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| Italy 2012 / 20120609f_PompeiiBathErotica
Ruth Milner, rmilner plus web at bookofmarvels dot net 3/18/2013 |
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Fresco in the Suburban Baths, Pompeii WARNING: Erotic content Some buildings in Pompeii require a separate entrance ticket, with limited quantities available for specific times. The Suburban Baths is one of these. It is better preserved than many areas, and has some unique art. Ancient Greeks and Romans were not shy about sex, and it features prominently in their art and sculpture, but this is not well known because most such objects have been hidden away out of general view, or in some cases defaced or even destroyed. (More on this later from the Museo Archeologico in Naples.) These little vignettes are painted in the dressing room at the baths. They seem to correspond to the numbered rectangles painted on the wall below them, which is most likely where there were originally cubbies for people's belongings. Perhaps the pictures helped patrons remember which cubby they were using – kind of like parking in the Mickey lot at Disney World. (Also, either they didn't know how to write the Roman numeral for 4, or we've been lied to!) |