The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Love, Courtship, and Sexuality Through History

Sex and love are central to daily life and to all nations. Despite the universality of these sentiments, their expression is largely shaped by the cultures in which they occur. This massive set explores sex, love, and culture around the world and across time, raising and answering such questions as the following: 1. What effect did Cleopatra'a affairs with Caesar and Antony have on Roman and Egyptian politics and society? 2. Did the medieval practice of droit de seigneur really allow a feudal lord to claim the virginity of his vassal's wife on her wedding night? 3. Do the sonnets of William Shakespeare really tell us anything about the alleged homosexuality or bisexuality of their author? 4. What advice did the sex manual known as Aristotle's Masterpiece offer seventeenth-century gentlemen on how to improve their own sexual pleasure and that of their partners? 5. Why did the use of nude female models by British art schools become a matter of intense debate in the Victorian House of Commons? 6. How can women use the Internet pornography industry to gain greater control over their labor and the way female sexuality is presented on the Web? The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Sex, Love, and Culture volumes cover the ancient world, the medieval era, the early modern period, the colonial and revolutionary age, the nineteenth century, and the modern world. Each volume is cross-cultural in scope and includes alphabetically arranged entries written by expert contributors. Entries cover such topics as customs and practices, authors and works, concepts and institutions, and various other subjects. Thus the Encyclopedia defines love and sexuality in terms of cultural contexts. The volumes are fully illustrated and cite numerous works for further reading. Students will value this set as a source of information about daily life around the world, while general readers will find it fascinating and insightful.