 A guided tour through the boudoirs of history. Anecdotes from the author of Napoleon's Privates: 2,500 Years of History Unzipped (HarperCollins, napoleonsprivates.com) and Pagan Holiday: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists.
By Tony Perrottet |
Olympic Fever Beijing is worried about pollution at its Olympic Games; ancient Greeks had to worry about spontaneous orgies at theirs.
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Health Nuts Forget Atkins. Forget Weight Watchers. Try the Renaissance Diet.
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The Holy Guide to Coital Positions The Church was OK with sex in the Middle Ages, so long as it was done in a very particular way.
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Orgy Etiquette Caligula was bald, pale, and hairy. But at his orgies, he could have any woman he wanted.
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Make-Your-Own Condoms Gold-beater skin. English raincoat. French letter. There were many historic names for the condom, and just as many origin myths.
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Columbus Discovers the Clitoris Not long after the discovery of America, another Columbus was exploring more uncharted territory.
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The Curse of Self-Abuse Why does masturbation have a bad rap? Blame a 1712 pamphlet.
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Horsing Around With Catherine the Great Catherine the Great loved horses. But did one really crush her in the throes of passion?
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Pornography of the Kitchen In The Futurist Cookbook, F.T. Marinetti argued that food is Art: Less pasta and more sandpaper.
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When George Met Sally Martha was George Washington's first wife, but she may not have been his first lady.
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Aphrodisiac Attack Love today is candy and flowers. In the Enlightenment it was rams' testicles and Spanish fly.
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The Fig Leaf of Florence Critics complained the 'nose' on David was too large. (They weren't referring to his face.)
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Quick, Jeeves, Cover the Piano Legs! For a time, both America and Britain thought the other was aroused by cabinetry.
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For a Good Time, Try Revolutionary Paris No need for Fodor's — visitors to 18th century Paris had their own guide to the city's carnal delights.
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| Ancient Greek Temples of Sex Nothing gets a classical scholar’s heart pumping like the sacred prostitutes of Corinth.
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Hints of Oak and Witch's Urine? In 16th century Italy, wine tainted by witches' urine called for desperate measures.
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Scent of a Führer How Hitler's farting problem may have been his undoing.
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When Syphilis Was Trés Chic In Belle Epoque Paris, syphilis was all the rage.
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| First Night Jitters For medieval brides, marriage meant a night with their feudal masters. Or so Braveheart would have us think.
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Sex and the Renaissance Nun In 15th century Venice, nuns knew how to let loose.
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| The Champagne Glass and the Breast Were Marie-Antoinette's breasts the inspiration for the champagne glass?
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Good Old-Fashioned Porn Porn as nostalgia. Who was the anonymous genius who invented the stag movie?
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| Standing up in Court In 16th- and 17th-century France, manhood went on trial.
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| Why Castrati Made Better Lovers Sex, drugs, and opera. In the 18th century, castration was the fast track to stardom.
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| Welcome to the Gabinetto Segreto In centuries past, visitors to the grand museums of Europe often had their own private agenda.
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