In Bed with the Ancient Greeks

From what the Ancient Greeks might have talked about in bed to women’s health and the intricacies of Greek marriage, Paul Chrystal shines a much-needed light on sex and sexuality in ancient Greece, one of the world’s most influential civilizations. This is a balanced, comprehensive and well-researched analysis of the many aspects of sexual desire and activity in the various Greek societies – from the Minoan civilisation, Athens and the other city states, to Sparta and Hellenistic Greece. It examines attitudes to, and the practice of, sex in Greek mythology, literature and real life; in love, marriage, and adultery; in religion and philosophy; in the visual arts; of sexual medicine and erotic magic; and the vocabulary of sex. A wealth of primary sources are called upon to provide evidence of the antics of the ancient Greeks.