In initial headlines telling of the discovery, several outlets omitted a fundamental aspect of the mythological scene: that the sex it depicts is a rape. The fresco is described as an “erotic scene” by the BBC, a “sensual fresco” by the Associated Press, and “sensual bedroom art” by The Guardian. “Racy” and “Swan sex scene” were among the other phrases used in headlines.
The Greek myth in which the Spartan queen Leda is seduced and raped by the Greek god Zeus (Jupiter in Roman mythology) while he is in swan form has been a frequent subject of artistic and literary interpretation. It was referenced by the likes of Homer, Virgil, and Ovid, in versions that vary in their details. In some versions, Leda is raped by Zeus: W.B. Yeats’ famous poetic retelling of the myth tells the story from Leda’s perspective, as a violent and forceful assault. But many well-known artistic depictions, like the Pompeian fresco, portray the assault as a romantic conquest or consensual act. [...]
Even if artists depict the story as one of assault, the rape is not always understood as an ignoble act. Mythologies from around the world are rife with examples of assaults framed as amorous conquests, and in cases when the rapist is a god, as an honor for the victim. Leda, for instance, is canonized for conceiving several legendary mythological figures following her coupling with Zeus, including Helen, whose own abduction brought about the Trojan War.
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