Product Description

Sexuality in Greek and Roman Culture is the first comprehensive survey of ancient Greek and Roman sexuality.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #317560 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 376 pages

Review
“What has long been badly needed is a comprehensive survey that examines Greco–Roman sexuality, non–judgementally, in its own cultural context. Marilyn Skinner’s Sexuality in Greek and Roman Culture does just that … Non–ideological, its vast scholarship distilled in elegant prose for the general reader, sensible in its judgements, and equipped with a formidable bibliography, this splendid book replaces all earlier works on the subject for those in search of knowledge rather than confirmation of their prejudices.” Times Literary Supplement (Books of the Year)

"This book is not only an overview of sexuality but also an introduction to all forms of interpersonal relations, as Skinner uses the social and political structures of the time to account for differing notions of sexuality across time periods … As a general introduction to the topic this work is highly successful in that it gives a thorough overview of current literature while encouraging further reading and discussion … this is a most successful addition to the work on ancient sexuality and comes at a time when sexuality is becoming such a popular research topic.” Scholia: Studies in Classical Antiquity

"More than twenty years of researching and teaching sex and gender in antiquity, on both Greek and Roman topics, makes Marilyn Skinner an ideal candidate to write the first textbook–style survey of the subject ... I already look forward to the possibility of future editions." Bryn Mawr Classical Review

“Elegantly written and skillfully argued, Sexuality in Greek and Roman Culture brilliantly conveys the complexity of ancient attitudes towards sexuality and gender and the modern debates they have engendered. This book is comprehensive yet concise, theoretically sophisticated and yet accessible for an undergraduate reader.” Laura McClure, University of Wisconsin, Madison

"For several reasons this book may be considered a masterpiece ... The book is eminently readable, with the occasional good sense of humour. Moreover it is an outstanding example of integrated scholarship, aptly covering literary, epigraphical and papyrological source material as well as iconographical evidence ... and comparitive material with reference to contemporary issues." Les Etudes Classiques

“Written in a clear, engaging style that is enlivened with many touches of wit and humour, and, in addition, extremely well organized – a great challenge given the complexity of the subject.”
Beert Verstraete
Department of Classics
Acadia University

“A cultural history of ancient sexuality that is necessary reading for classicists wanting an introduction to this relatively new field, but also of interest to specialists outside classics because of her concern to demonstrate how constructions of ancient sexuality are similar to, yet different from, modern western conceptions of sex and gender.”
Journal of the Classical Association of Canada

From the Back Cover
Sexuality in Greek and Roman Culture is the first comprehensive survey of ancient Greek and Roman sexuality. Drawing on literary, artistic, and archaeological evidence, as well as on scholarly sources, it covers a wide range of subjects, including Greek pederasty and the symposium, ancient prostitution, representations of women in Greece and Rome, and the public regulation of sexual behavior. Different class and gender perspectives are taken into account as far as they can be recovered.

The book also introduces the bitter theoretical battles that have been fought over ancient sexuality, particularly regarding what ancient societies believed about sex and sexual orientation. The author draws comparisons between ancient sexual ideology and contemporary culture, encouraging readers to understand the relationship between social institutions and personal sexual conduct. Designed for a general audience, Sexuality in Greek and Roman Culture is written in an elegant and accessible style. It offers sophisticated insights into complex social issues.

About the Author

Marilyn B. Skinner is Professor of Classics at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Her previous publications include Catullus’ Passer: The Arrangement of the Book of Polymetric Poems (1981), Roman Sexualities (co–edited, 1997), Catullus in Verona (2003), and Vergil, Philodemus, and the Augustans (co–edited, 2004).

Customer Reviews

Brilliant
For such a compact book, Skinner squeezes in a massive amount of information, analysis and scholarship, without ever losing her way. While focusing on sexuality and gender issues, she also covers questions of politics, society, culture, power structures, literature...

Starting with archaic Greece, she moves through Classical Athens into the Hellenistic period and asseses how political and philosophical changes impact on constructions of gender and sexuality. Then she moves onto the Romans, examining how their ideas of gender differ from the Greeks' before exploring the impact on the change from Republic to Principate to empire.

This is a fabulous book, accessible, learned, lively and informative - and one of the few library books that after I'd read it, I had to rush out and buy my own copy because you will find yourself referring back to it over and over.

It is also well annotated with a detailed bibliography - an absolute must for any classics student.

Sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome
I found this to be an accessible and entertaining discussion of sexuality from archaic Greek to imperial Roman times. Skinner is good at setting issues of sexuality in their wider social and political context. What I really liked though was her ability to connect ancient ideas and practices with the modern world, for example by imagining what a delegation of famous ancient Greek philosophers would make of a modern-day university lecture room (Aristotle would be shocked to see women studying, while the cynics would approve of the shabby rucksacks). She also demonstrates an enthusiasm for her subject and a sense of humour which make the book enjoyable to read.