LUPANAR - POMPEII

The Lupanar was the official brothel of Pompeii. As a trading town, it was visited every day by a large numbers of people, especially traders from other towns. The brothel is situated at the intersection of two side roads on Via dell’Abbondanza near the town centre, not far from the Forum and the Stabian baths (which had a rear entrance on the Vicolo del Lupanare). Phalluses engraved on the basalt road surface or on the stone set into the facades of houses gave visitors clear indications on how to reach the brothel. We find explicit reference to the use to which this building was put, unlike many other brothel in the town (there were probably 25 in all) which were situated on the first floor above taverns and houses. The lupanar had ten stone beds with mattresses, each bed set in its own small room. Five of these were found on the ground floor, while the larger rooms were situated on the first floor which could be reached by an independent entrance and a wooden staircase. The customers expressed their opinions on the brothel and the performance of the prostitutes by scratching them on the walls, as can be seen by the approximately 120 examples of explicit graffiti. The brothel was managed by a “leno” (an owner of prostitutes) who bought the girl as slaves, primarily in the East, at an average price of 600 sesterces. The brothel’s tariffs varied from 2 to 16 asses (1 as equal to about half a sesterce).

 

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Thanks to its large size and particular typology, this house can be defined ‘Villa’. It extends over an area corresponding to two insulae, of which one-third is occupied by the building proper and two-third were used as a vegetable garden. After the earthquake of 62 A.D., the owner of this sumptuous and elegant house, Julia Felix, daughter of Spurius, decided to ease the difficulties caused by the shortage of accommodation by renting out part of the house. As the Forum Baths could be used only in part, she also opened her private bath to the public. The notice painted on the façade reads “elegant bathing facilities, shops with annexed apartments upstairs and independ ... continue

(Apic. exc. 7) Ingredients:

• 6 whole herring or mackerel, gutted (or 4 cod fillets)
• 4 turnips
• 2 + 2 tbsp olive oil
• 100 + 300 ml white wine
• 150 ml water
• 20 g butter
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp laurel berries (or juniper berries)
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 tbsp cornflour

Instructions:
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First peel the turnips and boil until soft. Pour off the excess water and mash them with butter. Spread this mash on a serving plate. Fillet the fish and poach them lightly in a mi ... continue

Love was a common topic of conversation in Pompeii. Feelings, passions, poetic love, sex, homosexuality, prostitution and so forth were all part of daily life and not a source of prejudice. The concept of “obscenity” seems to have been unknown. Love and sex were considered earthly practices of a man’s life that were encouraged by the benevolence of Venus. The thousands of examples of graffiti found on the town’s walls are unequivocal proof of what the people of Pompeii thought about love and sex.