Pederastic courtship scene
Athenian black-figure amphora, 5th c. BC, Painter of Cambridge; Object currently in the collection of the Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek, Munich, Germany. The bearded man is depicted in a traditional pederastic courtship gesture known as the "up-and-down" gesture: one hand reaching to fondle the young man, the other grasping his chin so as to look him in the eye. ^[1]

Greek pederasty, as idealised by the Greeks from archaic times onward, was a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside of his immediate family, and was constructed initially as an aristocratic moral and educational institution. Pederasty or paederasty refers to an erotic relationship sexually expressed or not between an adolescent boy and an adult male outside his immediate family The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca The archaic period in Greece ( 750 BC 480 BC) is a period of Ancient Greek history Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations As such, it was seen by the Greeks as an essential element in their culture from the time of Homer onwards. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the ^[2] It is important to note, however, that marriages in Ancient Greece between men and women were also age structured, with men in their 30's commonly taking wives in their early teens.

The term derives from the combination of pais (Greek for 'boy') with erastēs (Greek for 'lover'; cf. eros). In a wider sense it referred to erotic love between adolescents and adult men. The Greeks considered it normal for any man to be drawn to the beauty of a boy—just as much if not more than to that of a woman. ^[3] What they disagreed upon was whether and how to express that desire.

Pederasty is closely associated with the customs of athletic and artistic nudity in the gymnasia, delayed marriage for gentlemen, symposia and seclusion of women. The gymnasium in Ancient Greece functioned as a training facility for competitors in public Games It was also a place for socializing and engaging in intellectual Symposium originally referred to a drinking party (the Greek verb sympotein means "to drink together" but has since come to refer to any Academic conference ^[4] It is also integral to Greek military training, and at times a factor in the deployment of troops.

History

Pan teaching Daphnis to play the pipes
Copy of marble by Helidorus; ca. Pan ( Greek, Genitive) is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks of mountain wilds hunting and rustic music paein means to pasture In Greek mythology, Daphnis (from Gk daphne "laurel" or "bay-tree" was a son of Hermes and a Sicilian Nymph 100 BC Found in Pompeii; Naples Archeological Museum; Photo: A. Calimach

Possible beginnings

The ancient Greeks were the first to describe, study, systematize, and establish pederasty as an institution. The origin of that tradition has been variously explained. One school of thought, articulated by Bernard Sergent, holds that the Greek pederastic model evolved from far older Indo-European rites of passage, which were grounded in a shamanic tradition with roots in the Neolithic. Bernard Sergent (born in 1946 is a French ancient historian and comparative mythologist. The Proto-Indo-Europeans (PIE were the speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language, who likely lived around 4000 BC, during the Copper Age and the A rite of passage is a Ritual that marks a change in a person's social or sexual status The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos

Another explanation, articulated by Anglophone scholars such as William Percy, holds that pederasty was formalized in ancient Crete around 630 BC as a means of population control, together with delayed age of marriage for men of thirty years. William Percy may refer to William Percy (bishop (died 1462 British bishop William Henry Percy (1788-1855 British naval officer

Yet another theory concerns the Greek masculine aristocracy's conception of gender in Greek society: They believed themselves as Greeks to be an 'enlightened' race but did not include Greek women in that definition. Therefore, if one were seeking a relationship among equals one must seek another enlightened male. This conception of an enlightened society relating only to the male members of the culture is not unique (see Semitic and Roman cultures for examples), but tolerance of the sexual expression of that concept is unique to the ancient Greeks in comparison to those 'contemporaries'.

The earliest Greek texts, specifically the works attributed to Homer, do not overtly document formal pederastic practices. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the A number of theories attempt to explain that lack. A largely held view is the Dorian hypothesis first established by K.O. Müller in the 1800s. The Dorians or Dorian Greeks ( Greek:, Dōrieis singular, Dōrieus were Karl Otfried Müller ( August 28, 1797 &ndash August 1, 1840) was a German scholar and Philodorian, or admirer of ancient ^[5] According to this theory pederasty was brought in by the Dorian warrior tribes who conquered Greece around 1200 BC. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία They settled most of the Peloponnese along with the islands Crete, Thera, and Rhodes. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the Rhodes (Ρόδος Ródos, ˈɾo̞ðo̞s Rodi ردوس Rodos; Ladino: Rodi or Rodes) is a Greek island This forced the Ionian Greeks towards Asia Minor but left important cities in Attica and Euboea. Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece For the mythological figure see Euboea (mythology Euboea ( Modern Greek, Εύβοια - Évia &mdash Another explanation is that the epic style excluded discussion of certain topics, among them pederastic relations. Nevertheless, Homer's works hint at homoerotic relationships obliquely, as in the mentions of the myth of Zeus and Ganymede in the Iliad and the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite. The Iliad ( Greek: Ἰλιάς (Ancient Ιλιάδα (Modern is together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient The thirty-three anonymous Homeric Hymns celebrating individual gods are a collection of ancient Greek Hymns "Homeric" in the sense that they employ the

Alternative forms

Pederasty was constructed in various ways. In some areas, such as Boeotia, the man and boy were formally joined together and lived as a couple. Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the In other areas, such as Elis, boys were persuaded by means of gifts, and in a few, such as Ionia,^[6] such relations were forbidden altogether. Elis, or Eleia ( Greek, Modern Ήλιδα Ilida, Ancient Ēlis, Doric: Alis, Elean: Walis) is an ancient Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this The Spartans however were said to practise chaste pederasty. ^[7] Where allowed, a free man was usually entitled to fall in love with a boy, proclaim it publicly, and court him as long as the boy in question manifested the traits prerequisite to a pederastic relationship: he had to be kalos (καλός), "handsome" and agathos (ἀγαθός), good, brave, just, and modest. The boy was expected to be circumspect and not let himself be easily won. Generally, the role of the lover had many of the characteristics of that of legal guardian, similar to the role of male relatives of the boy.

Poets such as Theognis and Anacreon self-identify as pederasts, each thus presenting a persona embodying his own ideals for the tradition. Theognis was a member of the Thirty Tyrants of Athens Lysias was able to escape from the house of Damnippus, where Theognis was guarding other aristocrats Anacreon ( Greek) (570 BC-488 BC was a Greek lyric Poet, notable for his drinking songs and hymns In the case of Theognis, pederasty is political and pedagogical — the elite male's method of passing on his wisdom and loyalties to his beloved. Anacreon's values are erotic and Dionysiac, which is to say sensual and spiritual, and no less ideal than those of Theognis. Vase iconography of the period is consistent with this interpretation: the gifts offered, and the context of the gymnasium speak of pedagogic values, while the repeated inscriptions of "KALOS" idealize the beauty and physical attraction of the erōmenos (the beloved boy). The gymnasium in Ancient Greece functioned as a training facility for competitors in public Games It was also a place for socializing and engaging in intellectual The Kalos inscription was a form of epigraph found on Attic vases and graffiti in antiquity common between 550 and 450 BCE and usually found on symposion ^[8]

Problematics

Foucault declared that pederasty was "problematized" in Greek culture, that it was "the object of a special — and especially intense — moral preoccupation" focusing on concern with the chastity/moderation of the erōmenos (the term used for the "beloved" youth). Michel Foucault ( (15 October 1926 – 25 June 1984 was a French philosopher, Historian, Intellectual, Critic and Sociologist. In the pederastic tradition of Classical Athens, the eromenos ( Greek ἐρώμενος pl Foucault's conclusions however are now thought to hold true only of Classical Athenian texts, while in Archaic Greece pederasty, rather than being problematized, was variously associated with the highest ideals. The archaic period in Greece ( 750 BC 480 BC) is a period of Ancient Greek history ^[9]

A different perspective is offered by Jeremy Bentham, in an essay written in 1785, not published in his lifetime, and which only saw the light of day in 1978. Jeremy Bentham ( IPA: or) (15 February 1748&ndash6 June 1832 was an English Jurist, Philosopher, and legal and Social reformer According to Bentham, what was condemned by the Greeks was not the same-sex aspect of the relationship, but immoderation such as may also be implicated in relationships with women: "They might be ashamed of what they looked upon as an excess in it, or they might be ashamed of it as a weakness, as a propensity that had a tendency to distract men from more worthy and important occupations, just as a man with us might be ashamed of excess or weakness in his love for women. "^[10]

The study of Greek pederasty is complicated by the fact that the pederastic record has been subject to systematic destruction since antiquity. Of all the Greek works dealing principally with love between people of the same sex, none has survived, suggesting to at least one historian that "queer works were deliberately suppressed and destroyed rather than merely lost during the passage of time,"^[11] though in general only a small percentage of ancient literature has been preserved. Nonetheless, there are some conspicuous exceptions to the general picture such as the Paidikē Mousa of Strato and the Erōtes of Pseudo-Lucian. Straton of Sardis (aka Strato) was a Greek poet and anthologist from the Lydian city of Sardis. The Erōtes or Amores ("Loves" or "The two kinds of love" is a Greek dialogue an example of contest literature, comparing the love Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανός ὁ Σαμοσατεύς Lucianus c

Evolution and extinction

Greek pederasty went through a series of changes over the millennium from its entry into the historical record and its final demise as an official institution. In some areas, such as Athens, the construction of the relationship seems to have gone from greater modesty in the early days to a freer physicality and lack of restraint in classical times, followed by a return to a more spiritual form in the early fifth century. Its formal end resembled its beginning, in that it came by official decree – that of emperor Justinian, who also put an end to other institutions that sustained ancient culture, such as Plato's Academy and the Olympic Games. Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus ( Greek: Φλάβιος Πέτρος Σαββάτιος Ιουστινιανός; known in English as Justinian I or For the Raphael painting see The School of Athens The Academy (Ἀκαδήμεια was founded by Plato in ca The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games

Philosophical discourses

Main article: Philosophy of Greek pederasty

Tomb of the Diver

Socrates, Plato, Aeschines Socraticus, and Xenophon described the inspirational powers of love between men though decrying its physical expression. The topic of Pederasty, one that took pride of place over the love of women in the erotic lives of Greek aristocrats in general and 5th century BC Athenians in particular SOCRATES is the European Community action programme in the field of Education. Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece This article refers to the philosopher For the Athenian orator see Aeschines. Xenophon (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek "Ξενοφών" "Ξενοφώντας" ca Upon the death of Plato the presidency of the Academy passed from lover to lover. An academy ( Greek Ἀκαδημία is an institution of higher learning research or honorary membership Of the Stoics, Chrysippus, Cleanthes, and Zeno fell in love with young men. Stoicism, a school of Hellenistic philosophy, was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early third century BC Chrysippus of Soli (c280&ndashc207 BC (Χρύσιππος ὁ Σολεύς was Cleanthes ' pupil and the eventual successor as the head of Stoic philosophy Cleanthes (Κλέανθης of Assos, lived c 330- c 230 BC was a Stoic Philosopher and the successor to Zeno as the second head ( scholarch Zeno of Citium (Ζήνων ὁ Κιτιεύς Zēnōn ho Kitieŭs) (334 BC - 262 BC was a Greek Philosopher from Citium (Κίτιον The topic of pederasty was the subject of extensive analysis. Some of the principal dilemmas discussed were:

• Which form should pederasty take, chaste or erotic?
• Is pederasty right or wrong?
• Is pederasty better or worse than the love of women?

Socrates, as represented in Plato's writings, appears to have favored chaste pederastic relationships, marked by a balance between desire and self-control. SOCRATES is the European Community action programme in the field of Education. By setting aside the sexual consummation of the relationship, Socrates essentialized the friendship and love between the partners. He pointedly criticized purely physical infatuations, for example by mocking Critias' lust for Euthydemus by comparing his behavior towards the boy to that of "a piglet scratching itself against a rock". Critias is also a work by Plato see Critias (dialogue. Critias ( Greek, 460-403 BC born in Athens son of Callaeschrus was ^[12] That, however, did not prevent him from frequenting the boy brothels, from which he bought and freed his future friend and student, Phaedo, nor from describing his erotic intoxication upon glimpsing the beautiful Charmides' naked body beneath his open tunic. Phaedo of Elis was a (4th century BC Greek Philosopher and founder of the Elean School. ^[13]

Socrates' love of Alcibiades, which was more than reciprocated, is held as an example of chaste pederasty. Alcibiades Cleiniou Scambonides (ˌælsɨˈbaɪədiːz (pronunciation Greek:, transliterated Alkibiádēs Kleiníou Skambōnidēs) meaning Alcibiades Plutarch and Xenophon, in their descriptions of Spartan pederasty, state that even though it is the beautiful boys who are sought above all others (contrary to the Cretan traditions), nevertheless the pederastic couple remains chaste. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη

Male relationships were represented in complex ways, some honorable and others dishonorable. But for the vast majority of ancient historians for a man to have not had a youth for a lover presented a deficiency in character. Plato, in his early works (the Symposium or in Phaedrus), does not question the principles of pederasty and states, referring to same-sex relationships:

• For I know not any greater blessing to a young man who is beginning in life than a virtuous lover, or to a lover than a beloved youth. Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece Symposium originally referred to a drinking party (the Greek verb sympotein means "to drink together" but has since come to refer to any Academic conference Phaedrus (c 15 BC – c AD 50) Roman Fabulist, was probably a Thracian slave born in Pydna of Macedonia (Roman province For the principle, I say, neither kindred, nor honor, nor wealth, nor any motive is able to implant so well as love. Of what am I speaking? Of the sense of honor and dishonor, without which neither states nor individuals ever do any good or great work… And if there were only some way of contriving that a state or an army should be made up of lovers and their loves, they would be the very best governors of their own city, abstaining from all dishonor and emulating one another in honor; and it is scarcely an exaggeration to say that when fighting at each other’s side, although a mere handful, they would overcome the world. ^[14]

Later, however, in his Laws, Plato spoke up against the decadence into which traditional Athenian pederasty was sinking, blamed pederasty for promoting civil strife and driving many to their wits' end, and recommended the prohibition of sexual intercourse with boys, laying out a path whereby this may be accomplished. ^[15]

Other writers, often under the guise of "debates" between lovers of boys and lovers of women, have recorded other arguments used for and against pederasty. Some, like the charge that the practice was "unnatural" and not to be found among "the lions and the bears," applied to all relationships between men and youths. Others' charges do not involve traditional pederasty, but practices devised for the sexual satisfaction of the strong at the expense of the weak. Chief among these is denouncement of the castration of captive slave boys. As Lucian has it, "Effrontery and tyrannical violence have gone as far as to mutilate nature with a sacrilegious steel, finding, by ripping from males their very manhood, a way to prolong their use. "^[16]"Erotes" text at Diotima

Social aspects

The erastes-eromenos relationship was fundamental to the Classical Greek social and educational system, had its own complex social-sexual etiquette and was an important social institution among the upper classes. In Ancient Greece, the erastes ( "lover" (pl erastae was an adult male involved in a pederastic relationship with an adolescent In the pederastic tradition of Classical Athens, the eromenos ( Greek ἐρώμενος pl ^[17] Pederastic relationships were dyadic mentorships. A dyad (from Greek dýo, "two" in Sociology is a noun used to describe a group of two people These mentorships were sanctioned by the state, as evidenced by laws mandating and controlling such relationships. Likewise, they were consecrated by the religious establishment, as can be seen from the many myths describing such relationships between gods and heroes (Apollo and Hyacinth, Zeus and Ganymede, Heracles and Hylas, Pan and Daphnis) and between one hero and another (Achilles and Patroclus, Orestes and Pylades). In Greek mythology, Hyacinth or Hyacinthus (in Greek, Ὑάκινθος &mdash Hyakinthos) was a divine hero the son of Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or In Greek mythology, Hylas ( Greek: Ὕλας) was the son of King Theiodamas of the Dryopians Other sources such as Ovid Pan ( Greek, Genitive) is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks of mountain wilds hunting and rustic music paein means to pasture In Greek mythology, Daphnis (from Gk daphne "laurel" or "bay-tree" was a son of Hermes and a Sicilian Nymph "Achilleus" redirects here For the emperor with this name see Achilleus (emperor. In Greek mythology, as recorded in the Iliad by Homer, Patroclus, or Patroklos (Gr In Greek mythology, Orestes (in English /ɔ'ɹɛstiːz/ and in Greek,) was the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Pylades (ˈpɪlədiːz Gk Πυλάδης is the son of King Strophius of Phocis and is mostly known for his strong friend- or (It is interesting to note that the Greeks tried to project a semblance of pederasty (read: propriety) onto these last two pairs, despite a great deal of evidence that the two myths were originally intended to symbolize egalitarian relationships. ) In general, the pederasty described in the Greek literary sources is largely an institution reserved for free citizens.

Historical as well as mythographical materials suggest that pederastic relationships required the consent of the boy's father. In Crete, in order for the suitor to carry out the ritual abduction, the father had to approve him as worthy of the honor. Among the Athenians, as Socrates claims in Xenophon's Symposium, "Nothing [of what concerns the boy] is kept hidden from the father, by an ideal^[18] lover. SOCRATES is the European Community action programme in the field of Education. Xenophon (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek "Ξενοφών" "Ξενοφώντας" ca "^[19] This is consistent with the paramount role of the Greek patriarch, who had the right of life and death over his children. It is also consistent with the importance that a son would have had for him. Besides the bond of love between them, a son was the only hope for the survival of a Greek man's name, fortune and glory. In order to protect their sons from inappropriate attempts at seduction, fathers appointed slaves named pedagogues to watch over their sons. In Education, a teacher is one who helps Students or pupils often in a School, as well as in a Family, religious or However, according to Aeschines, Athenian fathers would pray that their sons would be handsome and attractive, with the full knowledge that they would then invariably attract the attention of men and "be the objects of fights because of erotic passions"^[20]

Boys entered into such relationships in their teens, around the same age that Greek girls were given in marriage – also to adult husbands many years their senior. There was a difference between the two types of bonding: boys usually had to be courted and were free to choose their mate. Girls, on the other hand, were used for economic and political advantage, their marriages contracted at the discretion of the father and the suitor.

The pattern was for the younger partners to remain in the relationship until reaching maturity: "Pederasty was widely accepted in Greece as part of a male's coming-of-age, even if its function is still widely debated. "^[21][22]

The function of the relationship seems to have been the introduction of the young man into adult society and adult responsibilities. To that end the mentor was expected to teach the young man or to see to his education, and to give him certain appropriate ceremonial gifts. For example, in Crete, an ox, a suit of armor, and a chalice (from kylix, Greek for wine cup), signifying his empowerment in agriculture, war and religion; in Boeotia, the eromenos received a military outfit upon coming of age. Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the A chalice (from Latin calix, cup borrowed from Greek kalyx, shell husk is a goblet intended to hold drink The bond between the two participants seems to have been based in part on mutual love and desire – usually sexually expressed – and in part on the political interests of the two families. A great deal of importance was placed on the friendship between the two, as shown by a contemporary proverb, A lover is the best friend a boy will ever have. ^[23] The relationships were open and public, and became part of the biography of the person. Thus when Spartan historians wrote about a personage they would usually indicate whom it was that he had heard or whom it was that he inspired.

For the youth – and his family – one important advantage of being mentored by an influential older man was an expanded social network. Thus, some considered it desirable to have had many older lovers / mentors in one’s younger years, both attesting to one's physical beauty and paving the way for attaining important positions in society. Typically, after their sexual relationship had ended and the young man had married, the older man and his protégé would remain on close terms throughout their life. For those lovers who continued their lovemaking after their beloveds had matured, the Greeks made allowances, saying, You can lift up a bull, if you carried the calf. ^[24]

Pederasty was the idealized form of an age-structured homoeroticism that, like all social institutions, had other, less idyllic, manifestations, such as prostitution or the use of one’s slave boys. However, certain forms were prohibited, such as slaves making love to boys (though their access to women was unimpeded),^[25] or paying free boys or young men for sex. Free youths who did sell their favors were generally ridiculed and later in life were prohibited from performing certain official functions.

A prosecution by an Athenian politician, Aeschines, in 346 BC, Against Timarchus, is an example of how these regulations were used to political advantage. Aeschines (in Greek, 389&ndash314 BC Greek Statesman and one of the ten Attic orators. In his speech, Aeschines argues against further allowing Timarchus, an experienced middle-aged politician, his political rights, on account of his having spent his adolescence as the kept boy of a series of wealthy men. Aeschines won his case, and Timarchus was sentenced to atimia. Atimia was a form of Disenfranchisement used under classical Athenian democracy. But Aeschines is careful to acknowledge what seemingly all Athens knows: his own dalliances with beautiful boys, the erotic poems he dedicated to these youths, and the scrapes he has gotten into as a result of his affairs, none of which — he hastens to point out — were mediated by money.

Even when lawful, it was not uncommon for the relationship to fail, as it was said of many boys that they "hated no one as much as the man who had been their lover". See Death of King Philip II of Macedon Likewise, the Cretans required the boy to declare whether the relationship had been to his liking, thus giving him an opportunity to break it off if any violence had been done to him. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse

Synergy with sports

The institution of pederasty was inseparable from that of organized sports. The main venue for men and boys to meet and spend time together, and for the men to educate the boys in the arts of warfare, sports, and philosophy was the gymnasium, which was preeminently the training ground for these disciplines, and one of the principal venues for pederastic relationships. The gymnasium in Ancient Greece functioned as a training facility for competitors in public Games It was also a place for socializing and engaging in intellectual In particular, the practice of exercising nude was held to be of the utmost importance in the cult of beauty and eros which permeated pederastic societies. Nudity is the state of wearing no Clothing. The term' "nudity" can also occasionally be used to refer to wearing significantly less clothing than expected "The cities which have most to do with gymnastics", is the phrase which Plato uses to describe the states where Greek love flourished. Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination ^[26] "Gymnastics" in this instance conveys not only the sense of athletic discipline but also, from the Greek γυμνός, "nude", the fact that all these exercises were taken by men and boys who were naked, and thus especially liable to be excited by physical beauty.

The beauty and erotic power of the naked body was highlighted by the custom of oiling one's body for exercise. The provision of oil for such decoration was the greatest expense of a gymnasium, and had to be heavily subsidized by the public coffers or private donors. The practice itself varied over time: in the early days it was said that modesty prevented the boys from drawing attention to their sexuality by oiling themselves below the waist. Such restraint was presumably cast by the wayside by Plato's time.

The relationship between a trainer and his athletes often had an erotic dimension, and the same place which served as training ground served equally for erotic dalliances, as can be seen from the many scenes of seduction and lovemaking depicting implements found at palaestras, such as sponges and strigils. The sponges or poriferans (from Latin porus "pore" and ferre "to bear" are Animals A strigil was a small curved Metal tool used in Ancient Greece and Rome to scrape dirt and sweat from the body before effective Soaps became

Educational and military aspects

Ancient writers, as well as modern historians such as Bruce Thornton, hold that the goal of paiderastia was pedagogical, the channeling of Eros into the creation of noble and good citizens. Bruce S Thornton is a classicist at California State University Fresno. The various mythographical materials available suggest religious training (see story of Tantalus, Poseidon, and Pelops) as well as military training (Hercules and Hylas). In Greek mythology Tantalus ( Greek Τάνταλος was a son of Zeus and the Nymph Plouto. In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" In Greek mythology, Pelops ( Greek Πέλοψ, from pelios: dark and ops: face eye king of Pisa in the Peloponnesus was venerated Hercules is the Roman name for the Mythical Greek hero Heracles, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena. In Greek mythology, Hylas ( Greek: Ὕλας) was the son of King Theiodamas of the Dryopians Other sources such as Ovid The theme of learning to drive a war chariot occurs repeatedly (Poseidon and Pelops, Laius and Chrysippus). In Greek mythology, King Laius, or Laios of Thebes was a divine hero and key personage in the Theban founding myth This article is about Chrysippus of Greek mythology See also Chrysippus the philosopher In Greek Apollo is said to have taught Orpheus, one of his beloveds, to play the harp. Orpheus ( Greek: Ὀρφεύς ˈɔrfiəs ( OHR-fee-uhs) or /ˈɔrfjuːs/ ( OHR'-fews) in English is a figure from Greek mythology born in And Zeus had Ganymede serve nectar, a theme with religious connotations. It is thus plausible to assume that even as the loves of the gods paralleled and symbolized those of the mortals, their pedagogy pointed to aspects of the educational process that took place between a lover and his beloved. Pedagogy (ˈpɛdəgɒdʒi or paedagogy is the Art or Science of being a Teacher.

In talking about the Cretan rite, the historian Ephorus informs us that the man (known as philetor, befriender) took the boy (known as kleinos, "glorious") into the wilderness, where they spent several months hunting and feasting with their friends. Ephorus or Ephoros ( Ancient Greek:, c 400 - 330 BC) of Cyme in Aeolia, in Asia Kleinos (Κλεινός is a municipality in the Trikala Prefecture, Greece. If the boy was satisfied with the conduct of his would-be comrade, he changed his title from kleinos to parastates (comrade and bystander in the ranks of battle and life), returned to the philetor and lived in close bonds of public intimacy with him. The Cretans a Dorian people described by Plutarch as renowned for their moderation and conservative ways practiced an archaic form of pederasty in which an Ephorus' account does not discuss the educational aspects of the sojourn. However, this is clearly a coming-of-age rite culminating in a major ceremony upon the return of the pair from the mountains, and a process of acculturation into male society is implied. Coming of age is a young person's transition from Adolescence to Adulthood The age at which this transition takes place varies in society as does the nature ^[27] (See [4] for Athenian practices and philosophy)

Military function

Military training is inseparable from the other educational aspects of pederasty since the times of the Ancient Greeks were marked by continuous warfare, both internal and external. Martial prowess was held in the highest esteem, and one of the principal functions of pederastic relationships was the cultivation of bravery and fighting skills.

Sexual aspects

Man in gymnasium soliciting young man for sex in exchange for money

According to ancient sources, the sexual aspect of pederastic relationships varied greatly. At one extreme relationships were claimed to be loving but chaste, while at the other end of the spectrum we read about couples accused of engaging in anal sex and of switching roles. ^[28] Cicero, describing Spartan customs, suggests that relations were expected to stop short of consummation, "The Lacedaemonians, while they permit all things except outrage hybris in the love of youths, certainly distinguish the forbidden by a thin wall of partition from the sanctioned, for they allow embraces and a common couch to lovers. Spartan pederasty, the traditional intimate and pedagogic friendship between a man and a boy a custom held in common with other Dorian tribes is thought to have either "^[29] On the other hand, one Athenian term for sodomy was "to do it the Lacedemonian way," thought today to have been an insult at the expense of the Spartans, traditional enemies of the Athenians. Literary sources are a lot more risqué, especially ancient comedy. For example, Aristophanes, in 'Peace', his parody of Ganymede riding on the back of Zeus in eagle form, has his character ride to Olympus on the back of a dung beetle, a scatological pun on anal sex. Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης ˌærɪˈstɒfəniːz in English ca Peace ( Greek: / Eirēnē) is an Athenian Old Comedy written and produced by the Greek playwright Aristophanes. Some modern historians, such as Thornton, conclude that whether the relationship was consummated or not probably depended on the partners.

Sixth and fifth c. ceramic paintings of pederastic courtship depict the older partner supplicating the younger, in a variation of the Greek gesture for pleading. Normally the supplicant embraced the knees of the person whose favor he sought, while grasping the man's chin so as to look into his eyes. The painted vases show the man standing, grasping the boy's chin with one hand and reaching to fondle his genitals with the other. The boys are shown in varying degrees of rejecting or accepting the man's attentions. When sexual relations are shown, it is intercrural intercourse, known as diamerizein (to do it between the thighs), that is depicted. Intercrural sex (from "inter-" and Latin "crura" legs also known as femoral / interfemoral sex / intercourse, is The partners are shown standing face to face. The erastes embraces the youth, his head resting on the boy’s shoulder, while his penis is thrust between the clasped thighs of the eromenos.

Only very rarely is anal sex suggested or shown, and then it is depicted as eliciting surprise from the bystanders. Anal sex most often refers to the sex act involving insertion of the Penis into the Rectum. A number of other sources also suggest it was seen as shameful. Among these is a fable attributed to Aesop which tells that Aeschyne (Shame) consented to enter the human body from behind only as long as Eros did not follow the same path, and would fly away right off if he did. Aesop (also spelled Æsop, from the Greek Αἴσωπος — Aisōpos) (620-560 BC) known only for the genre of Fables ^[30] Later literary sources suggest it became more common in late antiquity. Likewise, some epigraphic records, such as the Theran graffiti, have been interpreted as evidence that in other locations it may have been more accepted. ^[31]

K. J. Dover states that the eromenos was not "supposed" to feel desire for the erastes, as that would be unmanly. Sir Kenneth James Dover, FRSE, FBA (born March 11, 1920) is a distinguished British ^[32] More recent evidence suggests that in actual practice (as opposed to theory) there was, in fact, reciprocation of desire. As Thomas Hubbard points out in a critique of David Halperin's contention that boys were not aroused, some vases do show boys as being sexually responsive, and "Fondling a boy's organ (cf. Aristophanes, Birds 142) was one of the most commonly represented courtship gestures on the vases. What can the point of this act have been unless lovers in fact derived some pleasure from feeling and watching the boy's developing organ wake up and respond to their manual stimulation?"^[33]

The theme of mutuality of desire was a topic of discussion in ancient times as well. While the passive role was seen as problematic, to be attracted to men was often taken as a sign of masculinity, and it was thought that the boys who most sought the company and affections of men were the most likely to be successful in life.

Religious aspects

Ganymede rolling a hoop and bearing aloft a cockerel - a love gift from Zeus (in pursuit, on obverse of vase). Hoop Rolling, often called hoop and stick, is a child's game in which a large hoop made of wood metal or plastic is rolled along by means of a stick
Attic red-figure crater, 500-490 BC; Painter of Berlin; Louvre, Paris)

Myths provide more than fifty examples of young men who were the lovers of gods. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance ^[34] Poets and traditions ascribe Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Orpheus, Hercules, Dionysus, Hermes, and Pan to such love. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" Orpheus ( Greek: Ὀρφεύς ˈɔrfiəs ( OHR-fee-uhs) or /ˈɔrfjuːs/ ( OHR'-fews) in English is a figure from Greek mythology born in Hercules is the Roman name for the Mythical Greek hero Heracles, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and Pan ( Greek, Genitive) is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks of mountain wilds hunting and rustic music paein means to pasture All the main gods of the pantheon except Ares had these relationships. A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον - pantheion, literally "a temple of all gods " neut In Greek mythology, Ares ( Ancient Greek:, Μodern Greek Άρης) is the son of Zeus and Hera.

Mythographic material suggests that the initiate experienced ecstatic states of spirit journey leading to mystic death and transfiguration, analogous to practices still reported today in shamanic work. If so, by the fifth century the Greeks had forgotten the connection. In 476 BC, the poet Pindar, in his Olympian Ode I, claims to be horrified by suggestions that the gods would eat human flesh – in this context, an obvious shamanic metaphor. Pindar (ˈpɪndɚ (or Pindarus, Greek:) (probably born 522 BC in Cynoscephalae a village in Boeotia; died 443 BC in Argos) was an Ancient An opposite theory (discussed by Murray in his Homosexualities) gives credence to the texts that credit (or blame) the Cretans with its origination (Aristotle et al. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ) and notes the anomaly of an apparent path of diffusion radiating from Crete, while the areas (in the north of Greece) closest to the Indo-European sources are not known to have institutionalized the practice.

Myths also were a vehicle for conveying a set of moral standards for such relationship. In the myth of Zeus and Ganymede, when Zeus sends gifts and assurances to Tros, king of Troy and father of Ganymede, the ancients were reminded that even the king of Heaven must show consideration to the father of the eromenos. Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or Many of the other pederastic myths likewise incorporate the presence of the father, suggesting an essential role for the father in these relationships. The myths also spoke directly to the youths, as is shown by a recently discovered version of the Narcissus myth. Greek mythology, Narcissus, Narkissos or The Self-Admirer (Νάρκισσος was a Hero of the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia This, a more archaic version than the one related by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, is a moral tale in which the proud and unfeeling Narcissus is punished by the gods for having spurned all his male suitors. Publius Ovidius Naso ( March 20, 43 BC – 17 AD was a Roman poet known to the English -speaking world as Ovid who wrote on many topics including The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid is a narrative poem ^[35]

Political aspects

The state benefitted from these relationships, according to the statements of ancient writers. The friendship functioned as a restraint on the youth, since if he committed a crime it was not he but his lover who was punished. In the military the lovers fought side by side, with each vying to shine before the other. Thus, it was said that an army of lovers would be invincible, as was the case until the battle of Chaeronea with the Sacred Band of Thebes, a battalion of one hundred and fifty warriors pairs, each lover fighting beside his beloved. Chaeronea (Χαιρώνεια is a municipality in the Boeotia Prefecture, Greece. The Sacred Band of Thebes ( Ancient Greek: Hierós Lókhos tón Thebón was a troop of picked soldiers numbering 150 age-structured pairs which formed

According to popular sentiment, and as expressed in Pausanias' speech in Plato's Symposium, pederastic couples were also said to be fundamental to democracy and feared by tyrants, because the bond between the friends was stronger than that of obedience to a despotic ruler. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system ^[36][37] Athenaeus states that "Hieronymus the Aristotelian says that love with boys was fashionable because several tyrannies had been overturned by young men in their prime, joined together as comrades in mutual sympathy. Athenaeus ( Ancient Greek - Athếnaios Naukratios Latin Athenaeus Naucratita of Naucratis in Egypt Greek rhetorician and grammarian flourished " He gives as examples of such pederastic couples the Athenians Harmodius and Aristogeiton, who were credited (perhaps symbolically) with the overthrow of the tyrant Hippias and the establishment of the democracy, and also Chariton and Melanippus. Harmodius (Ἁρμόδιος / Harmódios) and Aristogeiton (Ἀριστογείτων / Aristogeítôn) both d Hippias of Athens (Ἱππίας ὁ Ἀθηναῖος was one of the sons of Peisistratus, and was Tyrant of Athens in the 6th century BC Others, such as Aristotle, claimed that some states encouraged pederasty as a means of population control, by directing love and sexual desire into non-procreative channels, a feature of pederasty also employed by other cultures. Population control is the practice of limiting population increase usually by reducing the Birth rate. ^[38]

Political leaders Solon, Peisistratus, Hippias, Hipparchus, Themistocles, Aristides, Critias, Demosthenes, and Aeschines of Athens; Pausanias, Lysander, and Agesilaus of Sparta; Polycrates of Samos; Hieron and Agathocles of Syracuse; Epaminondas and Pelopidas of Thebes; and Archelaus, Philip II, and Alexander of Macedon were recorded to have had same-sex relationships. Solon ( ancient Greek:, c 638 BC&ndash558 BC was an Athenian Statesman, Lawmaker and Lyric poet. Peisistratus (sometimes transliterated Peisistratos Psistratus, Peistratus, Pesistratusor or Pisistratus, Greek: Hippias of Athens (Ἱππίας ὁ Ἀθηναῖος was one of the sons of Peisistratus, and was Tyrant of Athens in the 6th century BC Hipparchus (Ἵππαρχος (d 514 BCE was a ruler of Athens. Themistocles ( Greek:; c 524&ndash459 BC was an Athenian soldier and statesman Aristides or Aristeides ( Greek, 530–468 BC was an Athenian soldier and statesman Critias is also a work by Plato see Critias (dialogue. Critias ( Greek, 460-403 BC born in Athens son of Callaeschrus was For the Athenian general see Demosthenes (general. For the ancient physician see Demosthenes Philalethes. Aeschines (in Greek, 389&ndash314 BC Greek Statesman and one of the ten Attic orators. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Pausanias (Greek = Παυσανίας (d c 470 BC was a Spartan general of the 5th century BC Lysander (died 395 BC Λύσανδρος, Lýsandros) was a Spartan General and the commander of the Spartan fleet in the Hellespont which was victorious Agesilaus ( Greek) was a Greek historian who wrote a work on the early history of Italy fragments of which are preserved in Plutarch 's "Parallel Lives" The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη Polycrates (Πολυκράτης son of Aeaces, was the Tyrant of Samos from c Samos (Σάμος is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off Hieron I (Ἱέρων in Greek was the son of Deinomenes, the brother of Gelon and tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily from 478 to 467 BC Agathocles (361-289 BC ( Greek name Αγαθοκλής ( Agathokles) derived from αγαθός ( agathos) good and Syracuse (Siracusa Sicilian: Sarausa, Classical Greek: / transliterated Syrakousai) is a historic City in Epaminondas ( Greek:) (ca 418 BC&ndash362 BC was a Theban General and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Pelopidas (skipper. Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides Archelaus I ( Greek: Άρχέλαος Α΄ was king of Macedon from 413 to 399 BC following the death of Perdiccas II. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most

Regional characteristics

Narcissus
A Boeotian hero whose archaic myth was a cautionary tale warning boys against being cruel to their lovers. Greek mythology, Narcissus, Narkissos or The Self-Admirer (Νάρκισσος was a Hero of the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia

The structure of pederastic practices varied from one polis to another, differences that often became the basis of competition or denigration between the cities. For example, the character of Pausanias in Plato's Symposium unfavorably compares regions such as Elis and Boeotia, where men are "unskilled in speech" and boys are permitted to yield uncritically, or Ionia, where boys are forbidden to yield, to the superior pederasty of Athens and Sparta, where men are well versed in the art of rhetoric and boys relate critically to their suitors, choosing only the most persuasive. Rhetoric has had many definitions no simple definition can do it justice

Athens

Main article: Athenian pederasty

The first legislator of the pederastic tradition in Athens is said to be the lawgiver Solon, who also composed poetry praising the love of boys. Athenian pederasty entailed a formal bond between an adult man and an adolescent boy outside his immediate family consisting of loving and often sexual relations Solon ( ancient Greek:, c 638 BC&ndash558 BC was an Athenian Statesman, Lawmaker and Lyric poet. ^[39] The lover was known as the erastes, and his young partner as the eromenos or paidika. . High society generally encouraged the erastes to pursue a boy to love. At the same time, the boy and his family were expected to be selective and not yield too easily.

Pederastic affairs were the butt of jokes for the commoners. Athenian philosophers, around the end of the fifth century, prompted by a discomfort with the lack of self-restraint and crude sexuality of some pederastic relationships, elaborated a philosophy of pederasty that valorized chaste pederastic relations.

Chalkis

Chalkis was also known in Greece as one of the centres of pederasty, leading the Athenians to jocularly use the verb chalkidizein for "sodomize". In talking about the origin of the Ganymede myth, Athenaeus claims that "the Chalcidians assert that Ganymede was carried off by Zeus in their own country, and they point out the place, calling it Harpagion. " Initially the Chalcidians were said to have frowned on pederasty. However, being in military straits in a war against the Eretrians, they called for the aid of a Thessalian warrior named Cleomachus. Cleomachus brought his eromenos along. In sight of the boy he displayed great bravery, leading the Chalcidian charge against the Eretians, bringing victory to the Chalcidians at the cost of his own life. The Chalcidians erected a tomb for him in their marketplace and from that time on began to honor pederasty. A marketplace is the space actual or metaphorical in which a Market operates Aristotle attributed a popular local song to the event:

Ye lads of grace and sprung from worthy stock
Grudge not to bravemen converse with your beauty
In cities of Chalcis, Love, looser of limbs
Thrives side by side with courage. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. A song is a Musical composition. Songs contain vocal parts that are performed 'sung' and generally feature Words ( Lyrics) commonly followed ^[40]

Crete

Main article: Cretan pederasty

The Cretans, a Dorian people described by Plutarch as renowned for their moderation and conservative ways, practiced an archaic form of pederasty in which the man enacted a ritual kidnapping of a boy of his choosing, with, of course, the consent of the boy's father. The Cretans a Dorian people described by Plutarch as renowned for their moderation and conservative ways practiced an archaic form of pederasty in which an Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c

Aristotle states that it was king Minos who established pederasty as a means of population control on the island community. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. In Greek mythology, Minos ( Ancient Greek:) was a mythical king of Crete son of Zeus and Europa. Population control is the practice of limiting population increase usually by reducing the Birth rate. This custom was highly regarded, and it was considered shameful for a youth to not acquire a male lover. These same Cretans were credited with introducing the myth of Zeus kidnapping Ganymede to be his lover in Olympus – though even the king of the gods had to make amends to the father.

Ionia and Aeolia

Most of the early pederastic elegiac poets, with the exception of Theognis and Tyrtaeus, were of Aeolian and Ionian descent. Unlike the warlike mainland Greeks, these were sailors and merchants. They seem to have transformed the compulsory Doric pederasty of martial apprenticeship into an elective, intellectual undertaking, and indulged in it extensively.

Their tradition featured poets such as Anacreon, and Alcaeus, a man also reputed for his bravery and political skills, who composed many of the sympotic skolia that were to become later part of the mainland tradition. Anacreon ( Greek) (570 BC-488 BC was a Greek lyric Poet, notable for his drinking songs and hymns Unlike the Dorians, where a lover would usually have only one eromenos, in the east a man might have several eromenoi over the course of his life. From the poems of Alcaeus we learn that the lover would customarily invite his eromenos to dine with him. ^[41] However, once Ionia was annexed by the Persians, the practice was outlawed. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia This was regarded as reflecting moral weakness. On one hand it revealed the rulers' greed for power - thus their suppression of customs likely to lead to strong friendships and inquisitive minds, the product of love. On the other, it revealed the cowardice of the subjects. ^[42]

Megara

A lover and a beloved kiss
Tondo from an Attic kylix, 5th c. A kylix (or cylix, plural kylixes or kylikes) is a type of Wine -drinking cup with a broad relatively shallow body raised on a BC by the Briseis painter. Louvre

One of the first cities after Sparta to be associated with the custom of athletic nudity, Megara was home to the runner Orsippus who was famed as the first to run the footrace naked at the Olympic games and "first of all Greeks to be crowned victor naked. The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France See also Nude recreation. See History of nudity for information about nudity in sports in historical times Megara ( Greek:, "Big Houses" is an ancient city (pop Orsippus was an Ancient Greek runner from Megara who was famed as the first to run the footrace naked at the Olympic Games and "first of all Greeks The Ancient Olympic Games, originally referred to as simply the Olympic Games (Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες Olympiakoi Agones) were a series of Athletic "^[43][44]

Megara was also the home of the poet Theognis, among whose works are many pederastic compositions, often addressed to his beloved Cyrnus. Theognis was a member of the Thirty Tyrants of Athens Lysias was able to escape from the house of Damnippus, where Theognis was guarding other aristocrats In his work he associates naked athletics with pederasty:

Happy is the lover who works out naked
And then goes home to sleep all day with a beautiful boy. ^[45]

Many critics hold that his is not the work of a single poet but represents "several generations of wisdom poetry. " The poems are "social, political, or ethical precepts transmitted to Cyrnus as part of his formation into an adult Megarian aristocrat in Theognis' own image. "^[46]

It has been noted that in the seventh century, when pederasty is postulated to have first been formalized in Dorian cities, Megara cultivated good relations with Sparta, and may have been culturally attracted to emulate Spartan practices. ^[47]

Another poet, Theocritus, describes a local kissing contest for boys:

And ye Megarians, at Nesaea dwelling,
Expert at rowing, mariners excelling,
Be happy ever! for with honors due
Th' Athenian Diocles, to friendship true
Ye celebrate. Theocritus ( Greek: Θεόκριτος the creator of Ancient Greek Bucolic Poetry, flourished in the 3rd century BC With the first blush of spring
The youth surround his tomb: there who shall bring
The sweetest kiss. whose lip is Purest found, Back to his mother goes with garlands crowned.
Nice touch the arbiter must have indeed,
And must, methinks, the blue-eyed Ganymede
Invoke with many prayers—a mouth to own
True to the touch of lips, as Lydian stone
To proof of gold—which test will instant show
The pure or base, as money changers know. ^[48]

Sparta

Main article: Spartan pederasty

Sparta, another Dorian polis, is thought to be the first city to practice athletic nudity, and one of the first to formalize pederasty. Spartan pederasty, the traditional intimate and pedagogic friendship between a man and a boy a custom held in common with other Dorian tribes is thought to have either The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη ^[49] The Spartans believed that the love of an older, accomplished aristocrat for an adolescent was essential to his formation as a free citizen. The agoge, the education of the ruling class, was thus founded on pederastic relationships required of each citizen. The agoge (Άγωγή was a rigorous education and training regime for all Spartan citizens except the sons in the ruling houses ^[50]

Many ancient writers held that Spartan pederasty was chaste, though still erotic. ^[51] Plutarch also describes the relationships as chaste, and states that it was as unthinkable for a lover to sexually consummate a relationship with his beloved as for a father to do so with his own son. ^[52] Aelian goes even farther, stating that if any couple succumbed to temptation and indulged in carnal relations, they would have to redeem the affront to the honor of Sparta by either going into exile or taking their own lives. ^[53]

The lover was responsible for the boy's training. Pederasty and military training were intimately connected in Sparta, as in many other cities. The Spartans, claims Athenaeus^[54] sacrificed to Eros before every battle. Eros (Ἔρως in Greek mythology, was the primordial god of lust, Love, and Intercourse; he was also worshipped as a fertility

Thebes

Main article: Theban pederasty

In Thebes, the main polis in Boeotia, renowned for its practice of pederasty, the tradition was enshrined in the founding myth of the city. Theban pederasty was a Social institution by means of which Upper class Theban adolescent boys were educated and entered into adult responsibilities Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the A founding myth (Greek aition) is the etiological myth that explains the origins of a Ritual or the founding of a city group belief philosophy discipline In this instance the story was meant to teach by counterexample: it depicts Laius, one of the mythical ancestors of the Thebans, in the role of a lover who betrays the father and rapes the son. In Greek mythology, King Laius, or Laios of Thebes was a divine hero and key personage in the Theban founding myth Another Boeotian pederastic myth is the story of Narcissus. Greek mythology, Narcissus, Narkissos or The Self-Admirer (Νάρκισσος was a Hero of the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia

Theban pederasty, was instituted as an educational device for boys, in order to "soften, while they were young, their natural fierceness", and to "temper the manners and characters of the youth". ^[55] The Sacred Band of Thebes, a battalion made up of 150 pairs of lovers, was unbeatable until its final battle against Philip II at Chaeronea in 338 BC. The Sacred Band of Thebes ( Ancient Greek: Hierós Lókhos tón Thebón was a troop of picked soldiers numbering 150 age-structured pairs which formed Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Chaeronea (Χαιρώνεια is a municipality in the Boeotia Prefecture, Greece. Events By place Persian Empire The Persian general and Vizier, the Eunuch Bagoas, falls out of favour with

Vase depicting courtship scene
Detail from an Attic black-figure cup, ca. 530 BC–520 BCE.

Influence on literature and the arts

Poets write of pederasty from the earliest eras to the end of the Hellenistic era. Five philosophical dialogues debate its ethical implications. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Ethics is a major branch of Philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life Notable scholars and writers such as Plato, Xenophon, Plutarch, and Pseudo-Lucian would discuss the topic. Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece Xenophon (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek "Ξενοφών" "Ξενοφώντας" ca Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανός ὁ Σαμοσατεύς Lucianus c Tragedies on the theme became very popular. Aristophanes made comical theater about sexual relationships between men and youths. Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης ˌærɪˈstɒfəniːz in English ca Generally speaking human sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings

The famous poets Alcaeus, Ibycus, Anacreon, Theognis, Pindar and of course Sappho all wrote of pederastic love. Ibycus ( Ancient Greek:) (6th century BC of Rhegium in Italy, was an Ancient Greek lyric Poet. Anacreon ( Greek) (570 BC-488 BC was a Greek lyric Poet, notable for his drinking songs and hymns Theognis was a member of the Thirty Tyrants of Athens Lysias was able to escape from the house of Damnippus, where Theognis was guarding other aristocrats Pindar (ˈpɪndɚ (or Pindarus, Greek:) (probably born 522 BC in Cynoscephalae a village in Boeotia; died 443 BC in Argos) was an Ancient Sappho (ˈsæfoʊ in English Attic Greek el Σαπφώ sapːʰɔː Aeolic Greek el Ψάπφω) was an Ancient Greek lyric Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides made plays on the subject. Aeschylus (ˈɛskɨləs or /ˈiːskɨləs/ Greek: Ασχύλος, Aischylos, 525 BC/524 BC 456 BC/455 BC was an ancient Greek Playwright Sophocles (ˈsɒfəkliːz Ancient Greek, sopʰoklɛ̂ːs circa Euripides ( Ancient Greek:) (ca 480 BC–406 BC was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens (the other two being Aeschylus

Vases portray numerous homoerotic depictions with hundreds of inscriptions celebrating the love of youths. Homoeroticism refers to the representation of same-sex love and desire most especially as it is depicted or manifested in the Visual arts and Literature. Famous politicians, warriors, artists, and writers would enjoy these relationships. Such idealized relationships held an honored place in their culture from at least 600 BC to 400 AD. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Italy is first invaded by Alaric (probable date (Dialogues)

The sculptor Phidias even memorialized his lover Pantarces in marble by inscribing his name on the finger of a colossal statue of Zeus. A dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog) is a reciprocal Conversation between two or more entities. Phidias (or Pheidias; in Ancient Greek,; c[[ 80 BC]] c 430 BC) son of Charmides was an ancient Greek During the Hellenistic era (332 BC – 400 AD) Plutarch, Athenaeus, and Aelian traced the history of Greek homosexuality to its beginning. Events By place Persian Empire The Persian King Darius III twice sends Alexander letters of friendship Events By Place Western Roman Empire Italy is first invaded by Alaric (probable date Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Athenaeus ( Ancient Greek - Athếnaios Naukratios Latin Athenaeus Naucratita of Naucratis in Egypt Greek rhetorician and grammarian flourished Aelian or Aelianus may refer to Aelianus Tacticus, Greek military writer of the 2nd century who lived in Rome Casperius Aelianus

Ceremonies and proverbs

• Oath of loyalty at the tomb of Iolaus in Thebes; rite undertaken by lovers to consecrate the relationship. For the Butterfly Genus, see Iolaus (butterfly. In Greek mythology, Iolaus (in Greek, Ἰόλαος ^[56]

• The Iolaeia, a yearly athletic festival in Thebes, consisting of musical, gymnastic and equestrian events (agones). It was held in the gymnasium of Iolaus in honor of Heracles, and lasted several days. The gymnasium in Ancient Greece functioned as a training facility for competitors in public Games It was also a place for socializing and engaging in intellectual The winners were awarded brass tripods. ^[57]

• The Hyacinthia festival in Sparta, honoring Hyacinth, the mythical young prince of Sparta and beloved of Apollo. The death of Hyacinthus was celebrated at Amyclae by the second most important of Spartan festivals the Hyacinthia (Ancient Greek / Hyakínthia)in the In Greek mythology, Hyacinth or Hyacinthus (in Greek, Ὑάκινθος &mdash Hyakinthos) was a divine hero the son of The festivities continued for three days, with the first mourning the death of Hyacinthus and the last two celebrating his rebirth. It has been suggested that the cycle symbolizes the development of a youth in such relationships, in which he dies as a child in order to be reborn as an adult.

• Gymnopaedia; Spartan dances by naked boys, attendance restricted to married men. The Gymnopaedia, in ancient Sparta, was a yearly celebration during which naked youths displayed their athletic and martial skills through the medium of dancing

• The Diocleia festival at Megara in honour of Diocles, lover of Philolaus; A kissing contest was held in which the boys would kiss a male judge, with a wreath awarded to the one with the best kiss. Megara ( Greek:, "Big Houses" is an ancient city (pop Philolaus (ca 480 BC &ndash ca 385 BC Φιλόλαος was a Greek Pythagorean and Presocratic. ^[58]

• A lover is the best friend a boy will ever have. ^[59]

• You can carry a bull, if you carried the calf. Also in Ancient Rome, as Taurum tollet, qui vitulum sustulerit. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Said to excuse men's relations with "boys" who were no longer adolescents. ^[60]

Modern scholarship

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The ethical views held in those societies (such as Athens, Thebes, Crete, Sparta, Elis, and others) on the practice of pederasty have been explored by scholars only since the end of the nineteenth century. LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual " Queer studies " is the study of issues relating to Sexual orientation and Gender identity. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation Transgender (trænzˈdʒɛndɚ from ( Latin) derivatives Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. LGBT history refers to the History of Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and Transgender peoples and cultures around the world dating back Timeline of Lesbian, Gay, bisexual and Transgender ( LGBT) history Homosexual rights during the 20th century Gay Liberation is the name used to describe the radical Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender movement of the late 1960s and early to mid 1970s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender social movements share related goals of social acceptance of Homosexuality, Bisexuality and Transgenderism Lesbian This is a Timeline of AIDS, including some discussion of early AIDS cases (especially those before 1980 Poliamory pride in San Francisco 2004jpg|thumb|Representatives of the Polyamory community at a San Francisco parade Gay community or LGBT community is a term used to describe the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender subculture LGBT pride or gay pride refers to a world wide movement and philosophy asserting that LGBT ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Closeted Coming out (that is " coming out of the closet " describes the voluntary public announcement of one's Sexual orientation and/or Gender identity A gay village (also known as a gay neighborhood or by the slang gayborhood) is an urban geographic location with generally recognized boundaries Queer theory is a field of Gender Studies that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of gay and Lesbian studies and feminist studies the relationship between homosexuality and religion can vary greatly across time and place within and between different Religions and Sects and regarding different Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender ( LGBT) communities have adopted certain Symbols and symbolates for Queer has traditionally meant odd or unusual but is now also used to refer to anyone who is not heteronormative. Questioning is a term that can refer to a person who is questioning their Gender, Sexual identity or Sexual orientation. The countries of the world have a wide variety of laws relating to sexual relations between people of the same sex - everything from full legal recognition of Same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to Marriage. LGBT adoption refers to the Adoption of children by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgendered people A sodomy law is a Law that defines certain Sexual acts as sex crimes. The militaries of the world have a variety of responses to Gays Lesbians and Bisexuals Most Western military forces have now removed policies excluding sexual Hate crimes (also known as bias motivated crimes) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her membership in a certain Social group, usually defined The countries of the world have a wide variety of laws relating to sexual relations between people of the same sex - everything from full legal recognition of Same-sex marriage Heterosexism is a term that applies to attitudes, Bias, and Discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships BenPhelpsJPG|thumb|right|Westboro Baptist Church picket signs with Ben Phelps grandson of Fred Phelps Lesbophobia (sometimes Lesbiphobia) comprises various forms of negativity toward Lesbian women as individuals as a couple or as a social group Biphobia is a term used to describe the fear of aversion to or discrimination against Bisexuality or LGBT people who are bisexual or perceived to be bisexual Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη Elis, or Eleia ( Greek, Modern Ήλιδα Ilida, Ancient Ēlis, Doric: Alis, Elean: Walis) is an ancient One of the first to do so was John Addington Symonds, who wrote his seminal work A Problem in Greek Ethics in 1873, but had to wait twenty eight years to be able to publish it (in revised form) in 1901 [5]. John Addington Symonds ( October 5 1840 - April 19, 1893) was an English poet and literary critic Edward Carpenter expanded the scope of the study, with his 1914 work, Intermediate Types among Primitive Folk. Also see Ed Carpenter. Edward Carpenter ( 29 August 1844 – 28 June 1929) was an English The text examines homoerotic practices of all types, not only pederastic ones, and ranges over cultures spanning the whole globe[6]. In Germany the work was continued by classicist Paul Brand writing under the pseudonym Hans Licht, who published his Sexual Life in Ancient Greece in 1932.

Mainstream Ancient Greek studies however had historically omitted references of the widespread practice of homosexuality. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. In 1910 a book called Maurice by E. M. Forster made reference to this "code of silence" by having a Cambridge professor employing “Omit: a reference to the unspeakable vice of the Greeks. Maurice is a novel by E M Forster. A tale of Homosexual love in early 20th century England, it follows Maurice Hall from his schooldays Edward Morgan Forster OM, CH (1 January 1879–7 June 1970 was an English novelist Short story writer Essayist, and Librettist The city of Cambridge (ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England ” Four decades later in the 1940s: “This aspect of Greek morals is an extraordinary one, into which, for the sake of our equanimity, it is unprofitable to pry too closely”, by H. Michell. It would not be until 1978 when an English book on this topic, titled Greek Homosexuality, was published by K. J. Dover. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Greek Homosexuality is the first work of the 20th century in the English language to address the topic of same sex relation in ancient Greece Sir Kenneth James Dover, FRSE, FBA (born March 11, 1920) is a distinguished British

Dover's work triggered a number of debates which still continue. At the most basic level, there is strong resistance among modern Greeks to the portrait of ancient Greece painted by modern scholarship – that of a culture which integrated and valorized some aspects of same sex love for a period lasting close to one thousand years. See discussion of controversy. In Classical antiquity, writers such as Herodotus, Plato, Xenophon, Athenaeus and many others explored aspects of same-sex love in

A modern line of thought leading from Dover to Foucault to Halperin holds that the eromenos did not reciprocate the love and desire of the erastes, and that the relationship was factored on a sexual domination of the younger by the older, a politics of penetration held to be true of all adult male Athenians' relations with their social inferiors – boys, women and slaves – a theory propounded also by Eva Keuls. ^[61] From this perspective, the relationships are characterized and factored on a power differential between the participants, and as essentially asymmetrical.

Other scholars point to artwork on vases, poetry and philosophical works such as the Platonic discussion of anteros, "love returned," all of which show tenderness and desire and love on the part of the eromenos matching and responding to that of the erastes. In Greek mythology, Anteros (Αντέρως Antérōs was the god of requited love literally "love returned" or "counter-love" and also the punisher Critics of Dover and his followers also point out that they ignore all material which argued against their "overly theoretical" interpretation of a human and emotional relationship^[62] and counter that "Clearly, a mutual, consensual bond was formed,"^[63] and that it is "a modern fairy tale that the younger eromenos was never aroused. "^[64]

Halperin's position has been criticized as a "persistently negative and judgmental rhetoric implying exploitation and domination as the fundamental characteristics of pre-modern sexual models" and challenged as a polemic of "mainstream assimilationist gay apologists" and an attempt to "demonize and purge from the movement" all non-orthodox male sexualities, especially that involving adults and adolescents. ^[65]

Notes

See also

• Age disparity in sexual relationships
• Athenian pederasty
• Cretan pederasty
• Erastes
• Eromenos
• Greek love
• Historical pederastic couples
• Homosexuality in ancient Greece
• Mythology of same-sex love
• Paideia
• Pederasty
• Philosophy of Greek pederasty
• Platonic love
• Spartan pederasty
• Theban pederasty

References

General

• Growing Up Sexually: A World Atlas
• Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Vol. 2: Sexual Inversion, by Havelock Ellis

Ancient Greece

• Greek Homosexuality, by Kenneth J. Dover; Duckworth 1978 ISBN
• Percy, William A. Significant age disparity in sexual relationships has been and remains a feature of couples in many Cultures and societies. Athenian pederasty entailed a formal bond between an adult man and an adolescent boy outside his immediate family consisting of loving and often sexual relations The Cretans a Dorian people described by Plutarch as renowned for their moderation and conservative ways practiced an archaic form of pederasty in which an In Ancient Greece, the erastes ( "lover" (pl erastae was an adult male involved in a pederastic relationship with an adolescent In the pederastic tradition of Classical Athens, the eromenos ( Greek ἐρώμενος pl Greek love is a relatively modern coinage (generally placed within quotation marks intended as a reference to Male bonding and intimate relations between males as practised Over the course of history there have been a number of pederastic relationships between adult men and adolescent boys which have become part of the historical record In Classical antiquity, writers such as Herodotus, Plato, Xenophon, Athenaeus and many others explored aspects of same-sex love in Religious narrative has included stories interpreted by many as accounts of same-sex love and sexuality In Ancient Greek, the word Paideia (παιδεία means "education" or "instruction Pederasty or paederasty refers to an erotic relationship sexually expressed or not between an adolescent boy and an adult male outside his immediate family The topic of Pederasty, one that took pride of place over the love of women in the erotic lives of Greek aristocrats in general and 5th century BC Athenians in particular Amor Platonicus The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino Spartan pederasty, the traditional intimate and pedagogic friendship between a man and a boy a custom held in common with other Dorian tribes is thought to have either Theban pederasty was a Social institution by means of which Upper class Theban adolescent boys were educated and entered into adult responsibilities Sir Kenneth James Dover, FRSE, FBA (born March 11, 1920) is a distinguished British Founded in 1898 by Gerald Duckworth, Duckworth is an independent British publisher Pederasty and Pedagogy in Archaic Greece, Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1996. ISBN
• Die Griechische Knabenliebe [Greek Pederasty], by Herald Patzer; Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982. In: Sitzungsberichte der Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Vol. 19 No. 1.
• Homosexuality in Greek Myth, by Bernard Sergent; Beacon Press, 1986. Bernard Sergent (born in 1946 is a French ancient historian and comparative mythologist. ISBN
• Homosexualité et initiation chez les peuples indo-européens, by Bernard Sergent, Payot & Rivages, 1996, ISBN
• Lovers' Legends: The Gay Greek Myths, by Andrew Calimach; Haiduk Press, 2001. Andrew Calimach (1953—) is a Romanian-American author He is a matrilineal descendant of the Callimachi noble family of Moldavia and is known for his ISBN
• Lovers' Legends Unbound, by Andrew Calimach et al. ; Haiduk Press, 2004. ISBN
• Homosexuality in Greece and Rome, by Thomas K. Hubbard; U. of California Press, 2003. [7] ISBN

External links

• Intergenerational and Egalitarian Models
• The Androphile Project – The World History of Male Love: Male Love in Greece
• Ephorus on Cretan pederasty
• Pederasty and Pedagogy In Archaic Greece
• Ancient Greek Homosexuality