Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
Episode: What Made You Ugly In Ancient Rome?
Host: Kate Lister
Release Date: May 2, 2025

In the compelling episode titled What Made You Ugly In Ancient Rome? from the podcast Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society, host Kate Lister delves into the intricate and often surprising beauty standards of Ancient Rome. Joined by Roman beauty expert Emma Southern, they explore how Romans defined beauty and ugliness, drawing fascinating parallels and contrasts with modern-day standards.

1. Introduction to Roman Beauty Standards

Kate Lister opens the discussion by highlighting the Romans' intense preoccupation with beauty, likening their concerns to contemporary issues such as deodorant use and overall attractiveness. She emphasizes that, much like today, Romans believed that beauty was essential for sexual appeal and social standing.

Notable Quote:
Kate Lister [03:00]: "Beauty standards and sex history go hand in hand, or rather crotch in hand."

2. Female Beauty Standards in Ancient Rome

a. Facial Features and Makeup
Roman women prized thick, bushy eyebrows, often enhanced with kohl and black dye. Emma Southern explains that monobrows, a single thick brow line, were celebrated and even immortalized in poetry as a sign of beauty.

Notable Quote:
Emma Southern [12:33]: "They love big eyelashes, like big eyebrows. They were using lamp black and ashes or just anything that you've got a lot of, like, you know, fire and charcoal lying around."
Kate Lister [13:00]: "Unmistakably, the Romans favored a very bold and dark aesthetic."

b. Skin Lightening Practices
Pallor was a coveted trait, symbolizing wealth and leisure. Roman women utilized white lead and crocodile dung for skin lightening, despite the harmful side effects such as skin sores and peeling. Emma Southern points out the paradox where Roman cosmetics were both a beauty aid and a source of skin damage.

Notable Quote:
Emma Southern [14:10]: "They were putting lead on their faces, resulting in peeling skin, and using crocodile dung, believed to have bleaching properties."

c. Elaborate Hairstyles
Roman hairstyles were elaborate and time-consuming, often involving intricate plaits and hair pieces. Emma Southern mentions the work of contemporary hair historians who have recreated these styles, showcasing the artisanship involved.

Notable Quote:
Emma Southern [18:58]: "They made hair like fans, big flat ovals at the front and elaborate buns behind them."
Kate Lister [20:26]: "Google Roman hairstyle. That is so crazy impressive."

3. Male Beauty Standards in Ancient Rome

a. Hair Removal and Grooming
Roman men invested in personal grooming, including plucking armpits and maintaining shaved legs as signs of cleanliness and sophistication. Emma Southern shares humorous anecdotes about the discomfort associated with such practices.

Notable Quote:
Emma Southern [30:01]: "Seneca mentions men plucking their armpits twice, showing the importance placed on bodily care."

b. Musculature and Body Image
Roman men sought toned and muscular physiques, often depicted in statues with exaggerated muscle definition. This ideal was so ingrained that even emperors like Claudius, who had visible disabilities, portrayed themselves as the epitome of physical perfection in public representations.

Notable Quote:
Emma Southern [37:00]: "Statues of Claudius show him as a buff, ripped soldier, masking his real physique which included a limb difference."

c. Symbolism of Physical Traits
Physical attributes were intertwined with moral and social status. For example, a small penis was seen as a symbol of control and elegance, while traits like baldness or acne were derogatorily associated with lower moral character.

Notable Quote:
Emma Southern [33:03]: "The tiny dick is a demonstration of control and tidiness and elegance and neatness."

4. Comparative Analysis to Modern Beauty Standards

Kate and Emma draw parallels between Roman and modern beauty practices, noting the timelessness of certain ideals and the constant evolution of beauty trends. They discuss how both societies place beauty as a marker of social status and desirability, often backed by inaccessible standards that foster insecurities and commercial opportunities.

Notable Quote:
Kate Lister [42:03]: "The idea that men are gonna be able to understand what women are doing, that suddenly makes it really difficult, doesn't it?"

5. Racial and Cultural Dimensions of Roman Beauty

The episode explores how whiteness was idealized, while non-white individuals were often fetishized or depicted as barbaric. Romans recognized diversity but maintained a hierarchy where white features were synonymous with beauty and civilization, whereas other racial traits were exoticized or stigmatized.

Notable Quote:
Emma Southern [49:07]: "Whiteness is beauty as far as they are concerned, really. And darkness is a deviation from that."

6. Beauty as a Reflection of Moral Worth

Kate and Emma discuss the Roman belief that physical beauty was inherently linked to moral virtue. Good emperors and virtuous individuals were often portrayed with impeccable physiques, while flaws or physical imperfections were metaphorically tied to moral failings.

Notable Quote:
Emma Southern [35:03]: "Men were treated as though having bad skin was a sign of divine disfavor and bad moral character."

7. Enduring Practices and Modern Parallels

While many Roman beauty practices seem bizarre today, some have endured or find their echoes in modern times. For instance, skin lightening, eyebrow filling, and even pimple patches have analogs in contemporary beauty regimes, albeit with safer and more refined methods.

Notable Quote:
Emma Southern [51:31]: "Skin lightening is still very much something that people do as well, though with less toxic substances."

8. Conclusion

The episode concludes by reflecting on the persistent influence of Roman beauty standards on modern perceptions of attractiveness and social status. Kate Lister underscores the irony that many of the concerns and practices from ancient Rome continue to resonate, revealing how deeply ingrained the pursuit of beauty is across different eras.

Notable Quote:
Emma Southern [53:15]: "What we use to do has not changed much in terms of the goals—smooth skin, defined features—but the methods are more sophisticated now."

Final Thoughts:
The discussion serves as a reminder of the enduring nature of beauty standards and their profound impact on societal norms and individual behaviors. By uncovering the historical roots of these ideals, Kate Lister and Emma Southern provide listeners with a deeper understanding of how beauty has been both a constant and a variable force shaping human culture.

For more insights into the intertwining of beauty, history, and society, tune in to future episodes, including Female Executioners and What Made You Ugly in the Medieval Period.