The Reason Behind Small Penises in Ancient Greek Sculptures

We have all seen sculptures from ancient Greece that depict important figures from history. These sculptures are known for their muscular and well-built bodies, but they also often depict small penises. Did you know that this was actually a sign of status? Let's explore the reason behind this.

'While doing research for a book, I asked for and was granted access to the British Museum's secret erotic collections.'

'I found out that these pieces were cut out by the curators of the 19th century themselves, so that the works would be suitable for public exhibitions!'

'I later learned that similar moralizing was also seen in other countries. The penis of Michelangelo's David was censored with a marble leaf in the 16th century. This leaf remained on the statue until 1912.'

'But that's why there are gaps in many sculptures.'

The answer to this question is given by photographer Ingrid Berthon-Moine, who created a photo exhibition of the penises of ancient statues:

'On the other hand, people of this period preferred small and firm penises, not large genitals. In today's culture, there is a different idea of superiority, a social norm that the bigger the penis, the more desirable it is.'

This is because these half-animal, half-human creatures were seen as less than respectable in the norms of Ancient Greek society.

'While the norms of the time considered people with large penises to be 'stupid, horny and ugly', the ancient Greek comedian Aristophanes listed a small penis as one of the physical characteristics of the ideal man.'