There are a few things (I assume) you’d rather not be caught doing if you were suddenly frozen in time. Many people assume that this is what happened to Pompeii’s “masturbating guy.” Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy’s Gulf of Naples, buried the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in volcanic ash in 79 BCE. Over 1,000 people were killed when the volcano erupted, including one who was suspected of being undergoing his own eruption at the time.
This 2,000-year-old man’s plaster-cast body may still be seen gripping himself tightly with his right hand. The shot was first uploaded on the Archaeological Park of Pompeii’s Instagram account in 2017 and soon went viral. The masturbating man has since become a meme. Is it true that this man was caught getting a hard-on as the volcano was getting a hot-on?
Pompeii is a horny city. Pompeii is renowned as a place where people were surprisingly liberal. Tourists continue to visit the remains of this once-thriving metropolis, frequently being surprised by the quantity of stone phalluses etched into the pavement and walls (some even hanging invitingly above doorways and ovens). According to legend, these phalluses were used as an early kind of advertisement; following the direction of the shafts would lead you to the nearest brothel – “penis pointers,” if you will.
In Pompeii, such enterprises were common. Prostitution was not only legal, but it was also considered socially acceptable for males (and, in certain circumstances, wealthy women) to patronize such businesses. Sexuality and sexual behavior were not stigmatized in the same way that they are today. From what we can tell, sexual behavior was treated in the same manner as other physiological functions like eating and defecating; it had its own set of social conventions about how to engage in the behavior, but it was otherwise recognized as an unchangeable component of human existence.
Today, one brothel in the city is still operating for business (though, of the tourist variety, rather than those it was initially built to accommodate). The excavation of Pompeii’s Lupanar began in 1862. Because of the sensual (and typically funny) graffiti and artwork found within, this two-story business has piqued the curiosity of curious travelers. His ego puellas multas futui (“Here numerous females poked”) and Felix bene futuis (“Lucky guy, you get a fine fuck”) are among the over 150 scrawls on the walls that have been translated for the benefit of the general public.
The art throughout the establishment is similarly captivating, dispelling any doubts that people have been experimenting with postures and bodies since the dawn of time. When it comes to our penis pointers, it’s far more likely that these phalluses were potent symbols in Ancient Rome than than advertisements for their favorite brothels. They served as a symbol of good luck and protection, warding off ill-intentioned guests and the evil eye. Because of the significance attributed to the penis at the time, it’s possible that our notorious guy felt compelled to shield it from the blast.
