Department of History

This eye-opening series from HISTORY tells the endlessly fascinating story of sex, probing beneath assumptions, conventions and taboos to reveal the startling diversity and ageless humanity of our civilization's most provcative subject.Ancient Civilizations-Myth, ritual and sexuality merge, and the worship of gods develops a moral code. Why did the Mesopotamians equate adultery to a crime of theft? Was prostitution in Babylon considered sacred? And was incest in Egypt encouraged?The Western World-Take an intimate glimpse inside China, Japan, India and the Arab world-homes to harems, concubines, mystery, exporation and the religious classification of sex.The Middle Ages-The evolution of sexual beliefs and practices was inspired by religion. From the fall of the Roman Empire through the renaissance, sexuality went under cover, only to emerge with strict rules and impose shame.From Don Juan to Queen Victoria - Repression sprouted new myths and although quiet on the outside, the inner rhythm of this period beat with scandalous pleasure which included prostitution and brothels. This became a time full of sexual idiosyncrasis...The 20th Century-From the first latex condom in the 1920's to the development of the pill in the 1960's Western society's view of sexuality has evolved at a rapid rate. This program includes fascinating commentary on Masters and Johnson, the nuclear family, Aids, Viagra and new technology, including the internet.