The Boundaries of Eros (by Guido Ruggiero) - Summary Sex and how it was viewd in Renaissance Venice. Examines the society's view of acceptable sexual conduct while maintaining the fabric of society.

The Boundaries of Eros (by Guido Ruggiero) is set in Renaissance Venice and examines the society's view of acceptable sexual conduct while maintaining the fabric of society. The main sources are court records of the various sex related crimes. Occasionally augmented by diaries and details of dowry prices. At the time Venice was a city state concerned first with the Goninan threat and then later from the Turks as each struggled for economic and military …

…good timing (4)Women had their noses removed for certain crimes as a womans' greatest asset was her beauty. Punishing a man this way was treating him as be behaved during homosexual sex. As a mans worth was in his trade then men had their hands removed for serious crimes (5)A dowry had to be repaid to the woman on death of her husband. So widows tended to be able to remarry despite their advanced age.