When Remembering Her Birthday Just Isn’t Enough… Evidence for Aphrodisiacs at Pompeii

Christopher J. Parr (University of Arizona)

Whether from Pliny, Petronius, or Apicius, ancient literature definitively represents the presence and use of aphrodisiacs.  Aphrodisiacs, or any such substance believed to either induce sexual desire or improve sexual potency, can be easily categorized into the following types: those exhibiting genitalomorphic or homeopathic qualities, and those which lowered a person’s inhibitions, thus including even luxury items whose mere presence was intended to enthrall and delight one’s fancy.  Employed singly or combined into numerous love potion variants, our literary sources assert that would-be paramours used—and used often—these amatory aids.  While fertility may seem to be the obvious concern, the desire to lull the unsuspecting into sexual situations and then dazzle their partners through sexual performance implies a high level of sexual anxiety.  By identifying and studying this anxiety within Roman culture, scholars today become better prepared to deal with ancient sexuality issues.

Despite their perceived universality, however, aphrodisiacs are largely invisible in the archaeological record.  Even at Pompeii, a site famous for its level of preservation, excavations have yielded very little botanical material in situ.  Still, within the past twenty-five years, dedicated scholarship has collected nearly three centuries of Pompeii’s scattered archaeological finds into cohesive catalogues, from which one can argue strongly for the use of aphrodisiacs by ancient Pompeians.  Although the “smoking gun” remains yet to be found, the presence of aphrodisiac elements in Pompeii’s faunal and floral evidence and art greatly encourages further and more focused exploration.