Book excerpt: The first large-scale application of feminist theory to the study of Greek and Roman cultures, this book points to some striking similarities between our culture and that of the ancient world, challenging Foucauldian assumptions about the nature of sexuality. Covering such topics as vase painting, tragic and comic drama from fifth-century Athens, Hellenistic philosophy and sex manuals, Roman history, poetry, wall-painting, representations of gladiatorial combat, and romance novels, the contributors approach sexuality from both sides of the feminist pornography debate, including the use of film theory. A path-breaking application of feminist theory to the study of Greek and Roman cultures, this text offers new insight into the notion of sexuality in the ancient world.