Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society1 Jul 2025

Why Were Ancient Dicks So Small?

Have you ever been puzzled by proportions when looking at Ancient Greek statues? It can't just be us.

From quarrying the stone to chipping away the final touches on your masterpiece - sculpting is a drawn out process. So why, after possibly years of work, did Ancient Greek artists make penises so small?

Kate is joined by Professor Caroline Vout to find out what these sculptors meant by their statues' modest members, and what this tells us about the Ancient world.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

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