Homosexuality In Greece
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Homosexuality In Greece
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First, we need to understand that such a concept as homosexuality did not exist in Ancient Greece . For them, love was love regardless of gender. According to Livius.org, a website about ancient history, " homosexuality in fifth and fourth-century Athens, … was an integral part of social life" (Livius.org 2020).
In ancient Greece , there never was a word to describe homosexual practices: they were simply part of aphrodisia, love, which included men and women alike.
Greek society saw homosexuality as a form of love and devotion in ancient times. Both homosexuality and homosexual practices both had a deep meaning and beautiful way of expressing love, care, and affection towards their partner.
Homosexuality in the militaries of ancient Greece was regarded as contributing to morale. Although the primary example is the Sacred Band of Thebes, a unit said to have been formed of same-sex couples, the Spartan tradition of military heroism has also been explained in light of strong emotional bonds resulting from homosexual relationships.
Greece has always featured high up on the list of gay destinations, this in part due to a history of homosexual liberties in ancient times. In modern times, the islands, such as Mykonos and Santorini, have often been strong magnets for gay tourists. Popular gay-themed cruise ship tours frequently include Greece in their itineraries.
The extent to which the Greeks engaged in and tolerated homosexual relations is open to some debate. For a long time the subject was taboo and remains controversial even today. Nevertheless, it is...
Homosexual activity in Greece is legal. Current status Since 1951 Legal Homosexuality in Greece became legal in 1951 by the new Penal Code, but some discrimination in laws against homosexuals was valid until recently (article 347 of the Penal Code). Details · Accurate? Yes No Until Dec 23, 2015 Male illegal, female uncertain
Τhe laws of Solon and homosexuality in ancient Greece . April 2, 2021. Homosexuality in Ancient Greece always remains a hot topic, still searching for a convincing answer. The various references in the works of ancient writers "about children" as well as the depictions of homosexual scenes in ancient amphorae gave the opportunity to those who ...
Homosexuality in Sparta, Ancient Greece December 6, 2018 0 24303 Fifth Century BC Bust of Spartan Hoplite Pederasty, or the sexual love of adolescent boys, was a strong part of Ancient Greek culture. It was age-defined and kept within strict social norms. The lover, or erastes, was a man in his twenties.
Of 70 communities, homosexuality was reported to be absent or rare in frequency in 41, and present or not uncommon in 29. [1] [2] It was accepted in some forms in ancient Greece . However, in later cultures influenced by Abrahamic religions, the law and the church established sodomy as a transgression against divine law or a crime against nature .
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
^ Victor Davis Hanson , The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece (University of California Press, 1994, 2009), p. 124.
^ Hanson, The Western Way of War , p. 124.
^ Plato, Symposium 178e–179a.
^ W.R.M. Lamb, Plato: Lysis, Symposium, Gorgias , Loeb Classical Library (1975 reprint), p. 76
^ Xenophon, Symposium 8.34–5.
^ Plutarch, Pelopidas 18.2; discussed by K.J. Dover , Greek Homosexuality (Harvard University Press, 1978, 1989), p. 192, and Louis Crompton, Homosexuality and Civilization (Harvard University Press, 2003), p. 74.
^ Eva Cantarella , Bisexuality in the Ancient World (Yale University Press, 1992, 2002, originally published 1988 in Italian), p. 71.
^ Artistotle, Eroticus fr. 98 Rose (= Plutarch, Amatorius 760f), quoted at Cantarella p. 71 and Crompton p. 10 from the translation of F.C. Babbit, Plutarch: Moralia , vol. 9. Loeb Classical Library no. 425 (London, repr. 1961) p. 377.
^ Xenophon, Spartan Constitution 10.3–4.
^ Plutarch, Pelopidas 18.4.
Homosexuality in the militaries of ancient Greece was regarded as contributing to morale . [1] Although the primary example is the Sacred Band of Thebes , a unit said to have been formed of same-sex couples, the Spartan tradition of military heroism has also been explained in light of strong emotional bonds resulting from homosexual relationships. [2] Various ancient Greek sources record incidents of courage in battle and interpret them as motivated by homoerotic bonds.
Some Greek philosophers wrote on the subject of homosexuality in the military. In Plato 's Symposium , the interlocutor Phaedrus commented on the power of male sexual relationships to improve bravery in the military: [3]
... he would prefer to die many deaths: while as for leaving the one he loves in a lurch, or not succoring him in peril, no man is such a craven that the influence of Love cannot inspire him with a courage that makes him equal to the bravest born
However, the Symposium is a dialectical exploration of the nature of true love, in which Phaedrus' views are soon found to be inadequate compared to the transcendent vision of Socrates, who:
...seizes this favourable moment in the talk at Agathon's party to suggest that visible beauty is the most obvious and distinct reflection in our terrene life of an eternal, immutable Beauty, perceived not with the eye but with the mind. He preaches no avoidance of the contest with appetite, but rather the achievement of a definite victory over the lower elements of love-passion, and the pursuit of beauty on higher and higher levels until, as in a sudden flash, its ultimate and rewarding essence is revealed. [4]
Xenophon , while not criticizing the relationships themselves, ridiculed militaries that made them the sole basis of unit formation:
they sleep with their loved ones, yet station them next to themselves in battle ... with them ( Eleians , Thebans ) it's a custom, with us a disgrace ... placing your loved one next to you seems to be a sign of distrust ... The Spartans ... make our loved ones such models of perfection that even if stationed with foreigners rather than with their lovers they are ashamed to desert their companion. [5]
According to tradition, the Greeks structured military units along tribal lines , a practice attributed to Nestor in the Homeric epics . The Theban military commander Pammenes , however, is supposed to have advocated military organization based on pairs of lovers: [6]
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.
One such example took place during the Lelantine War between the Eretrians and the Chalcidians . In 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 Eretrians 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 and reversed their negative view of military homosexuality and began to honor it. [7] Aristotle attributed a popular local song to the event: [8]
Ye lads of grace and sprung from worthy stock Grudge not to brave men converse with your beauty In cities of Chalcis, Love, looser of limbs Thrives side by side with courage
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 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: [9]
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.
Nonetheless city states that employed the practice in determining military formation enjoyed some success. The Thebans had one such regiment as the core of their entire army. They attributed this group called the Sacred Band of Thebes for making Thebes the most powerful city-state for a generation until its fall to Philip II of Macedon . Philip II of Macedon was so impressed with their bravery during the 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: [10]
Perish miserably they who think that these men did or suffered aught disgraceful.
One of the prominent Greek military figures enjoying such a relationship was Epaminondas , considered the greatest warrior-statesmen of ancient Thebes by many, including the Roman historian Diodorus Siculus . He had two male lovers: 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— Harmodius and Aristogeiton —credited with the downfall of tyranny in Athens and the rise of democracy became the emblem of the city.
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With the capital celebrating its annual Athens Pride Festival this Saturday, Insider reader Gavin Woolard opens up about what it’s like to be a gay expat here in Greece…
Greece has always featured high up on the list of gay destinations, this in part due to a history of homosexual liberties in ancient times. In modern times, the islands, such as Mykonos and Santorini, have often been strong magnets for gay tourists. Popular gay-themed cruise ship tours frequently include Greece in their itineraries.
It was with this in mind, that Athens and Greece evoked for me the ideals of the perfect expat location for a gay couple. In recent years, Greece has added to this image with the introduction of same sex partnership. Although a long way from the ideal equal rights of marriage, it’s certainly a step closer than many other countries have been willing to make. Athens, along with other cities, stages an annual Pride Parade, which for the first time this year, will begin from Syntagma Square (June 9, at 7pm).
Arriving in Athens, one is not immediately confronted with a sense of a gay community culture. Most gay expats at some point end up making their way to Rooster, a lovely café nestled on buzzy Plateia Agias Irinis. From brunch to beers or even lunch in between, this inconspicuous yet friendly and vibrant gay meeting point offers friendly service, excellent food and drinks. A new expat observation is that Rooster functions as a meeting point of all communities. Whether you are gay or straight, one is equally welcomed and as such, it’s a great spot to hang out with friends across all gender identities. Another gay-branded venue I have visited and enjoyed is Sodade, which is a lively gay pub in Gazi (Triptolemou 10). Adding to the Gazi scene is the ever popular Big (Falesias 12). These are only two mentions of an array of bars to choose from in the Gazi area and beyond.
All of this presents a country that I have found welcoming to tourists, gay or straight. In reality though, often, when in discussion with neighbours and acquaintances, they do remain astonished when you as a man mention you are married … married to a man. It remains something which although it is accepted, is often not talked about here openly. Greece is therefore, in terms of gay rights, a country in transition. No country goes from gay discrimination to total equality overnight, it is a process. Greece is no exception. But it is slowly making that progress.
While the islands are often drawcards for gay couples visiting as tourists, I was intrigued to know how the hinterland of mainland Greece would fare. Would it be more conservative? Would discrimination persist? As a couple, I always book a double room. Travelling in Greece has resulted in mixed yet always polite and sometimes comical reactions. As a same-sex couple, we have never been met with a rejection of our booking or any outright negative comments here in Greece. Rather, it has been either the naivety of wanting to make an extra bed as they thought it was a couple arriving (a straight couple) to a genuine curiosity about our relationship. The increase in the popularity of gay holiday booking apps such as mister b&b is also evidence of the community itself tapping into the gay tourist market.
Additionally one sees the service of new start-ups such as the Beloved Republic (thebelovedrepublic.com) which caters to gay wedding celebrations in Greece. Although same-sex marriage is not yet allowed, the focus on celebrations has begun to gain momentum and Greece is scene by the gay community as a destination to celebrate their relationships in.
Gay expat life in Greece has been one of a welcoming country. One that is curious, although not yet totally comfortable with the idea of gay liberation. The more Greek same-sex couples continue to lead their lives openly and publicly, the more this will become a society of acceptance and integration.
As a diplomat’s spouse, Gavin Richard Woolard is a professional expat who has also lived in the Netherlands, South Africa and Vietnam. During his overseas postings, he has occupied himself as a hobbiest photographer, volunteer and keen traveller.
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