ABSTRACT
This chapter explores different types of masculinities at the beginning of the Roman Principate. To do so, it starts taking into account postcolonial theory and moves to show how a gender studies perspective that informs archaeological debate is fundamental for the understanding of marginalised masculinities within the Roman Empire. This chapter seeks alternative analytical methods for the study of sexual practices between men, as well as between men and women, focusing on the daily life of common people and exploring the diversity of human passions at Pompeii. Thus, what is presented here is a very specific case study, a reading of the walls of Pompeii in the lupanar region, including its graffiti and its tituli picti. From a ‘written space’ perspective, the aim of the paper is to seek how the diversity of encounters can allow us to think about masculinities and the complexity of social relations in the Roman past.
