Sexual attitudes and behaviors in ancient Rome are indicated by art , literature , and inscriptions , and to a lesser extent by archaeological remains such as erotic artifacts and architecture.
It has sometimes been assumed that "unlimited sexual license" was characteristic of ancient Rome , [ 1 ] [ 2 ] but sexuality was not excluded as a concern of the mos maiorum , the traditional social norms that affected public, private, and military life.
Roman society was patriarchal see paterfamilias , and masculinity was premised on a capacity for governing oneself and others of lower status, not only in war and politics, but also in sexual relations.
The corresponding ideal for a woman was pudicitia , often translated as chastity or modesty, but it was a more positive and even competitive personal quality that displayed both her attractiveness and self-control. Visual art was created by those of lower social status and of a greater range of ethnicity, but was tailored to the taste and inclinations of those wealthy enough to afford it, including, in the Imperial era , former slaves.
Some sexual attitudes and behaviors in ancient Roman culture differ markedly from those in later Western societies.
