Final answer:
The word 'excessively' refers to doing something beyond what is considered reasonable or acceptable. In Roman society, as mentioned in the passage, this could pertain to behaviors that exceed social norms or expectations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word excessively as it is used in the passage indicates a level of behavior or an occurrence that goes beyond what is considered normal, acceptable, or reasonable. In Roman standards, 'excessive' would refer to something that is done to such a degree that it might cause disruption or be frowned upon due to its overabundance or lack of moderation. Using the instance mentioned in the passage, while sexual desire between men might have been acceptable to some extent, it was the excess that was viewed as troublesome, implying that Roman society had a threshold for what it considered appropriate.