Inside the Vatican Museum in Rome, one of the most iconic sculptures of all time is on display. This is the statue of Laocoön and his sons.
This approximately 2,000-year-old sculpture stands over two meters tall and depicts the Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons. According to the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey, Laocoön was the one who suspected the Greek’s “wooden horse” scheme and warned the Trojans not to bring the horse into the city.
This was indeed a plan by the gods on Mount Olympus to help the Greeks achieve victory. Because Laocoön intended to intervene in the gods’ plan, he and his sons were killed by sea serpents.
Close-up of the statue of Laocoön and his sons at the Vatican Museum, Rome.
The background story of the statue is captivating, but there is one detail that draws even more attention from museum visitors. This detail is Laocoön’s exceedingly small genitalia.
Interestingly, in the Vatican Museum, Laocoön is not the only statue with such a small “member.” Throughout the museum, there are other statues depicting muscular men with tiny genitals.
The Greek View on Large Genitalia
Why did ancient sculptors often bestow men with modest-sized genitalia? This size was certainly not based on the real-life dimensions of Greek men.
According to archaeological and cultural studies, for the ancient Greeks and Romans, large genitalia were considered unattractive. The image of a large “member” was typically associated with animals such as horses, cattle, and goats. If a person was described as having a large “member,” he was often viewed as barbaric, crude, debauched, and prone to indulge in reckless pleasures.
In Greek mythology, Dionysus is the god of wine and revelry. He is often surrounded by Satyrs, creatures that are half-man, half-goat (or horse), who are always naked and depicted as lustful and grotesque. They host wild parties and indulge in pleasures with the nymphs living in the woods.
These gods and woodland spirits are often portrayed as very alluring, and their genitalia are described as quite large. Dionysus’s son, Priapus, was abandoned by his mother on a mountain due to his unusually large “member.” There, shepherds found Priapus, nurtured him, and revered him as a fertility god. Nevertheless, the general sentiment among ancient Greeks remained one of disdain for large genitalia.
Small Genitalia Representing Wisdom and Self-Control
Master sculptors intentionally carved statues of men with small genitalia to convey to viewers that: this man is a rational intellectual, and therefore capable of controlling his desires.
Men who possess self-control and know how to manage their impulses are always held in higher regard. They are entirely different from the barbaric, indulgent, and hedonistic individuals. This is simply a trend that reflects and characterizes the figures in ancient Greek sculpture.
Michelangelo’s David displayed at Galleria dell’Accademia.
A small penis is the ideal standard of beauty from the Greek perspective. Later, the Romans continued to inherit this notion.
Not only them, but Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael also embraced and created works featuring similar character traits as those from ancient Greece. For example, Michelangelo’s statue of David, created between 1501 and 1504, also features a modest-sized “member.”
Today, societal views on male genitalia have changed. A tiny penis is no longer seen as a sign of intellectual excellence. For many, a large penis is considered masculine and representative of success.
According to a study published by Stanford University in California, men’s genitalia today are even growing larger. The research group’s data report that the size of male genitalia has increased by 24% in some regions of the world over the past 30 years. However, in ancient Greece, such sizes might have caused aesthetic horror.
