Am I blinded by love or jealousy?

I just broke up with my boyfriend. Although it was a long distance relationship (we both live on opposite sides of the globe), we had been seeing each other for more than five years via social-networking sites and video/voice chat programs on a regular basis. He is the most compassionate man I've ever met, and otherwise holds all the perfect qualities I look for in an ideal partner (a good sense of humour, sweet, understanding).

The problem lies in his past. He used to lead a very promiscuous lifestyle, where he slept around with plenty of other guys. I don't have a problem with this. I believe he is entitled to his own private life then and I am quite happy of the fact he chooses to be so honest with me about it (although at times it seems like he's bragging ). However, it is the inconsistencies in his explanations which worries me the most, and which ultimately led me to break things off with him today.

First, there's his ex, of whom he had a sexual, clandestine relationship with for two years prior to meeting me. I have never met him, however he talks about him so frequently in our chats that it almost feels like I have. He describes him in ways which makes me feels very uncomfortable, as if he still has strong residual feelings for his ex, with detailed descriptions of a sexual nature. Although I am bothered by it, I never allowed it to come between us. It isn't until I learn that a couple of weeks ago he has reconciled with his ex that I began to worry. The extent of which he refuses to clarify other than saying that they "kissed" but he "pulled away" before anything happened. Days prior to that, he told me that if he ever meets his ex, he knows they would have sexual relations, which enraged me. He laughed it off soon after which leaves me very confused as to whether it was a just a joke. When questioned, his justification for talking and meeting with his ex is to have somebody to talk to about "dealing" with me.

Secondly, he claimed he had only three sexual partners in the past, and I believed him. However, over the years, it becomes apparent to me that he has had much more than that and I finally confronted him about it today. We got into an arguement over semantics trying to decide what constitutes as "sex," which made me angry, and the fact still stands that he has had more than three sexual partners in his own criteria of what constitutes as sex. I notice that he also becomes quite defensive when we discuss about this topic--he begins to provide unnecessary details about their encounters. I feel bad seeing him fumble in this state.

I am doubtful of his faithfulness to our relationship. They say you are blind when you are in love--am I a fool for not seeing these as signs of cheating? The fact is, I feel as if it is an issue within myself too because I just can't get over his past relationships. I am jealous of his partners, they experienced something intimate with him that I could only dream of; they had him at his best years and he still has some strong residual feelings for at least one of them. So am I blinded by love or jealousy?

I made a half-promise to myself that this break-up will be permanent. Should I keep it that way forever? Did I do the right thing in breaking-up with him? Please offer me your thoughts.

Apologies for the lengthy explanation, I am losing sleep mulling over it tonight and I just can't bear to sleep with the thought of what happened today. Thank you so much for bearing with me this far.