works strongly associated with the physician Hippocrates and his teachings) that deal with the human body (male & female), its anatomy, functions, etc.

Rouselle reveals interesting facts about Roman behavior between men, women, and children under Roman rule & law. There is also strong application to various religions during that time (pagan practices, Christianity, Judaism, etc.) This book is also a nice historical examination of Roman civilization and social behavior on a daily basis. Eye-opening and well worth reading, if this sort of things interests you.

[JCJBergman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly an esoteric and subsequently entertaining read. The book sounds and appears more engaging than it is at times. Certain chapters delve a little too deeply into nuances that I didn't feel necessary to learn, but I cannot blame the author for being thorough. It is a personal preference, but the reading experience would have been better if at the end of each chapter was a summary of the main points made.

I am glad to own it if I ever have the itch to further study ancient sexuality...

[Matthew O'Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on the views of sex, sexuality, desire, the human body, and how religious groups (primarily Christian) have managed sexual temptation. Some modern views go back as far as the beginning of Christianity, some things have carried on without oppressors noticing their privilege and the hypocrisy of carrying out laws without including the people they affect. An excellent read and highly recommended for anyone curious about the historical development of concepts related to the subtitle of the book.

[Bricklyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book in its entirety was well researched and put together, however, the last two chapters and conclusion came across as jumpy, and rushed, sometimes talking in circles with no real thought expressed.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty interesting, though be warned that it's mostly about AVOIDING porneia. The parts about the anchorites living in semi-isolation were a little too real, considering.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, this book isn’t quite what I expected it to be, so no judgment there.

It’s about how sexual desire and bodies were understood during the transition from a Pagan late antiquity to a Christian early Middle Ages in the Greco-Roman world. The focus on the construction of desire is primarily in service to understanding the popularity of concepts like abstention, sexual continence, and complete repression of desire.

The final chapters focus on Egyptian and Coptic anchorites and monks. It provides a lot of interesting context for how particular types of Christianity are practiced today. Experiencing sexual desire came to be seen as the fault of devils, taking the form of women, children, or other men. This outward facing suspicion and distrust is often still visible today.

Rousselle does this well. Negative star because it becomes a little meandering. I am unsure if 10 pages were really necessary on anchorite food, for example, like the specific vegetables eaten by monks to repress desire.