Sneezing instead of contraception, public masturbation and the Spartan "dressing of brides". The sexual world of the ancient Greeks was different than you might expect
Leonidas, Achilles, Pericles... famous names that we have fixed as symbols of courage, military genius and heroism. Pop culture often serves up ancient Greece in the form of bronze bodies, epic battles and serious philosophical debates. But like any other society, the culture of that time was deeply imbued with sexuality - and in a way that may strike today's readers as surprising, shocking, or just... strange.
Sex was not taboo in the Greek world. It was public, ubiquitous, and permeated every area of social life - from religion to military training to urban economics. Pornography was painted on ceramics, philosophizing and getting drunk in symposia, phallic motifs adorned statues and household utensils. The openness to carnality and relationships - including those between people of the same sex - created a cultural environment that in many ways defies our modern understanding of sexuality.
While today we address sex education, safe sex or LGBTQ+ rights in terms of equality and privacy, in ancient Greece these boundaries were pushed in a very different direction. The following ten practices show just how different and multilayered the approach to the body, desire and relationships were back then - from contraceptive methods to state-run brothels to the strange wedding rituals of Sparta.
1. Sneezing as contraception
Modern medicine offers a wide variety of effective and safe methods of protection. The Greeks had to make do with what they had on hand - and often with a dose of imagination. After intercourse, they were advised to hold their breath, sit down with bent knees and induce a sneeze to prevent 'semen from entering the uterus'. Other women have tried to block their cervix with a piece of wood, which sounds more painful than effective. Eating large quantities of dates and pomegranates before and after intercourse was also popular - and while modern studies suggest that these fruits may reduce fertility, they were certainly not enough as reliable protection.
2. Masturbation as a public gesture
Public masturbation today would arouse minimal indignation. But the philosopher Diogenes used it as a form of social provocation. This founder of cynicism, who lived in a barrel and criticized the hypocrisy of society, masturbated in public to point out the nature of bodily needs. When admonished, he retorted: "I wish it were possible to satisfy hunger by rubbing the belly." Masturbation has also penetrated popular culture: in Aristophanes' famous comedy Lysistrata, the Spartans are ridiculed precisely for their passion for their own pleasure.
3. Kissing a woman? A social faux pas
While kisses between men - whether on the cheek, hand or lips - were quite common as a greeting or expression of equality, kissing one's wife in public was considered a sign of weakness. Pericles, one of the most important statesmen, faced criticism precisely because of his public displays of affection. The kiss symbolized an equality that women did not have in most city-states, and a man could be seen as "controlled" by his partner - in line with the sexist archetype of the "dangerous seductress."
4. Public brothels under state control
Legal state-controlled prostitution sounds like science fiction. But in Athens it was introduced by the legislator Solon. He set fixed prices, administered state brothels and used the tax revenue to build a temple to the goddess Aphrodite. Alongside ordinary sex workers, there were so-called hetaerae - educated companions for the upper classes who offered conversation, wit and social status. The poorer prostitutes in turn wore sandals with the message "Follow me" imprinted in the dust of the streets.
5. Pederasty as a social norm
In Sparta, boys as young as seven were enrolled in the state-run military training program Agoge. Part of their socialization included partner relationships with older mentors, as well as intimate contact with peers. Relationships between men of the same sex were generally considered normal, encouraged and sometimes the ideal form of union. Interpretations of these practices vary, but what is certain is that sexuality had an educational and social dimension that seems contradictory through today's lens.
6. Phalluses literally everywhere
Today's penis graffiti is more likely to appear on the doors of public toilets, but the Greeks elevated it to art. Phallic motifs adorned statues, columns and ceramics. One statesman was even executed for defacing the sacred statue of Hermes. Humorous phallic drawings often appeared on kylixes - goblets used at symposia - to entertain guests at parties. One vase even depicted a woman cultivating a field of phalluses.
7. Religion and sex: an inseparable pair
Greek polytheism was based on a close connection between spirituality and physicality. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and pleasure, was created from the foam of the sea where Uranus' genitals fell. Her cult was associated with rituals of fertility and eroticism. Myths describe her love affairs, intrigues and influence on human and divine events. Sex was not a sin, but a natural part of the religious experience.
8. Adultery worse than rape
Shocking from today's perspective: seducing another man's wife was considered a more serious offense than raping an unmarried woman. This was because it was a "property" violation - the wife was seen as the man's property. A man caught with another man's wife could be publicly humiliated or killed. The historian Herodotus describes that while sexual assault did not require revenge, adultery did.
9. Symposia: Philosophy, wine and sex
Symposia were a key institution of social life. Men lay on deck chairs debating philosophy, drinking wine and listening to music. The evening often ended with drunken songs and the sexual services of hired artists and prostitutes. Although women were usually forbidden entry, hetaerae - educated and high-ranking companions - played a prominent role.
10. If the bride was to look like a man
In Sparta, men were accustomed to relationships with young boys in the Agoge. In order to make the transition to marriage not too abrupt, brides had to shave their heads at the wedding, put on a man's cloak and sandals, and wait in the dark while the groom "snuck" into their room. This ritual was intended to help men bridge the transition between same-sex relationships and heterosexual marriage.
Ancient Greece offers a fascinating view of sexuality without modern filters. Many of the practices today seem extreme, others surprisingly open and fluid. In any case, they reveal a culture that was unafraid to link the body, religion, social rituals and everyday life - in a way that is far removed from our idea of ancient 'nobility', but all the more telling of human nature across the centuries.
