Etched onto the walls of a seriously old brothel is definitive proof that male sex workers lived, worked and fucked β often queerly β before a conservative emperor wiped them out. Before then, guys fucked other guys frequently. Books about ancient Rome allude to salacious stories of riotous orgies and polygamous emperors, too.
Nero, who reigned between 54 and 68 A. Prostitution was a little trickier, though. Much less is known about their male counterparts, though.
Interestingly, much of our intel comes from old graffiti. Some sex workers wrote jokes, too. Garlic Farts. Clients left reviews of the sex workers they paid to fuck, too. Two names that recur frequently on those hallowed walls are Paris and Castrenis, both of whom were gay men. Some of these carvings were more artistic. According to U. So, they may have been beautiful, but Paris and Castrenis were not privileged. We also have visual data backing up orgies, like the Warren Cup at the British Museum.
Basically, as long as they were paying taxes, the more puritanical forces up high would turn a relatively blind eye. This all changed in A. In the meantime, the drawings on the walls of ancient brothels are reassurance enough that, at least for a while, these guys lived, worked and fucked with abandon. Jake Hall is a freelance journalist, fashion features editor and author. Their debut book 'The Art of Drag' is scheduled for release in May The Secret Male Sex Workers of Ancient Rome Etched onto the walls of a seriously old brothel is definitive proof that male sex workers lived, worked and fucked β often queerly β before a conservative emperor wiped them out.
Jake Hall Jake Hall is a freelance journalist, fashion features editor and author. More Stories from MEL.
