Saturday, June 13, 2015

Addendum to Pompeii NSFW!

WARNING!!! THESE PICS ARE NOT SAFE FOR WORK!!!

What I found most fascinating about this city is the fact that is WAS a city. A thriving place filled with everyday life. From the grooves in the stones from the wagon wheels (how hard must driving have been with THOSE in the street???), to the "fast food" places that lined a thoroughfare, Pompeii could be any one of a number of cities today (although today we call those grooves "potholes").

While the gymnasium and the his and her saunas intrigued me and the one restored villa amazed me for it's simplicity and beautiful murals, it was the house of the courtesans that tickled my fancy the most. The world's oldest profession fully recognized and totally not hidden, as sex wasn't something to be ashamed of. And, if I'm not mistaken, both men and women used the services of these houses.



But the part that made me giggle like a schoolgirl was the "menu" on the walls. Up above the alcoves used for sex are a set of frescoes depicting all sorts of interlocking sexual positions. A customer would come in, point to the position desired and the transaction was made.



(NOTE: These pictures were taken with our Samsung Note4 cameras. No flash was used as flash photography is forbidden; it will damage the frescoes).




I love it! How easy - and there could be no arguments since the customer made the choice ahead of time. So logical. Takes the passion out in one way, adds it in another. Calculating - you know what you're going to get. Passionate - a chance to try something new!








And this last picture - a phallic symbol no one disputes. It did not, however, advertise the house of courtesans, but was the universal symbol for an apothecary. Need some help performing in the above house? Come here and get your aphrodisiac! Of course, you could get all sorts of other medicines and ointments here as well, but the fact that they use a raised penis as the advertisement bemuses me. :)

Just had to share!

Play safe,
Diana

2 comments:

Lynn LaFleur said...

Love the pictures and history lesson, Diana!

Lynn

Diana Hunter said...

You're welcome, Lynn. Not often one gets to combine one's love of history with one's passion for...passion. :)