Orgy

Illustration by Édouard-Henri Avril

For the religious rites of ancient Greece, see Orgia. For the American synth rock band, see Orgy (band)

In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures.

Swinger's parties may or may not escape this designation due to the sexual partners all knowing each other and some social imprimatur which the economic class, educational attainment or other shared attributes of the participants might confer. Other kinds of "sex party" may fare less well with this labelling.

Participation in an "orgy" is a common sexual fantasy and group sex targeting such consumers is a subgenre in pornographic films.

The term is also used metaphorically in expressions, such as an "orgy of colour" or an "orgy of destruction" to indicate excess, overabundance. The term "orgiastic" does not generally connote group sex and is closer to the classical roots and this metaphorical usage.

Ancient Greek and Roman orgia

Bacchanal with a wine vat (c. 1475) by Andrea Mantegna

See also: Bacchanalia and Saturnalia

In ancient Greek religion, orgia (ὄργια, sing. ὄργιον, orgion) were secret nighttime cultic congregations of the Greek mystery religions, overseen by an orgiophant (a teacher or revealer of secret rites) popularly thought to involve sex, which were celebrated with dancing, drunkenness, singing, etc. They were practiced in the worship of Demeter at Eleusis (mentioned in the Homeric Hymn) or in the worship of Dionysus (Herodotus 2.81), the Cabeiri, Demeter Achaia (Herodotus 2.51, 5.61), Orpheus, Eumolpus, or Cybele.

The ancient Romans adopted the Greek orgia practices for the Bacchanalia festivals, which were wild and mystic festivals of the Greco-Roman god Bacchus (or Dionysus), the wine god. At first the secret rites were restricted to men, but eventually women were also permitted.

In popular culture

The 1956 movie The Ten Commandments has the golden calf scene in which the Israelites are shown having an orgy, but not an explicit one, showing drinking, music and adult acts. This is based on the reference to the golden calf in the Bible in Exodus 32:6.

The films Caligula (1979) and Perfume (2006) have a number of orgy scenes, and orgies have been depicted in numerous works of art.

In the 1966 musical-comedy film A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a Roman general calls for a "sit-down orgy" for his troops while he waits for his virgin bride to be delivered.

Stanley Kubrick's 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut includes a prominent orgy scene that has the members wearing masks and other concealing clothing.

See also

• Orgia, on the ancient Greek rite
• Bacchanalia
• Sex party

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Adkins, Lesley and Adkins, Roy A. (1998). Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece ISBN 019512491X
• Alexander, Timothy Jay (2007). Hellenismos Today ISBN 978-1-4303-1427-1
• Alexander, Timothy Jay (2007). A Beginner's Guide to Hellenismos ISBN 978-1-4303-2456-0
• Burnet, John (2005). Early Greek Philosophy ISBN 402197535
• Dillon, Matthew (2002). Girls and Women in Classical Greek Religion ISBN 0415202728
• Maffesoli, Michel (1993). The shadow of Dionysus: a contribution to the sociology of the orgy ISBN 9780791412398
• Persson, Martin (1970). The Minoan-Mycenaean Religion and Its Survival in Greek Religion ISBN 0819602736
• Wilson, Nigel Guy Wilson (2005.) Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece ISBN 0415973341

External links

• World Record: Largest Orgy