Joined by historian Honor Cargill-Martin, Tristan Hughes explores the real sex lives of ancient Rome.

From popular series to kinky paintings, there is a recurring image today of Romans as sex-mad degenerates. And although there are sex stories in the dozens from the Roman period, when it comes to their sex lives there is a lot to unpack.

In this video, Tristan Hughes takes a deep dive into the topic. Get ready: there are sexual references aplenty. He investigates the stories told by Roman authors and explores erotic imagery found in Roman sites across the Mediterranean and beyond. Who was it acceptable for Romans to marry? And why did gladiators become sex symbols?