| This humorously phallic gilded bronze image of a "placentarius" (cake-seller) holds a dish for sauces. He was still packed in his box in the House of the Ephebe at the time of the eruption. | |
 |  The folding in the margin of his foreskin is accurate. |
Previous (Classical Antiquity)
2. Pompeii
The destruction of Pompeii by the eruption of Vesuvius (on August 24, 79 CE) froze a moment in Roman time, protecting it from Christian censors and preserving for us relics of a richly erotic culture. The penis, often erect but often still strikingly posthetic ("beforeskinned"), was a centre of attention - the close-ups are hardly necessary.
| This humorously phallic gilded bronze image of a "placentarius" (cake-seller) holds a dish for sauces. He was still packed in his box in the House of the Ephebe at the time of the eruption. | |
| The folding in the margin of his foreskin is accurate. |
Artistic depictions of erections follow.
|  The lower margin of this handsome figure's foreskin projects forward as they do in life, but more so, much like a teapot and perhaps for the same reason, to prevent drips, because here it serves as a fountain. House of the Vetii |
 The fertility god Priapus (who can also be identifed by his basket of fruit) weighs his penis. A large bag (of gold?) is necessary. |
House of the Vetii
| This tripod, formed of three young satyrs, supports a basin. | |
|  Though their penises are erect, their foreskins are not at all retracted - this is seldom seen in life. |
All items are in
the National Museum of Naples
Next (Renaissance)
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