Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society Episode Summary: "Valentine's Day in Ancient Rome" Release Date: February 11, 2025

Join sex historian Kate Lister and Roman expert Emma Southern as they delve into the intriguing and often scandalous history of Valentine's Day, tracing its origins back to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia. This episode uncovers the rituals, myths, and transformations that led to the modern celebration of love, peppered with humor and sharp insights.

Introduction to Lupercalia

Kate Lister sets the stage by highlighting the coincidence of Valentine's Day's timing with the ancient Roman festival, Lupercalia. She humorously narrates a fictional hike up Palatine Hill, encountering priests smeared in goat's blood, which serves as a segue into the episode's main topic.

Notable Quote:

Kate Lister [05:50]: "Hello and welcome back to Betwixt the Sheets... Is it a coincidence that our Valentine's Day falls at the same time of year as the Lupercalia festival was held in ancient Rome?"

Rituals and Practices of Lupercalia

Lister and Southern explore the elaborate and bizarre rituals of Lupercalia. The festival involved naked men, known as Luperci, running through the streets with goat skins, whipping women to promote fertility and ease childbirth. The ceremony began with sacrifices in a cave on Palatine Hill, followed by communal laughter and the subsequent skinning of the goat.

Notable Quote:

Emma Southern [07:36]: "It's so weird that even the Romans didn't know what it was or where it came from. They came up with about four or five different explanations for why it happened."

Theories on the Origins of Lupercalia

The discussion delves into various theories about the origins of Lupercalia. While some myths link the festival to the Greek god Pan and pre-Roman shepherd rituals, Southern emphasizes that the exact origins remain murky. She points out that historians have multiple, often contradictory explanations, reflecting the Romans' own uncertainties.

Notable Quote:

Emma Southern [12:16]: "Romans loved a club that you're in... Like the Jacobins in the French Revolution, something like that. Like, they're a club and it's only open to people of a certain class."

Connection to Valentine's Day

Lister and Southern analyze how Lupercalia transitioned into the modern Valentine's Day. They explain that as Rome shifted to Christianity, efforts were made to replace pagan festivals with Christian traditions. The romantic aspects of Valentine's Day, such as courtly love and the veneration of Saint Valentine, emerged in the late Middle Ages, diverging significantly from the original Lupercalia practices.

Notable Quote:

Emma Southern [29:27]: "And since Saint Valentine is kind of in much the same way like we celebrate it and it's become quite a big deal in the calendar, people need to come up with a reason why."

Decline of Lupercalia

The episode traces the decline of Lupercalia, noting that by the fifth century AD, the festival had largely fallen out of favor. Efforts by Christian leaders, such as the Bishop of Rome, to suppress pagan rituals contributed to its eventual disappearance. Southern highlights how the festival transformed over centuries, losing its original fertility rites and becoming more of a public spectacle.

Notable Quote:

Emma Southern [27:18]: "They had already stopped being mostly nude by the time the Christians got involved."

Modern Interpretations and Similar Festivals

Lister and Southern draw parallels between ancient Lupercalia and modern festivals that retain elements of fertility and public amusement. They discuss how certain contemporary celebrations still involve playful rituals that echo the spirited and sometimes outrageous nature of Lupercalia, albeit in a much more socially acceptable manner.

Notable Quote:

Kate Lister [23:23]: "We've sat here and said that it's all completely bonkers, but it is quite mad. But there are, like, modern, not recreations of this, but like, similar weird festivals that happen."

Conclusion: The Legacy of Lupercalia

In wrapping up, Lister and Southern reflect on the enduring curiosity and fascination with Lupercalia's wild traditions. They acknowledge that while the festival itself is long gone, its legacy persists in the form of Valentine's Day—a day devoted to love and romance, albeit stripped of its more primal origins.

Notable Quote:

Kate Lister [34:21]: "If you tried to [bring back Lupercalia], it would be the possibility. Yeah. They wouldn't like that at all."

Additional Insights

Throughout the episode, Kate and Emma intersperse their discussion with witty banter and contemporary references, making the historical exploration both informative and entertaining. They emphasize the importance of understanding the cultural and societal shifts that transform ancient rituals into modern traditions.

Notable Quotes:

Emma Southern [15:48]: "A sexy thing."

Kate Lister [24:14]: "We think it's really sexy. Fun thing to do. Yeah."

Further Resources

For listeners eager to dive deeper, Emma Southern directs them to her website, social media, and her podcast, "The History is Sexy," where she explores other tantalizing historical topics.

Notable Quote:

Emma Southern [35:33]: "They can find me @emmasothern.com or they can find me at Emma Sullivan on Instagram or they can find me on my podcast the History is Sexy where we are recording an episode on the Marquis de Sade tomorrow."

Produced by: Stuart Beckwith | Senior Producer: Charlotte Long
Subscribe for more: Explore episodes on diverse topics like the history of fatphobia and Michelangelo's sex life, available on all major podcast platforms.

Note: This summary omits advertisements, intros, and outros to focus solely on the episode's content.