The Thrill of the Chase - The Joy of Sexus

by Vicki León, Historical Detective

Now that I've reached my seventh decade, people often ask me, "What has compelled you to study the ancient world all these years?" Less tactful friends are apt to mutter, "What on earth drove you to ruin your eyesight on such dry and dusty material?"

My answer is invariably the same to both questions: my still-ravenous curiosity about long-ago events and long-dead men and women — a hunger that remains unsatisfied even now, after 40-some years of study. Although I admire temples of learning such as Oxford and UC Berkeley, I was never drawn to the vicarious, orderly, years-long pursuit of arcane knowledge. I wasn't attracted to second-hand experience, either, even at the feet of learned scholars.

A favorite subject for Roman painters was this classic pose of a lecherous guy making the moves on a gal who turns out to be… a hermaphrodite! (some deep-seated cultural fear, I am guessing)	A pair of Roman lovers, not that different than 21st century ones — except gals back then kept their bras on, and a servant close by.

Instead, I wanted to taste for myself what the Romans called genius loci, the compelling spirit or character of a place. I wanted to wrestle with foreign languages more ancient than my own, and struggle to comprehend them. I longed to explore cultures more venerable than ours, and to delight in their age-old traditions. I craved the acquaintance of the people who exuded that spirit of place. And in doing so, I hoped to discover what the long-ago ancestors of those women and men felt. To get a glimmer of what they hoped for, what they feared, what agonized them, what gave them joy.

With this latest book, The Joy of Sexus, my 35th work of nonfiction, I think I've gotten an inkling of what people 2000 years ago were really like. It's come about because I worked up the courage to get more intimate with the material. To commune with them.

It wasn't a straightforward journey, by any means. Strangely enough, by taking the long way around, by barking my shins for years on all manner of blind alleys, wrong turns, and facile research assumptions, I finally dug deep enough to find many of the precious pieces of whole human history that I've been seeking. In doing so, it's given peace and release to my seldom-satisfied inner editor. (It is no coincidence that my metaphors sound a bit orgasmic. That's what happens when you spend three years researching the bizarre intricacies of long-ago sex lives and their sometimes-wacked-out beliefs about intimate body parts.)

There is a very good chance that the trilogy I've now written (which includes Working IX to V and How to Mellify a Corpse) will become a nonfiction quartet someday. During the tumultuous research and writing of The Joy of Sexus, at times I tripped over irresistibly delicious information about medicine and healing in ancient times. Somehow I managed to stay strong, sticking to the guidelines I'd set, but already my office bulges with research files for future use.

You may be wondering exactly what the pages of Joy and its 89 no-holds-barred entries reveal. It's a tour of aphrodisiacs, anti-aphrodisiacs, buttocks worship, cross-dressing, and the rest of the alphabet, where you'll meet female pornographers and do-it-yourself eunuchs. You'll learn the erotic dividends of being a gladiator — and the surprising sex life of philosopher Socrates. You'll gasp at the ease of long-ago divorce and the stinging price paid for adultery. And you'll marvel at the gay-friendly military of Greek Thebes, home of the elite force called "the army of lovers."

Passions of all sorts get their due, from maternal love to pussycat worship.

Now then! To properly celebrate the birth of The Joy of Sexus, we're throwing two Bacchanalian-flavored book parties in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. On Saturday, February 9 from 2 to 4pm, festivities will reign at Coalesce Bookstore, located at 845 Main Street, the community heartbeat of Morro Bay.  And on Thursday, February 14 beginning at 7pm, a similar shindig will take place at 3321 State Street in Santa Barbara's favorite community bookstore, Chaucer's Books. The public is warmly invited to these free events.  

Vicki Leon

In the spirit of the long-celebrated pagan predecessor to Valentine's Day, which the Romans called "Lupercalia," attendees will be regaled with my slightly risqué stand-up history about those times, including a live demo of the fertility customs of that festival.  You might want to brush up on your street Latin, since my show and tells will include X-rated graffiti from Pompeii. You'll also get to examine the top ten aphrodisiacs used by the Greeks — and their surprising addiction to anti-aphrodisiacs! Amid these hijinks you'll also enjoy refreshments and door prize giveaways of books and generously donated Valentine-themed jewelry, plus the author doing the obligatory book signing and personalizing of her books.

For further information, please visit the author's website or contact:
• Coalesce Books, 805-772-2880, email.
• Chaucers Books, 805-682-4067 and 682-6787, email.

A special thank you to Paul Ogren and his company, From War to Peace, for their generous Valentine jewelry donations.