Ancient Egyptian society, particularly throughout the Pharaonic period (c. 3100 BCE to 332 BCE), held a distinctly pragmatic and unprudish view toward sexuality. Unlike many later cultures that developed moral prohibitions against premarital sex, the Egyptians generally considered sexual expression a natural and positive part of life. There was no widespread moral or legal prohibition against “free sex,” meaning sexual intercourse between consenting unmarried individuals.
Sexuality Outside Marriage: For both men and women, engaging in sexual relations before marriage was permissible and carried no significant social or legal stigma. Children born out of wedlock were also not stigmatized; in fact, the concept of “illegitimacy” as a moral failing was largely absent. This attitude is reflected in ancient Egyptian love poetry, particularly from the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BCE), which often speaks of romantic and physical love between young, presumably unmarried, individuals. Texts like the Ebers Medical Papyrus (c. 1542 BCE) even contained recipes for contraceptives, suggesting a practical approach to managing sexual activity. Marriage itself was primarily a social and economic arrangement for cohabitation and raising a family, often considered established simply by a couple moving in together, rather than a religious sacrament. The lack of a strong emphasis on premarital chastity for either gender contrasts sharply with many other ancient and modern societies.
Sexual Morality and Adultery: While premarital sex was tolerated, adultery was generally condemned, particularly for married women. Fidelity within marriage was valued, and the consequences for a wife’s infidelity could be severe, as it could introduce uncertainty about the lineage of the husband’s heir. For a married man, however, societal attitudes towards non-marital relations were more complex. While monogamy was the ideal, particularly for non-royals, male infidelity was often treated with less severity than a woman’s. The pharaoh was permitted to have multiple wives and concubines (a harem) due to his royal status. The distinction was often tied to the maintenance of order (Ma’at) and the stability of the household and inheritance.
Prostitution: The evidence for commercial prostitution in the Pharaonic period is sparse and debated among scholars. Some Egyptologists question whether clear evidence for secular, commercial sex work exists before the Graeco-Roman Period. However, some sources, like the Turin Erotic Papyrus, contain depictions that may represent prostitutes. There is some ambiguous evidence suggesting the existence of forms of “sacred prostitution” or ritualistic sexual acts associated with fertility cults, such as the veneration of the goddess Hathor, though the exact nature of these acts and whether they were commercial transactions is unclear. During the later Ptolemaic (332–30 BCE) and Roman periods, prostitution became more regulated and taxed, reflecting the influence of Greek and Roman customs.
Period Summary of Ancient Egypt: Ancient Egyptian history is conventionally divided into several major periods. The “Pharaonic Period” spans the majority of the independent Egyptian civilization, from the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt (c. 3100 BCE) until the conquest by Alexander the Great (332 BCE). Key eras within this are: the Old Kingdom (c. 2686–2181 BCE), known as the ‘Age of the Pyramids’; the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1650 BCE), a period of classic Egyptian culture; and the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BCE), the height of imperial power and the source of much of the romantic and erotic literature that reveals their candid view on sexuality. The acceptance of premarital sex was therefore a consistent cultural norm throughout the core of this vast historical timeline.