Ach! We STILL need some more time to get our offline projects off the ground... So last week, we did seven "recipes" from history, had 'em done ahead of time, and then time-stamped them to ensure a full week's worth of new posts for you!

This week, I'm hearkening to a favourite series of books for a little historical fair... The Book of Lists... and share some of the more "interesting" samples of historical tidbits from various books in that series...

#5: Queen Zingua - Early 17th Century - Angola

She would cripple men because she thought "the lame best perform the act of love". Kept a harem of males and enjoyed watching battles to the death between warriors, then bed the winner. According to legend, she would make love all night to a man, then have him killed in the morning to avoid jealousies and for general amusement. Her "legend" continued until the age of 77 when she converted to Catholicism.

#4: Empress Theodora - 508(?) to 548 - Roman in Constantinople.

Although she worked to ensure restrictions against faithless husbands and public nudity, it is said she would "take on" ten men a day... and then up to thirty of their servants by afternoon.

#3: Cleopatra - 69 to 30 BC - Greece/Rome/Egypt

Aside from the well known lovers, not many people know that Cleo had her first lover at twelve... learned "secrets" on how to make love from a bordello in Alexandria, had scores of young males slaves in a temple she erected who were fed drugs to keep them "aroused" so she could "practice"... and it is said she could tangle with 100 men in a single night. Not TOO far fetched for a woman who would use sex to drive herself into power...

#2: Mnesarete - 4th Century BC - Greece

A prominent and well thought of prostitute in ancient Greece, she is said to have inspired statues of Aphrodite... as well as more than the average attention one might expect! Once, she was arrested and tried for profaning the Eleusinian mysteries and was being defended by a lover, the statesman Hyperides... When it seemed she was going to lose her case (and her life,) Hyperides ripped open her robe and exposed her breasts to the jury... She was acquitted.

#1: King Solomon - 973 through 933 BC - Israel

Solomon had 700 wives... and (estimated) 300 mistresses... which gives one pause for thought... when did he have time to acquire that legendary wisdom... and when did he find that mine???

PLEASE NOTE: This is only a SAMPLING from the original list... to full entry is in the book and well worth the read!

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