This is a photo of a carving of male genitalia in the street. I guess the implication was This way to the Fun House.
The brothel we toured was a small building with a center hallway. Along the aisle on either side were cubicles or private chambers. Over the doorways of the rooms were frescoes of the women apparently to be found inside plying their trade on the stone couches.
The erotic frescoes that line the interior of the building are quite well preserved and very descriptive. There certainly was not as much room as the frescoes would lead you to believe. The rooms are only about 5 feet wide. As they are lined up one after another I had to wonder about the privacy. Can you imagine the sound bouncing off the stone walls?
Then there was this dude. I'm guessing he was a legend in his own mind.
Pompeii must have been a fun town until that dark day in 79 A.D.
13 comments:
A fun town indeed! This was quite a new direction for your blog!
I had heard that the brothels were a wealth of information but I was thinking more in the line of art ant architecture. Not social life. Very interesting. I love that you took these photos. I would have done the same thing.
I'm sure that last guy was asked quite often, "Is that a sword in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?"
Looks like I had the PG version of the Pompeii tour. Where's the fun in that?
I have heard of these brothels, and seen a few documentaries which include them, but I have yet to actually visit Pompeii! It certainly does sound like quite a rowdy and party-centric town, eh? :)
Michele, taking photos was easier than trying to describe it! I'll tell you there were a lot of people shuffling through that building and it was strangely quiet! Like nobody dared say anything.
Hey, I know that guy! Not in the Biblical sense, thank God!
It's Priapus (or Priapos). He was a minor rustic fertility Greek god, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens and male genitalia.
Wondering why I knew who he was? When my son was five (until he was 11), he suffered from bouts of priapism (the same thing that can afflict men who use Cialis or Viagra). In my research, I found that priapism was named after this well-endowed fella.
Pompeii was rockin' the house back in the day :)
Love this post, and now I want to visit in person even more!
Amazing frescoes!!!
Haha. I thought you said the "the sound OF bouncing"!
Still...
Pompeii the fun town. Strangely funny.
Seriously, I was so taken away by those pictures that I almost forgot to tell you that I have an award for you. If you are into that kind of thing that is. :)
Wow. I had no idea such stuff went on...
Oh, that last fresco made me laugh out loud. Yes, I'm sure he was mighty impressed with himself. Love the stone street with the "arrow" pointing to the fun brothel. LOL
I studied Pompeii (and THE frescos) in college during one of my MANY Art History classes.
I thought I was envious of your Capri trip... you have me *swooning* over this one! And, it is not because of the last image!!! :)
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