Homosexuality in ancient Greece

Achilles and Patroclus

Same-sex love was an integral part of civic life in ancient Greece from Classical times until the Roman era. Three general categories of such relationships can be drawn. Love between women can be traced back as far as the time of Sappho. Love between adult men was known, and though it was discouraged and ridiculed there are records of many such couples. The third, and best known category was love between adult men and adolescent boys, known as pederasty.

Sapphic love

Main article: Lesbian

Sappho, a poet from the island of Lesbos, was mistress of a school of girls and wrote love poems to many of her young students, with whom she often fell in love and who often reciprocated her feelings. She is thought to have written close to 12,000 lines of poetry on her love for other women. Of these, only about 600 lines have survived concerted efforts to obliterate her works. As a result of her fame in antiquity, she and her land have become emblematic of love between women.

In general, the historical record of same-sex love between women is sparse. This is thought to be due at least in part to the dominant male role in writing and preserving historical documents.

Love between adult men

Main article: Homosexuality

Many believe the first recorded appearance of such desire was in the Iliad (800 BC). The intentions of the Iliad have been a subject of much debate. An abundance of evidence exists that by the beginning of the Hellenistic era (480 BC) the Iliad’s heroes Achilles and Patroclus were icons of male homosexuality. Unlike the modern construction of homosexuality, such relationships were not seen as markers of identity but as activities that some engaged in.

The ancient Greeks made efforts to establish a clear age difference between Patroclus and Achilles, since they were uncomfortable with any perception of them as adult equals. This, however, was not successful since the Homeric tradition made them out to be of an age.

Aeschylus in the tragedy Myrmidons made Achilles the protector since he had avenged his love’s death even though the gods told him it would cost his own life. However Phaedrus asserts that Homer emphasized the beauty of Achilles which would qualify him not Patroclus as “eromenos”. See Iliad for a detailed discussion

Another mythical couple who are represented as coevals is that of Orestes and Pylades. Many historical male couples are known, where both partners were adults. Among these is the love between Euripides, in his seventies, and Agathon, already in his forties. The love between Alexander the Great and his childhood friend, Hephaistion is of the same order.

In the military

Main article:Homosexuality in the militaries of ancient Greece.

The Sacred Band of Thebes, a separate military unit reserved only for homosexuals, is usually considered as the prime example of how the ancient Greeks used relationships between soldiers in a troop to boost theit fighting spirit. The Thebans attributed to theSacred Band the power of Thebes for the generation before its fall to Philip II of Macedon, who was so impressed with their bravery during battle, he erected a monument that still stands today on their gravesite. He also gave a harsh criticism of the Spartan views of the band:

"Perish miserably they who think that these men did or suffered aught disgraceful."

Pammenes' opinion, according to Plutarch, was that

"Homer's Nestor was not well skilled in ordering an army when he advised the Greeks to rank tribe and tribe... he should have joined lovers and their beloved. For men of the same tribe little value one another when dangers press; but a band cemented by friendship grounded upon love is never to be broken."

These bonds, perhaps somewhat inspired by episodes from Greek mythology, such as the heroic relationship between Achilles and Patroclus in the Iliad, were thought to boost morale as well as bravery. They typically took the form of pederasty, with more egalitarian relationships being rarer. Such relationships were documented by many Greek historians and in philosophical discourses, as well as in offhand remarks such as Philip II of Macedon's recorded by Plutarch demonstrates:

• "It is not only the most warlike peoples, the Boeotians, Spartans, and Cretans, who are the most susceptible to this kind of love but also the greatest heroes of old: Meleager, Achilles, Aristomenes, Cimon, and Epaminondas."

During the Lelantine War between the Eretrians and the Chalcidians, before a decisive battle the Chalcidians called for the aid of a warrior named Cleomachus. Cleomachus answered their request and brought his lover along with him. He charged against the Eretians and brought the Chalcidians to victory at the cost of his own life. It was said he was inspired with love during the battle. Afterwards the Chalcidians erected a tomb for him in their marketplace.

The importance of these relationships in military formation was not without controversy. According to Xenophon the Spartans abhorred the thought of using the relationships as the basis of unit formation for placing too much significance on sexuality rather than talent. This was due to their founder Lycurgus who attacked lusts based on physical beauty regarding it as shameful. Xenophon asserted that in some city-states the lovers would not even have conversations with one another. He said this type of behavior was horrible because it was entirely based on physical attractions:

• "If as was evident it was not an attachment to the soul, but a yearning solely towards the body, Lycurgus stamped this thing as foul."

Many prominent Greek military figures enjoyed such relationships. Epaminondas who is considered the greatest warrior-statesmen of ancient Greece by many such as the Roman historian Diodorus Siculus had two male lovers. His lovers were Asopichus and Caphisodorus, the latter died with him at Mantineia in battle. They were buried together, something usually reserved for a husband and wife in Greek society. Another pair of warrior-lovers Aristogiton and Harmodius credited with the downfall of tyranny in Athens and the rise of democracy became the emblem of the city. Historians have noted the prevalence of them portrayed in Athenian art comparing the figure of the two erected with daggers striking a tyrant to the Statue of Liberty.

Historical and religious aspects

• "Boeotians, where a man and boy are intimately united by a bond like that of wedlock." - Xenophon
• "As for Heracles it would be difficult to list all of his lovers, they are so numerous....Iolaus was beloved by him, to this very day lovers worship and honor Iolaus, exchanging vows and pledges with their beloved at his tomb." - Plutarch

Examples

Warriors

File:Ac.harmodius.jpg

Male lovers Aristogiton and Harmodius. 447 BCE

Notable ancient Greek warriors who had same-sex love relationships:

• Aristomenes - Prince of the Messenians and Arcadians
• Cimon - leader of the Delian League forces and the Athenian navy, gained notoriety in the Persian Wars
• Asopichus - great warrior and lover of Epaminondas
• Caphisodorus - warrior and lover of Epaminondas whom he died with at the Battle of Mantineia
• Cleomachus - led Chalcis to victory in the Lelantine Wars and introduced pederasty to the area
• Pammenes - general who was suppose to assume leadership after Epaminondas
• Theron - warrior from Thessaly
• Harmodius - credited with bringing about Athenian democracy with Aristogiton
• Aristogiton - credited with bringing about Athenian democracy with Harmodius
• Pelopidas - general of the elite Sacred Band of Thebes
• Epaminondas - Theban general and commander of the Boeotian army credited with ending Sparta's dominance
• Gorgidas - established the Sacred Band of Thebes selecting male couples within the Theban army
• Meleager - infantry commander under Alexander
• Alexander the Great - leader who who carved a vast empire
• Hephaestion - top general and lover of Alexander
• Philip II of Macedon - King who unified Greece

Mythology

Ancient Greek mythological heroes who had same-sex love relationships:

• Iolaus
• Heracles
• Patroclus
• Admetus
• Achilles

Historians

Ancient historians who recorded details of homosexuality present in the militaries of Greece:

• Aristotle
• Plato
• Phaedrus
• Plutarch
• Athenaeus
• Aristophanes
• Xenophon

References

• Gay Warriors, by Burg, B. R., et al.; New York: New York University Press, 2002. ISBN 0814798861
• Homosexuality and Civilization, by Crompton, Louis, et al.; Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2003. ISBN 067401197X
• Percy, William A. Pederasty and Pedagogy in Archaic Greece, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1996.

External Links

• Pederasty and Pedagogy In Archaic Greece

See also

• Pederasty in ancient Greece
• Homosexuality in the militaries of ancient Greece

Pederasty

Main article: Pederasty in ancient Greece

The closest word the ancient Greeks had for “homosexual” was “paiderastia” meaning “boy love”. It was a relationship between an older male and a young man around fourteen to twenty. The older man was called “erastes”, he was to educate, protect, love, and provide a role model for his lover. His lover was called “eromenos” whose reward for his lover lay in his beauty, youth, and promise.

The ancient Greeks, in the context of the pederastic city-states, were the first to describe, study, systematize, and establish pederasty as an institution. It was an important element in civil life, the military, philosophy and the arts. See Homosexuality in the militaries of ancient Greece

External links

• Pederasty and Pedagogy In Archaic Greece

References

• Greek Homosexuality, by Kenneth J. Dover; New York; Vintage Books, 1978. ISBN 0394742249
• Homosexuality in Greece and Rome, by Thomas K. Hubbard; U. of California Press, 2003. [1] ISBN 0520234308
• Pederasty and Pedagogy in Archaic Greece by William A. Percy, III. University of Illinois Press, 1996. ISBN 0252022092