What did Michel Foucault study in his work on ancient Greek carnal pleasure?

In his work on ancient Greece, Michel Foucault explored the concept of carnal pleasure as part of his broader investigation into ethics and the "reflective practice of freedom".1

Specifically, Foucault examined carnal pleasure in the second volume of his multivolume work, The History of Sexuality. This study was a significant departure from his original plan to focus on the social construction of the "female hysteric" in the 19th century. By turning his attention to antiquity, Foucault sought to understand how individuals in ancient societies governed themselves and conceived of their own conduct, rather than focusing solely on how they were dominated by external power structures. This shift allowed him to analyze how human beings could exercise their power to test and reflect upon the modes of subjectivation under which they lived.1