CA Lecture: Dr James Robson (Open) "Beauty, Sexuality and Desire in Classical Athens"

CA Lecture at Exeter College. The art and literature of classical Athens provide plenty of rich material for scholars of ancient sexuality to explore: from erotic vase painting, to the highly sexualized portrayal of women on the comic stage, to more muted references to everyday attitudes about beauty, sex and desire. In this talk, James Robson will aim to paint a broad picture of what sexiness constituted for Classical Athenians, exploring topics such as physical characteristics, seductive behaviour and how appearance could be enhanced by clothing or personal grooming. While touching on topics such as sexual attraction, fantasy and taboo, this talk will take a risqué peek into the private bedrooms, whorehouses, drinking parties, wrestling schools and gymnasia of classical Athens in an attempt to add to our understanding of this culture’s often complex relationship with sex and sexual acts.