Sleeping Hermaphrodite
It is believed that there were hundreds of them because at least nine copies of the “Sleeping Hermaphrodite” have survived.
This one, on loan from the National Museum of Rome, dates from the second century A.D. Like the others, it is believed to be a copy of an earlier Greek bronze, now lost. For Romans, evoking Greek culture was another way of showing off.
But it would be a mistake to interpret the popularity of these works as a sign of ancient tolerance, Mr. Picón said. The birth of intersex people was seen as a bad omen; those born with ambiguous genitals were usually killed.
[nytimes]
[nytimes]
