Fifty shades of Pompeii: Erotic wall paintings reveal the x-rated services once offered at ancient Italian brothels

Fifty shades of Pompeii: Erotic wall paintings reveal the x-rated services once offered at ancient Italian brothels

Wall paintings in a historic Pompeii brothel have revealed the amorous activities of ancient Italians.

The 'Lupanar of Pompeii' is decorated with centuries-old wall paintings depicting explicit sex scenes.

The sex house was once a hangout for wealthy businessmen and politicians before the Roman city was famously wiped out by a volcanic eruption in 79 AD.

Researchers believe the erotic paintings depicting group sex and other acts may have indicated the services offered by prostitutes.

The Lupanar of Pompeii was the centre point for the doomed city's thriving red light district.

The ancient Roman brothel was originally discovered in the nineteenth century.

It was closed, but was recently re-opened to the public in October 2006.

While the brothel is neither the most luxurious nor the most important historic building in what remains of Pompeii, it is the most frequently visited by tourists from across the world.

Prostitutes at the brothel were not exclusively women.

Men, especially young former-slaves, sold themselves there too - to both men and women.

The erotic lives of Pompeii's prostitues were recently illustrated by Western University professor, Kelly Olson.

Professor Olson focuses her work on the role of women in Roman society, and the apparent open sexuality visible in the many frescos and sculptures.

The Classical Studies professor travelled to the ancient city last month as a featured expert on Canadian broadcaster CBC's programme 'The Nature of Things'.

Speaking of life in ancient Pompeii brothels, she said: 'It's not a very nice place to work.'