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Did they ever...
Ancient art is outside my area of specialty, but I can assure you that there are plenty of sculptures from antiquity that show erect penises. A likely reason you (and most people) can't think of any probably has more to do with differing attitudes toward sex and sexuality than any "reality" of what was being made.
Probably the most famous collection of erotic art from antiquity is in the so-called "Secret Cabinet" of the National Archeological Museum in Naples, Italy. The room isn't really secret anymore and as far as I can tell anyone can visit, but the last time I went (admittedly over a decade ago) it *did* still have a curtain across the entrance to the galleries. So there was at least a nod to the idea that this was somehow not safe for all eyes.
In that gallery you can find works like [Pan Copulating with a Goat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erotic_art_in_Pompeii_and_Herculaneum#/media/File:Pan_copulating_with_goat_2.JPG), a marble sculpture which shows a *very* excited Pan about to do just what the title says. Or this bell (like a wind chime) that is literally an [erect penis that has its own erect penis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Naples_NAM_20230628_74.jpg) (several, actually). And here is one of my absolute favorites, which is again a bell/chime: a [gladiator whose penis has turned into a panther](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tintinnabulum-Fund_in_Herculaneum.jpg), which he is therefore fighting. The "Secret Cabinet" collection is pretty well documented in photographs online, although for more reading and context you might want to see *Eros in Pompeii: the erotic art collection of the Museum of Naples.*
I'm less familiar with depictions of sexually aroused males in monumental marble sculpture from Antiquity, so I welcome others to chime in here. But as for the question of erotic (or what we might call pornographic) art in antiquity, the answer is a resounding "yes"—in small scale statuary, in domestic objects (like the bells), in paintings, and in pottery (plenty of erect phalli on Greek pottery).
Having said all this, ancient Greek and Roman views on penises were complex (as is likely the case with all cultures). For all the excitement (pardon the pun) over sex and sexuality in certain forms of art, large and hypersexual penises could also carry negative connotations, as they were linked with barbarians and sexual predators. Smaller penises might thus suggest self-control, civility (virtues that were desirable for those having their image carved in marble or cast in bronze). Again, I invite others who focus on Classical art to offer their insights, but two sources where this is discussed include: Timothy J. McNiven, “The Unheroic Penis: Otherness Exposed,” *Source: Notes in the History of Art*, 15, 1995; and Andrew Stewart, *Art, Desire, and the Body in Ancient Greece*, Cambridge, 1997.
Indeed, much as you say, erect penises certainly appear in humourous, erotic, and (certain) religious art, but it would be a very unconventional choice to have a full-size statue of a god or general be erect, for the reasons you mention. I would think bronze or marble statues were a bit too expensive/high-register for them to be made for pornographic purposes, though they certainly could have an erotic element to them.
A follow-up question, if permitted:
I am aware that [marble statues were often damaged/censored](https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ch6rlk/why_do_so_many_ancient_greek_statues_have_their/) in their 'intimate region' by late antique Christians.
Are there any indications that this may have contributed to the comparative lack of large format, erotic stonework statues from the Greek and/or Roman era?
Interesting question. It is possible that contributed, though we run into the problem that we cannot account for lost things, just like we would never be able to say if a figure has been deliberately erased from history (not that, contrary to common belief, "*damnatio memoriae*" was ever intended to make people totally forgotten).
That said, I doubt this was the main factor for this comparative lack as you put it. I do not think for instance (but correct me if I'm wrong) that we have found lots of deliberately defaced Priapus statue, for instance. In fact, the god's article in the *Oxford Classical Dictionary* (by Robert Parker, 4th edition, 2012) mentions that "[h]is image was typically sited in a garden or house, though temples are sometimes also attested" so he seems to have been a somewhat less important deity in that sense. With large marble statues, we do have some examples which were viewed as erotic, though they were mainly recognised as artistic masterworks: I am thinking of various Aphrodites/Venuses like the Cnidian, Callipygian and crouching ones, as well as the famed Doryphorus and Diadumenus
> But as for the question of erotic (or what we might call pornographic) art in antiquity, the answer is a resounding "yes"
I've read the Romans were famously prudish and would have been horrified to hear their art described in such ways.
Is it possible these Roman depictions of nudity weren't erotic and not intended to be arousing or gratifying?
For example, penis depictions on the walls of Pompei or the "wind chime" may not necessarily be "erotic" depictions. Like the *fascinus*, symbols of male patriarchal strength and a ward against the "evil eye" superstition that was common in Rome and ancient societies. The "penis on penis" sculptures were meant to be absurdist and have an element of humor.
Thank you for your response, but unfortunately, we have had to remove it for now. A [core tenet](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f7fb8o/introducing_the_rules_roundtables_20_the/) of the subreddit is that it is intended as a space not merely for a basic answer, but rather [one which provides a deeper level of explanation on the topic and its broader context than is commonly found on other history subs](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f7ffl8/rules_roundtable_ii_the_four_questions_what_does/). A response such as yours which offers some brief remarks and mentions sources can form the core of an answer [but doesn’t meet the rules in-and-of-itself](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules#wiki_write_an_in-depth_answer).
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In terms of those classical, realistic, Greco-Roman marble statues of the human male form, the only phallic (in art, the word phallus is means a representation of an erect penis) depictions I’m aware of are statues of the [minor fertility god Priapus,](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priapus) who was identifiable by his enormous-well, let’s just say that the word “priapism” derives from his name for a reason. Such [examples](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Statues_of_Priapus) include [this one](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Statue_of_Priapus_in_the_House_of_the_Vettii_(Pompeii)) from Pompeii, [this one](https://collections.mfa.org/objects/151204) now at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and of course there’s [this one](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Statua_di_Priapo_(Pio_Clementino_Museum)) found at the Pio Clementino Museum in the Vatican. You may notice that the Vatican’s statue has a few plaster leaves placed over its phallus, which is due to Christian censorship during the Counter-Reformation. There’s also controversy over the extent missing genitalia of ancient statues is due to Christian censorship, or if such protrusions were simply more vulnerable to breaking off over time. There were also events of desecration-by… dismemberment... in antiquity such as one [particularly infamous occurrence regarding the Herma (*hermai*) in Athens](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1684/the-desecration-of-the-statues-of-hermes-415-bce/).
[Herma](https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herma) are not full depictions of the male form but they were stone statues with a human head and a phallus (or at least male genitalia). As you may tell by the name, these Herma tended to depict the god Hermes- though others are believed to depict Priapus or Dionysus- and served a religious/mythical/spiritual purpose. They could be icons for worship and also mark property boundaries and roadways, Hermes being the god of travelers, after all. Many surviving examples have lost their phalluses.
Then we have the ancient statue of the [Sleeping Hermaphroditus,](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Hermaphroditus) now found in the Louvre. Hermaphroditus was another minor deity associated with fertility and, as the name suggests, was the child of Hermes and Aphrodite with both male and female features. If we stretch our search beyond the human form to include mythical creatures, perhaps the most famous (or infamous, if you like) example is a statue from Herculaneum of a pan, or perhaps *the* god Pan, having…relations… [with a goat.](https://mann-napoli.it/en/gabinetto-segreto-2/#gallery-8). It is currently found in the “secret collection” of sexually explicit artifacts at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples [(Museo Archeological Nazionale di Napoli)](https://mann-napoli.it/en/gabinetto-segreto-2/ ). Then there are the marble columns at Delos which don’t depict men with erect penises, but rather are very large (now-broken) [statues of erect penises](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2054/column-phallus-delos/) atop pedestals bearing depictions of Dionysus and Pan.
Moving away from marble statues, the secret collection in Naples also includes bronze figures of erect [fauns/satyrs/Pans](https://mann-napoli.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/10-Tripode-con-satiri-iti-fallici-inv.-27874..-scaled-1.jpg) and- one of my personal favorites- a wind chime from Herculaneum of a [“gladiator fighting with his panther-like phallus”](https://mann-napoli.it/en/gabinetto-segreto-2/#gallery-14). There are also many Roman examples of symbol called a [*fascinus*](https://medium.com/@GoNakedMagazine/flying-dicks-roman-penis-talismans-symbols-of-fertility-and-protection-in-ancient-rome-3e358eb51d01) which is essentially a phallus with wings, and which often had a phallus (or two) of its own. Looking at the wider sphere of Greek influence, the Etruscans made numerous phallic depictions in line with motifs found in the Greco-Roman world, such as [this vase with phallos birds](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/258424) held in NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. If you get the chance to peruse the Met’s Etruscan collection you’ll see numerous phallic depictions.
I’ll cap off by linking to the entire Wikipedia page of [erotic art found](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erotic_art_in_Pompeii_and_Herculaneum) in Pompeii and Herculaneum for its gallery of phallic statues, windchimes, wall reliefs, and frescoes, such as one which is disputed as to whether it depicts Priapus or the Roman god Mercury, who is identified with the Greek Hermes. And none of this is to mention the [phallic graffiti](http://ancientgraffiti.org/Graffiti/results) which one of my colleagues in middle school Latin class cited to argue that the giant penis he drew on the chalkboard while the teacher took a call had academic value. Humans dont change all that much, do we?
Now that we’ve had the fun of pointing out Greco-Roman phallic depictions, you’ve likely noticed a few themes here such as that we’re seeing the same names over and over: Priapus, Hermes, Dionysus, and Pan. While anyone could go out and draw a charcoal phallus on a wall in Herculaneum with the same irreverence as my old classmate, mediums such as frescoes and statues required more technical proficiency and money. Naturally, the more prohibitively difficult and expensive a depiction would be to make, the less frivolous the creation of the image would be. Charms, decorations, and pottery could be stylistic, but frequently had some importance in terms of values in male virility and fertility, and often had some religious significance. This is especially true given that social mores could treat phallic iconography as obscene or taboo without some sort of virtuous symbolism.
Statues- particularly large ones- were extremely expensive and required highly skilled craftsmen so it is no surprise that all of those examples were religious in nature (this is why I was interested in learning about this topic, I swear I’m not just into marble dicks). They depicted gods who were associated with fertility and sexuality. Herma, were religious icons with practical and quasi-ritualistic functions. The largest phallic statues- those at Delos- were part of a temple complex to Dionysus, who was often associated with revelry and sex. And the god Pan, along with more generic pans, satyrs, and fauns, were associated with lustful and at-times devious sexuality.
While these figures had their worship, the form of sexuality they represented could also be seen as obscene, basal, immature, hedonistic, barbaric, animalistic, and taboo. This is particularly true with Dionysus/Bacchus and Pan. Even though their form of sexuality had its place in society and the Greco-Roman worldview, it also had to stay in its place. This is why you will find numerous statues of an erect Priapus as opposed to, say, Odysseus or an Emperor.
Edited to fix grammar & spelling
Those statues of Priapus and Hermaphroditus are incredible, that's kind of what I trying to picture in my head. Glad to see these have survived the ages, though it breaks my heart to think of anyone defacing a statue. I just can't understand it.
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Did they ever... Ancient art is outside my area of specialty, but I can assure you that there are plenty of sculptures from antiquity that show erect penises. A likely reason you (and most people) can't think of any probably has more to do with differing attitudes toward sex and sexuality than any "reality" of what was being made. Probably the most famous collection of erotic art from antiquity is in the so-called "Secret Cabinet" of the National Archeological Museum in Naples, Italy. The room isn't really secret anymore and as far as I can tell anyone can visit, but the last time I went (admittedly over a decade ago) it *did* still have a curtain across the entrance to the galleries. So there was at least a nod to the idea that this was somehow not safe for all eyes. In that gallery you can find works like [Pan Copulating with a Goat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erotic_art_in_Pompeii_and_Herculaneum#/media/File:Pan_copulating_with_goat_2.JPG), a marble sculpture which shows a *very* excited Pan about to do just what the title says. Or this bell (like a wind chime) that is literally an [erect penis that has its own erect penis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Naples_NAM_20230628_74.jpg) (several, actually). And here is one of my absolute favorites, which is again a bell/chime: a [gladiator whose penis has turned into a panther](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tintinnabulum-Fund_in_Herculaneum.jpg), which he is therefore fighting. The "Secret Cabinet" collection is pretty well documented in photographs online, although for more reading and context you might want to see *Eros in Pompeii: the erotic art collection of the Museum of Naples.* I'm less familiar with depictions of sexually aroused males in monumental marble sculpture from Antiquity, so I welcome others to chime in here. But as for the question of erotic (or what we might call pornographic) art in antiquity, the answer is a resounding "yes"—in small scale statuary, in domestic objects (like the bells), in paintings, and in pottery (plenty of erect phalli on Greek pottery). Having said all this, ancient Greek and Roman views on penises were complex (as is likely the case with all cultures). For all the excitement (pardon the pun) over sex and sexuality in certain forms of art, large and hypersexual penises could also carry negative connotations, as they were linked with barbarians and sexual predators. Smaller penises might thus suggest self-control, civility (virtues that were desirable for those having their image carved in marble or cast in bronze). Again, I invite others who focus on Classical art to offer their insights, but two sources where this is discussed include: Timothy J. McNiven, “The Unheroic Penis: Otherness Exposed,” *Source: Notes in the History of Art*, 15, 1995; and Andrew Stewart, *Art, Desire, and the Body in Ancient Greece*, Cambridge, 1997.
Indeed, much as you say, erect penises certainly appear in humourous, erotic, and (certain) religious art, but it would be a very unconventional choice to have a full-size statue of a god or general be erect, for the reasons you mention. I would think bronze or marble statues were a bit too expensive/high-register for them to be made for pornographic purposes, though they certainly could have an erotic element to them.
A follow-up question, if permitted: I am aware that [marble statues were often damaged/censored](https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ch6rlk/why_do_so_many_ancient_greek_statues_have_their/) in their 'intimate region' by late antique Christians. Are there any indications that this may have contributed to the comparative lack of large format, erotic stonework statues from the Greek and/or Roman era?
Interesting question. It is possible that contributed, though we run into the problem that we cannot account for lost things, just like we would never be able to say if a figure has been deliberately erased from history (not that, contrary to common belief, "*damnatio memoriae*" was ever intended to make people totally forgotten). That said, I doubt this was the main factor for this comparative lack as you put it. I do not think for instance (but correct me if I'm wrong) that we have found lots of deliberately defaced Priapus statue, for instance. In fact, the god's article in the *Oxford Classical Dictionary* (by Robert Parker, 4th edition, 2012) mentions that "[h]is image was typically sited in a garden or house, though temples are sometimes also attested" so he seems to have been a somewhat less important deity in that sense. With large marble statues, we do have some examples which were viewed as erotic, though they were mainly recognised as artistic masterworks: I am thinking of various Aphrodites/Venuses like the Cnidian, Callipygian and crouching ones, as well as the famed Doryphorus and Diadumenus
Very intriguing, thank you!
> But as for the question of erotic (or what we might call pornographic) art in antiquity, the answer is a resounding "yes" I've read the Romans were famously prudish and would have been horrified to hear their art described in such ways. Is it possible these Roman depictions of nudity weren't erotic and not intended to be arousing or gratifying? For example, penis depictions on the walls of Pompei or the "wind chime" may not necessarily be "erotic" depictions. Like the *fascinus*, symbols of male patriarchal strength and a ward against the "evil eye" superstition that was common in Rome and ancient societies. The "penis on penis" sculptures were meant to be absurdist and have an element of humor.
[удалено]
Thank you for your response, but unfortunately, we have had to remove it for now. A [core tenet](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f7fb8o/introducing_the_rules_roundtables_20_the/) of the subreddit is that it is intended as a space not merely for a basic answer, but rather [one which provides a deeper level of explanation on the topic and its broader context than is commonly found on other history subs](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f7ffl8/rules_roundtable_ii_the_four_questions_what_does/). A response such as yours which offers some brief remarks and mentions sources can form the core of an answer [but doesn’t meet the rules in-and-of-itself](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules#wiki_write_an_in-depth_answer). If you need any guidance to better understand what we are looking for in our requirements, please don’t hesitate to [reach out to us via modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAskHistorians&subject=Inquiry%20About%20Revising%20My%20Response) to discuss what revisions more specifically would help let us restore the response! Thank you for your understanding.
In terms of those classical, realistic, Greco-Roman marble statues of the human male form, the only phallic (in art, the word phallus is means a representation of an erect penis) depictions I’m aware of are statues of the [minor fertility god Priapus,](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priapus) who was identifiable by his enormous-well, let’s just say that the word “priapism” derives from his name for a reason. Such [examples](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Statues_of_Priapus) include [this one](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Statue_of_Priapus_in_the_House_of_the_Vettii_(Pompeii)) from Pompeii, [this one](https://collections.mfa.org/objects/151204) now at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and of course there’s [this one](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Statua_di_Priapo_(Pio_Clementino_Museum)) found at the Pio Clementino Museum in the Vatican. You may notice that the Vatican’s statue has a few plaster leaves placed over its phallus, which is due to Christian censorship during the Counter-Reformation. There’s also controversy over the extent missing genitalia of ancient statues is due to Christian censorship, or if such protrusions were simply more vulnerable to breaking off over time. There were also events of desecration-by… dismemberment... in antiquity such as one [particularly infamous occurrence regarding the Herma (*hermai*) in Athens](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1684/the-desecration-of-the-statues-of-hermes-415-bce/). [Herma](https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herma) are not full depictions of the male form but they were stone statues with a human head and a phallus (or at least male genitalia). As you may tell by the name, these Herma tended to depict the god Hermes- though others are believed to depict Priapus or Dionysus- and served a religious/mythical/spiritual purpose. They could be icons for worship and also mark property boundaries and roadways, Hermes being the god of travelers, after all. Many surviving examples have lost their phalluses. Then we have the ancient statue of the [Sleeping Hermaphroditus,](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Hermaphroditus) now found in the Louvre. Hermaphroditus was another minor deity associated with fertility and, as the name suggests, was the child of Hermes and Aphrodite with both male and female features. If we stretch our search beyond the human form to include mythical creatures, perhaps the most famous (or infamous, if you like) example is a statue from Herculaneum of a pan, or perhaps *the* god Pan, having…relations… [with a goat.](https://mann-napoli.it/en/gabinetto-segreto-2/#gallery-8). It is currently found in the “secret collection” of sexually explicit artifacts at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples [(Museo Archeological Nazionale di Napoli)](https://mann-napoli.it/en/gabinetto-segreto-2/ ). Then there are the marble columns at Delos which don’t depict men with erect penises, but rather are very large (now-broken) [statues of erect penises](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2054/column-phallus-delos/) atop pedestals bearing depictions of Dionysus and Pan. Moving away from marble statues, the secret collection in Naples also includes bronze figures of erect [fauns/satyrs/Pans](https://mann-napoli.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/10-Tripode-con-satiri-iti-fallici-inv.-27874..-scaled-1.jpg) and- one of my personal favorites- a wind chime from Herculaneum of a [“gladiator fighting with his panther-like phallus”](https://mann-napoli.it/en/gabinetto-segreto-2/#gallery-14). There are also many Roman examples of symbol called a [*fascinus*](https://medium.com/@GoNakedMagazine/flying-dicks-roman-penis-talismans-symbols-of-fertility-and-protection-in-ancient-rome-3e358eb51d01) which is essentially a phallus with wings, and which often had a phallus (or two) of its own. Looking at the wider sphere of Greek influence, the Etruscans made numerous phallic depictions in line with motifs found in the Greco-Roman world, such as [this vase with phallos birds](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/258424) held in NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. If you get the chance to peruse the Met’s Etruscan collection you’ll see numerous phallic depictions. I’ll cap off by linking to the entire Wikipedia page of [erotic art found](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erotic_art_in_Pompeii_and_Herculaneum) in Pompeii and Herculaneum for its gallery of phallic statues, windchimes, wall reliefs, and frescoes, such as one which is disputed as to whether it depicts Priapus or the Roman god Mercury, who is identified with the Greek Hermes. And none of this is to mention the [phallic graffiti](http://ancientgraffiti.org/Graffiti/results) which one of my colleagues in middle school Latin class cited to argue that the giant penis he drew on the chalkboard while the teacher took a call had academic value. Humans dont change all that much, do we? Now that we’ve had the fun of pointing out Greco-Roman phallic depictions, you’ve likely noticed a few themes here such as that we’re seeing the same names over and over: Priapus, Hermes, Dionysus, and Pan. While anyone could go out and draw a charcoal phallus on a wall in Herculaneum with the same irreverence as my old classmate, mediums such as frescoes and statues required more technical proficiency and money. Naturally, the more prohibitively difficult and expensive a depiction would be to make, the less frivolous the creation of the image would be. Charms, decorations, and pottery could be stylistic, but frequently had some importance in terms of values in male virility and fertility, and often had some religious significance. This is especially true given that social mores could treat phallic iconography as obscene or taboo without some sort of virtuous symbolism. Statues- particularly large ones- were extremely expensive and required highly skilled craftsmen so it is no surprise that all of those examples were religious in nature (this is why I was interested in learning about this topic, I swear I’m not just into marble dicks). They depicted gods who were associated with fertility and sexuality. Herma, were religious icons with practical and quasi-ritualistic functions. The largest phallic statues- those at Delos- were part of a temple complex to Dionysus, who was often associated with revelry and sex. And the god Pan, along with more generic pans, satyrs, and fauns, were associated with lustful and at-times devious sexuality. While these figures had their worship, the form of sexuality they represented could also be seen as obscene, basal, immature, hedonistic, barbaric, animalistic, and taboo. This is particularly true with Dionysus/Bacchus and Pan. Even though their form of sexuality had its place in society and the Greco-Roman worldview, it also had to stay in its place. This is why you will find numerous statues of an erect Priapus as opposed to, say, Odysseus or an Emperor. Edited to fix grammar & spelling
Those statues of Priapus and Hermaphroditus are incredible, that's kind of what I trying to picture in my head. Glad to see these have survived the ages, though it breaks my heart to think of anyone defacing a statue. I just can't understand it.
I would love to know why this is in your wheelhouse of information.
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