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I. Literature [German version] A. Introduction Sexual desire is one of the main subjects of ancient literature. Its representation in Greek and Roman texts includes a range of motifs (e.g. the  ekphrasis of the lover or the  paraklausithyron) which can also be found in the literature of the Near East (cf. the Song of Songs) and Egypt. Whether these congruencies are based on transcultural transfers or rather on parallel developments can usually not be determined. Since constructs of desire and love (i…

[German version] (Latin; 'bell'). A bell sculpted in three dimensions from metal, surviving mostly without a clapper, found in many places of the ancient world. In the cults of oriental deities, the noise of tintinnabula expelled demons. Tintinnabula announced opening times (market, thermae), were used as amulets against the evil eye and danger in battle. A tintinnabulum is often suspended by a thin chain from a winged phallus, human or animal. Since such fantastic combinations in bronze (currently some 30 examples demonstrably from the Roman period…