Greco-Roman Warren Cup (5–15 AD)

Warren Cup, Greco-Roman; 5–15 AD, 11 cm x 9.9 cm x 11 cm; silver

The Warren Cup is a piece of convivial silver, usually dated to the time of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (1st century AD). It is a specific kind of drinking cups, each with two silver relief images of male same-sex interactions. They were created in the Greco-Roman period, approximately 5-15 AD, and are known for their explicit homoerotic images. In this relief, there is a older man and a younger boy (judging by their size and muscles), both naked only with cloth draped over their shoulder and bands on their head and having . While in the current view, people may find it very scandalous and improper, the explicit depiction of the act shows a unashamed and open culture at the time in ancient Rome, and considering the function of the cup (for wine and water) which is very common and seen all the time. We can see that people in Greco-Roman period view Pederasty very similar to people from Edo Japan viewing wakashudo.