Erotic Letters of Ancient Rome

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

History Hit

Society, Sex, Scandal, Education, History

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 21 January 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Long before phones allowed for sexting, how did the Ancient Romans exchange their illicit thoughts and desires? And what did a Roman dick pic look like?

Joining Kate today to explore erotic letters from antiquity to the modern day is Owen Hodkinson, Associate Professor of Greek and Roman Cultures at Leeds University.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

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Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm your host, Kate Lister.
0:02.4	If you would like Betwixt the Sheets,
0:04.4	ad free and get early access, sign up to History Hit.
0:08.7	With a History Hit subscription,
0:10.6	you can also watch hundreds of original documentaries
0:13.6	with top history presenters
0:15.6	and enjoy a new release every single week.
0:19.8	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe.
0:26.8	It's 1998 and petty thief, Daniel Blanchard, is about to carry out the heist of a lifetime,
0:34.3	stealing a crown jewel, the last remaining Ce.C. Star. But what happens when ambition
0:40.0	becomes obsession? Because what Daniel doesn't know is that no star stays lucky forever. I'm
0:47.2	Saren Jones, and this is a most audacious heist. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:59.8	Hello, my lovely bet-twixters. It's me, Kate Lister, and you are listening to about Twixter sheets.
1:06.1	And in case you're a newbie, I have to tell you, this is an adult podcast, spoken by adults,
1:10.0	to other adults about adultery things in an adult way covering a range of adults and you should be an adult too. And if you're not newbie. I have to tell you, this is an adult podcast, spoken by adults to other adults about adultery things in an adultary way covering a range of adults and you should be an adult
1:13.4	too. And if you're not all of those things, then c-per-off. We don't want you here, you're too
1:17.9	sensitive, you're just going to spoil it for the rest of us. And for everyone else, right,
1:23.1	on with the show.
1:30.3	Oh, hello, betwixters. I will be with you in just a minute. Let me finish this letter.
1:35.6	Forever yours, Miss Lister. Envelope closed, wax sealed drying, perfect. Handwritten letters
1:42.9	are such a lost art, aren't they? And the erotic
1:46.3	handwritten letter is an even greater lost art. At a time when sexting a saucy tip-pick or a lazy
	...

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