The throne, the first ever recovered, was found “82 feet below ground near Herculaneum’s Villa dei Papiri, a first century country home that is believed to have been the residence of Julius Caesar’s father-in-law.” ~ Roman Throne Discovered in Italian Ruins
Reliefs on the wooden throne depict “Greek mythological figures absorbed by Rome’s culture and is decorated with images of the gods Attis and Dionysus, as well as pine cones and phalluses.”
Hmmm, phalluses! Yes, the depiction of an erect penis was used as a sign of good luck by the Romans. If you were the least superstitious, you tacked a plaque above your shop depicting one in relief. This surprises people. Yet not only is the erect penis a reasonable symbol for procreation and the life cycle, it also is symbolic of the good health of the man who can get one (and considering the health care of the time, a healthy measure of good luck must have entered the equation as well).
That doesn’t mean that the Romans didn’t have their porn. Once they learned how to make cheap, molded oil lamps, the ones made in port cities were invariably decorated with reliefs of sexual acts being consummated in various and sometimes athletic positions. Playful buggers, those Roman sailors.
Phalusses. They mean lots of different things to different people. But one thing is for sure—it’d be odd to sit on a throne with one, especially in relief, if you catch my drift.
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