ABSTRACT
The deeper one delves into Western sex attitudes, the more apparent it becomes that until the last few decades, the ancient Greek assumptions about the dual nature of man, with the sexual aspect regarded as evil, keep reappearing in different forms. The sexual union of the male and female was a repetition of the larger interaction of heaven and earth. Sexual union was pictured as like the intermingling of heaven and earth—absolutely essential to achieve harmony as well as a happy and healthy sex life. The body surfaces of both sexes were regarded as yang, the interior yin; yang was the back part, yin the front. In light of the number of erotic classics available and the belief that they were associated with the gods, it appears evident that the peoples of the area approved of sex.
