This program will be available for sale to the general public on December 7, 2025.Want to register before then? Become a member today, or if you are already a member, log in to register for this program. Sex and Love in the Ancient World Afternoon Lecture/Seminar Wednesday, February 4, 2026 - 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET Code: 1J0522 Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Select your Registration $20 Member $30 Gen. Admission Resize text Romantic mosaic scene, villa at Centocelle, 20 B.C.E.–20 C.E. When it comes to sex and love, ancient peoples tell us a lot about what was forbidden; what men thought about women (it’s not easy to know what women thought about men because they’ve left us so little information in their own name); opportunities for premarital and extramarital sex; their ways of lovemaking; how members of the same and the opposite gender expressed love for one another; how sex workers plied their trade; and attitudes toward what we would identify as sexual abuse. Drawing from a multitude of ancient cultures, including Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Hebrew, early Christian, Chinese, and Hindu, author and professor emeritus of classics Robert Garland discusses what we know and don’t know about sex and love in the ancient world. In the end, we can never know what ancient people did in the privacy of their own homes, any more than we can know what our closest friends are doing in theirs. But they have provided us with a glimpse into a variety of fascinating topics having to do with sex and love. This lecture discusses mature themes. Viewer discretion is advised. General Information View Common FAQs and Policies about our Online Programs on Zoom.
