ENGLISH

The Garden of Priapus: Sexuality and Aggression in Roman Humor

By Amy Richlin

Book information

Publisher
Oxford University Press, USA
Year
1992
ISBN
0195068734, 9780195068733
LCC
PA6095 .R53 1992
Open Library ID
OL1547346M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
6 MB (6716985 bytes)
Edition
Revised
Pages
352\352
Orientation
no
Scanned
yes
Time added
2011-08-31 04:54:40

Description

Statues of the god Priapus stood in Roman gardens to warn potential thieves that the god would rape them if they attempted to steal from him. In this book, Richlin argues that the attitude of sexual aggressiveness in defense of a bounded area serves as a model for Roman satire from Lucilius to Juvenal. Using literary, anthropological, psychological, and feminist methodologies, she suggests that aggressive sexual humor reinforces aggressive behavior on both the individual and societal levels, and that Roman satire provides an insight into Roman culture. Including a substantial and provocative new introduction, this revised edition is important not only as an in-depth study of Roman sexual satire, but also as a commentary on the effects of all humor on society and its victims.

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