Sexuality in ancient Rome generally lacked the modern categories of "heterosexual" or "homosexual." Instead the differentiating characteristic was
activity versus passivity, or penetrating versus penetrated. The masculine was associated with the active and penetrating role. The feminine was associated with the passive and penetrated role. However, just as today's "normative" sexuality is far from universal, these roles were frequently violated, with men performing the passive role and vice versa. A man who liked to be penetrated was called "pathic", roughly translated as "bottom" in modern sex terminology. A woman who wanted to penetrate was a "tribade" (the meaning of which has now changed).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexuality_in_ancient_Rome
Domination and submission (also known as D&s, Ds or D/s) is a set of behaviors, customs and rituals relating to the giving and accepting of dominance of one individual over another in an erotic or lifestyle context.
D/s is often referred to as the "mental" side of BDSM. Physical contact is not a necessity, and can even be conducted anonymously over telephone, email or (more recently) instant messaging services. In other cases it can be intensely physical, sometimes traversing into sadomasochism. In D/s, one takes pleasure or erotic enjoyment out of either dominating or being dominated. Those who take the superior position are called Dominants, Doms (male) or Dommes (female), while those who take the subordinate position are called subs or submissives (male or female). A switch is an individual who plays in either role. Two switches together may negotiate and exchange roles several times in a session. Submissives generally outnumber Dominants, with male subs outnumbering Dommes by the widest margin, often three to one or more. "Dominatrix" is a term usually reserved for a female professional dominant who dominates others for pay.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domination ... %28BDSM%29
Sadism is the sexual or social pleasure or gratification in the infliction of pain and suffering upon another person. The word is derived from the name of the Marquis de Sade, a prolific French philosopher-writer of sadistic novels, plays, and a unique philosophical discourse that championed the infliction and reception of extreme pain as an art form that to him was both sublime and beautiful.
The counterpart of sadism is
Masochism, the sexual pleasure or gratification of having pain or suffering inflicted upon the self, often consisting of sexual fantasies or urges for being beaten, humiliated, bound, tortured, or otherwise made to suffer, either as an enhancement to or a substitute for sexual pleasure. The name is derived from the name of the 19th century author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, known for his novel Venus in Furs that dealt with highly masochistic themes.
Sadism and masochism, often interrelated (one person obtaining sadistic pleasure by inflicting pain or suffering on another person who thereby obtains masochistic pleasure), are collectively known as S/M or sadomasochism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadism_and_masochism
Topping from the bottom is a BDSM term, meaning a person who wants to be dominated but simultaneously direct the top to do it according to their wishes. Contrast with 'service top', one who agrees to deliver a given experience for a bottom.
Some people see all BDSM experience in the hands of a competent Dom/me as teaching limits and self-discipline, and therefore argue that setting hard limits is itself a subtle form of topping from the bottom, arguing there should be total trust and no preset assumptions. They would instead tend to view the concept of hard limits as another example of attempts by the sub to retain control and dictate to the dom/me what dominance is or is not okay, rather than experiencing genuine surrender and allowing trust to direct the scene. This is a minority view which although generally acknowledged, is not shared by most practitioners.
In the context of human sexual behavior, especially anal sex among gay men, a
bottom is a receptive partner (that is, a partner who is penetrated), or a person who prefers the receptive role. The counterpart is a
top. A person who enjoys both topping and bottoming is called
versatile or a switch. These terms are also used frequently in some lesbian circles, and are gaining use among some opposite-sex couples too. For example, the act of pegging involves a female top and a male bottom.
"Bottom" can also be used as an intransitive verb meaning to be sexually penetrated by: to bottom for someone.
The terms "submissive" or "passive" have been used for "bottom,", though these may be confusing as the sex in question needn't be part of a dominance relationship, nor is the bottom necessarily any less "active" than the top. Common slang terms in some gay communities include: pitcher (top), catcher (bottom) and switch hitter (versatile). In some languages "passive" and "active" are always used, rather than "bottom" or "top". Some gay men dislike the term "bottom" as they feel it has negative connotations, and prefer not to use that term or the corresponding "top".
By extension, the term "bottom" is also used in BDSM to mean a partner who receives stimulation from another, and who may or may not be submissive. See bottom (BDSM).
Beginning in the 1970s, bottoms sometimes identified themselves by wearing a set of keys on the right side of the belt or a handkerchief in their right rear pocket. In this system the bottom was not always penetrated, nor was he always the "passive" partner. Rather, the "bottom" role was different from act to act, as signified by the color of the handkerchief. The practice is used much less today.
In the context of human sexual behavior, especially anal sex among gay men, a top is an insertive partner, or a person who prefers the insertive role. The counterpart is a bottom. The top need not be physically on top of the other partner though this is often the case. A person who enjoys both topping and bottoming is called a switch or versatile. These terms are also used frequently in some lesbian circles, and are gaining use among some opposite-sex couples too. For example, the act of pegging involves a female top and a male bottom.
"Top" can also be used as a transitive or intransitive verb meaning to sexually penetrate (someone).
The terms "dominant" or "active" have been used for "top," though these may be confusing as the sex in question needn't be part of a dominance relationship, nor is the bottom necessarily "inactive". By extension, the term "top" is also used in BDSM to mean a partner who applies stimulation to another, and who may or may not be dominant. See top (BDSM).
In some American contexts, "tops" sometimes identified themselves by wearing a set of keys on the left side of the belt or a color-coded handkerchief in their left rear pockets, in this system the top did not always penetrate the bottom nor was he always the "active" partner, rather the "top" role would be different from act to act. This practice, called flagging, began in the gay male subculture.
Common slang terms in some gay communities include: pitcher (top), catcher (bottom), and switch-hitter of flip (versatile).
In sexually themed anime and manga, especially shōnen-ai and yaoi, a top is referred to as seme, a term from kabuki and Martial Arts.
The term Power top or powertop is used to describe a top who has lots of stamina, contrast with powerbottom.
The term Total Top is used to describe a man who exclusively tops.
Topping from the bottom is usually considered poor practice amongst lifestyle BDSM devotees, although fairly common amongst the "BDSM curious" or newcomers who have had submissive sexual fantasies for some time but lacked real experience of a sexual dominant.
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