A Discourse on the Worship of Priapus delves into the intricate relationship between fertility worship and sexuality in the Classical period. Written by an esteemed English scholar and antiquarian, Richard Payne Knight, this seminal 1786 work explores the veneration of Priapus, the god of fertility, offering an unprecedented examination of the interplay between religion and sexuality. Knight's insightful analysis shocked contemporary society, leading to its initial suppression. Despite advancements in the study of religious history, Knight's essay remains a pioneering text, shedding light on ancient phallic symbolism and its cultural significance. This profound exploration offers readers a unique perspective on the historical context of fertility worship, encapsulating the enduring impact of Knight's scholarly contributions.

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Excerpt from A Discourse on the Worship of Priapus: And Its Connection With the Mystic Theology of the Ancients The bold utterances of Knight on a fubject which until that time had been entirely tabooed, or had been treated in a way to hide rather than to difcover the truth, Ihocked the fenfi bilities of the higher clahes of Englifh fociety, and the minif'ters and members of the various denominations of the Chrifiian world. Rather than endure the {torm of criticifm, aroufed by the publication, he fuppre 'ed during his lifetime all the copies of the book he could recall, confequently it became very fcarce, and continued fo for nearly a hundred years. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."