The Brothel of Pompeii

Tourists, who are marched through the only designated, purposely-built brothel in Pompeii, stare at the cubicles with built-in masonry beds and wall paintings depicting sexual acts. Richardson pieces together an array of evidence, from various finds and graffiti to the early excavation reports, to assess the experiences of both the male clients and the female prostitutes. According to Richardson, more than sex was provided by the women of the brothel. This book imaginatively reconstructs the activities of the brothel in an intriguing way.

Women in the ancient world is a topic that is typically met with some level of preconception and misinterpretation due to modern judgements creeping in, even more so when discussing sex workers or enslaved women. Levin-Richardson strips all that away, re-investigating the material from what is arguably the most famous brothel in the world by examining the evidence for what it is rather than where it was found. This shouldn’t be an innovative approach, but it is, and one Pompeian (and women’s) studies needs.