The world has utterly transformed over the course of the last 2,000 years. Many of the norms, rules, and expectations of the ancient world can feel strange to our 21st century sensibilities. But certain things remain constant, and one of those is the complexity of human relationships—especially romantic and sexual relationships.

In the six lectures of Sex Scandals of Ancient Greece and Rome, Professor Monica Cyrino of the University of New Mexico will take you on a journey to the distant past to explore the sexual behaviors that have earned ancient Greece and Rome their reputation as hotbeds of debauchery. Beginning with the mythical Helen and the scandal that launched a thousand ships, Professor Cyrino will then take you through the stories of real-life scandals and controversies, exploring ancient attitudes about gender, sexuality, intimacy, and power along the way. From the love lives of poets to the sexual proclivities of politicians, you’ll see what these liaisons reveal about a side of ancient history that’s rarely covered in the classroom.

More than ancient gossip or sordid cautionary tales, these scandalous stories are also a helpful tool in understanding the ways history can be recorded and revised to suit various agendas, both personal and political. Were infamous emperors like Nero and Caligula as depraved as the stories say? Were all political marriages devoid of love and devotion? What should we make of pederasty in ancient Athens? Were women more sexually free than they are today, or less? Why do so many historians disagree on Alexander the Great’s sexual orientation? How much of history is littered with exaggeration and even outright lies? As you explore these and other questions, you’ll find that, while societies and cultures may change, our desires and motivations stay remarkably consistent across the ages.