Most people know that the Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of the Vesuvius volcano.

Due to the magnitude and speed of the destruction of the city, and the almost perfect preservation of the buildings and frescoes on the walls, we can get a very good and objective view of the Roman sex as revealed in Pompeii.

Pompeii was known for its wonderful food, beaches, and brothels.

Here today, you can see what sexual practices were performed (including how much was charged for their performance and who performed it!). Basically, however, Roman sex was a series of specific sexual acts described below.

The first was ‘fututio’.

This sexual act refers to the dominant/active/masculine role in heterosexual relationships. These were practices in a standing position, with the man behind the woman, rear entrance, and the woman leaning against the wall or table. Another future position was the Greek “4 podia” (on all fours, or our doggy style). In futtio, the man dominates, pushes and controls. There is no indication of the missionary’s position.

The second was ‘fellatio’.

Oral sex was considered a taboo for both sexes. The Romans considered it unclean. However, it was in fact practiced.

Fellatio was a very popular sexual activity, despite its moral taboo. This is oral sex practiced on a man, usually by a woman. It is also shown in the frescoes practiced on a man, by a man. In common Roman parlance, it was considered extremely insulting if a male citizen was implied to be a practitioner.

The third was ‘irrumatio’

This refers to a man forcing someone to give him fellatio. Unlike fututio and fellatio, irrumatio was often used as an overt act, taken directly from the Greek, for which Greek men would have to force fellatio violently.

It was apparently quite popular, where the male could feel dominant, an admirable Roman trait.

This is early S and M.

The fourth was ‘pedicatio’

This referred to both brand/female penetration and male/male penetration. There was no real distinction as to being gay or straight. Julius Caesar proudly recorded his sexual exploits with both sexes, and the Roman seems to have adopted Greek sexual habits.

However, the pedicantio, whether practiced by man and woman or by man and man, had the same actions. This was a standing or sitting position, never face to face, but always the couple facing the same direction.

The last sexual practice was ‘cunnilingus’.

Cunnilingus was considered impure in the first place, as well as not being manly, since the man would be in the position of giving pleasure instead of receiving pleasure.

In Roman society, women were the givers of pleasure, not the receivers. In any case, it was practiced, perhaps, by male prostitutes for their female clientele.

The Romans tolerated all kinds of sex except sex with another citizen married for pleasure. If he was caught and found guilty, there was only one penalty, and that was death.

However, this was generally ignored, and sex in bathhouses and organized orgies would be as decadent and lively as one would expect. One’s wife can find a new partner every day.

Unlike the Greeks who did not wish to have sex with their slaves (for economic and somewhat moral reasons), the Romans thrived on it.

Refusing a master’s slightest wish could mean being resold for forced labor, killed outright, or slowly starved to death.