Were the Spartans Gay? Homosexualy Sparta, Ancient Greece | World History

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• THE ELE GAY ARMY OF ANCIENT GREECETHE SACRED BAND OF THEB FEATED EVEN THE SPARTANSPETER PRKAR·FOLLOWPUBLISHED LSONS OM HISTORY·4 M READ·OCT 11, 2020--3SHAREGREEK WARRRS — ARTISTIC IMAGE (IMAGE:ARTSTATN/@ALIAKSANDR TRYZON)THE SACRED BAND WAS AN ELE ARY UN OM THEB PRISG 150 GAY UPL. AT THE BATTLE OF LCTRA 371 BC, THE 300 GAY WARRRS LED THE THEBAN ARMY AGAST THE SPARTAN ARMY. THE THEBANS WON AND SHATTERED THE SPARTAN NTROL OF GREECE.THE GREEK VIEW ON GAY WARRRSA MALE UPLE ENGAGG TERCRAL SEX. DEPICTED ON ANCIENT GREEK POTTERY (IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)THE THEBANS BELIEVED GAY WARRRS FOUGHT BETTER ORR TO IMPRS AND PROTECT THEIR LOVERS. IF A LOVER FELL DURG A BATTLE, HIS PARTNER WOULD FIGHT EVEN HARR TO AVENGE HIS ATH.THREE THOAND YEARS AGO ANCIENT GREECE, BEG GAY OR LBIAN WAS NOT A CRIME. IN FACT, CERTA SUATNS, THE GREEKS EVEN ENURAGED HOMOSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS.YOUNG BOYS EXCHANGED ROMANTIC FAVORS FOR THE KNOWLEDGE PROVID BY THEIR OLR TUTORS. FATHERS WOULD PRAY TO THE GODS FOR THEIR SONS TO BE ATTRACTIVE BEE MEANT A BETTER MENTOR. SUCH RELATNSHIPS LASTED UNTIL THE YOUNG BOYS REACHED ADULTHOOD.SOLDIERS WOULD FORM ROMANTIC RELATNSHIPS WH ONE ANOTHER TO BOOST THEIR MORALE.THE GREEK SOCIETY DIFFERENTIATED BETWEEN ACTIVE AND PASSIVE ROL BOTH GENRS TOOK DURG SEX. AN ACTIVE ROLE, BEG A PERATOR, MEANT MASCULY, ADULTHOOD, AND PRTIGE. A PASSIVE ROLE, BEG PERATED, REPRENTED FEMY, YOUTH, AND SHAME.FOR A RECEIVG PARTNER, ANAL SEX WAS MEANG. INSTEAD, THEY ENGAGED TERCRAL SEX.THE MEMBERS OF THE SACRED BAND OF THEB WERE ROMANTIC PARTNERS. THEY LLED AN OLR PARTNER THE ERAST (‘LOVER’) AND A YOUNGER ONE THE EROMENOS (‘BELOVED’). EACH PAIR EXCHANGED SACRED VOWS AT THE TEMPLE OF IOLS, THE LOVER OF HERACL.FACTS ABOUT THE SACRED BAND OF THEB
• 20 GAY GREEK GODS
• HADRIAN — THE GAY ROMAN EMPERORHADRIAN WAS EPLY LOVE WH BETIFUL ANTOPETER PRKAR·FOLLOWPUBLISHED LSONS OM HISTORY·4 M READ·FEB 13, 2021--1SHAREHADRIAN IS NSIRED ONE OF THE FIVE GOOD ROMAN EMPERORS BY HISTORIANS. IN ROMAN HISTORY, HE BELONGS TO THE GROUP OF ELE EMPERORS SUCH AS TRAJAN AND AUGT.HE WAS A GOOD LER WHO DITED HIS LIFE TO THE STRENGTHENG OF THE ENORMO ROMAN EMPIRE. HE BUILT WALLS AND HE FORTIFIED BORRS WH STRONGHOLDS. YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT THE FAMO HADRIAN’S WALL ENGLAND.HADRIAN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS LOVE OF GREEK CULTURE AND TIRELS TRAVELS ALL AROUND THE EMPIRE. HE HAPPENED TO BE HOMOSEXUAL AS WELL.ALTHOUGH MON FOR THE ROMAN EMPERORS TO HAVE MALE LOVERS, HADRIAN WAS UNIQUE MAKG CLEAR HE WAS GAY.HADRIAN (LED 117–138 AD) MARRIED VIBIA SABA 100 AD FOR POLIL REASONS. AFTER ALL, SABA WAS A NIECE OF ROMAN EMPEROR TRAJAN.AS WAS MON AMONG THE IMPERIAL FAY, THE RELATNSHIP WAS CTUO. HADRIAN AND SABA WERE SEND S ONCE REMOVED. BUT THERE WAS NO BREEDG. HADRIAN NEVER NSUMMATED THE MARRIAGE AND THE UPLE DIDN’T HAVE ANY CHILDREN.CONTEMPORARI CLAIMED HADRIAN TREATED HIS WIFE SABA A LTLE BETTER THAN A SLAVE. HE MARRIED SABA OUT OF OFFICIAL DUTY AND NOT BEE OF ROMANTIC TERTS.HADRIAN WAS MUCH MORE TERTED HIS MALE LOVERS. NO WONR THAT POOR SABA LOOKED FOR SOLACE THE ARMS OF OTHER MEN!ONE OF SABA’S LOVERS WAS ROMAN HISTORIAN SUETONI. HADRIAN EXPELLED HIM OM THE URT FOR ‘SOLACG’ HIS WIFE. TODAY, SUETONI’S WRGS ARE A SOURCE OF RMATN ABOUT THE ROMAN EMPERORS.AS ALREADY MENTNED, HADRIAN PREFERRED SEX WH MEN. HE EVEN WROTE EROTIC POETRY ABOUT HIS YOUNG LOVERS. NO EVINCE POTS TOWARDS HADRIAN BEG ATTRACTED TO WOMEN. A WELL-KNOWN LOVE STORY BETWEEN HADRIAN AND ANTO IS A STRONG PROOF OF HADRIAN’S LOVE FOR YOUNG MEN.HADRIAN’S GAY LOVER ANTO BEME A GOD
• WERE THE SPARTANS GAY? HOMOSEXUALY SPARTA, ANCIENT GREECE
• THE MYTH OF THE ANCIENT GREEK ‘GAY UTOPIA’

THE ELE GAY ARMY OF ANCIENT GREECETHE SACRED BAND OF THEB FEATED EVEN THE SPARTANSPETER PRKAR·FOLLOWPUBLISHED LSONS OM HISTORY·4 M READ·OCT 11, 2020--3SHAREGREEK WARRRS — ARTISTIC IMAGE (IMAGE:ARTSTATN/@ALIAKSANDR TRYZON)THE SACRED BAND WAS AN ELE ARY UN OM THEB PRISG 150 GAY UPL. AT THE BATTLE OF LCTRA 371 BC, THE 300 GAY WARRRS LED THE THEBAN ARMY AGAST THE SPARTAN ARMY. THE THEBANS WON AND SHATTERED THE SPARTAN NTROL OF GREECE.THE GREEK VIEW ON GAY WARRRSA MALE UPLE ENGAGG TERCRAL SEX. DEPICTED ON ANCIENT GREEK POTTERY (IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)THE THEBANS BELIEVED GAY WARRRS FOUGHT BETTER ORR TO IMPRS AND PROTECT THEIR LOVERS. IF A LOVER FELL DURG A BATTLE, HIS PARTNER WOULD FIGHT EVEN HARR TO AVENGE HIS ATH.THREE THOAND YEARS AGO ANCIENT GREECE, BEG GAY OR LBIAN WAS NOT A CRIME. IN FACT, CERTA SUATNS, THE GREEKS EVEN ENURAGED HOMOSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS.YOUNG BOYS EXCHANGED ROMANTIC FAVORS FOR THE KNOWLEDGE PROVID BY THEIR OLR TUTORS. FATHERS WOULD PRAY TO THE GODS FOR THEIR SONS TO BE ATTRACTIVE BEE MEANT A BETTER MENTOR. SUCH RELATNSHIPS LASTED UNTIL THE YOUNG BOYS REACHED ADULTHOOD.SOLDIERS WOULD FORM ROMANTIC RELATNSHIPS WH ONE ANOTHER TO BOOST THEIR MORALE.THE GREEK SOCIETY DIFFERENTIATED BETWEEN ACTIVE AND PASSIVE ROL BOTH GENRS TOOK DURG SEX. AN ACTIVE ROLE, BEG A PERATOR, MEANT MASCULY, ADULTHOOD, AND PRTIGE. A PASSIVE ROLE, BEG PERATED, REPRENTED FEMY, YOUTH, AND SHAME.FOR A RECEIVG PARTNER, ANAL SEX WAS MEANG. INSTEAD, THEY ENGAGED TERCRAL SEX.THE MEMBERS OF THE SACRED BAND OF THEB WERE ROMANTIC PARTNERS. THEY LLED AN OLR PARTNER THE ERAST (‘LOVER’) AND A YOUNGER ONE THE EROMENOS (‘BELOVED’). EACH PAIR EXCHANGED SACRED VOWS AT THE TEMPLE OF IOLS, THE LOVER OF HERACL.FACTS ABOUT THE SACRED BAND OF THEB

But rerds of the LGBT romanc survived homophobic revisnists and still stand as celebratns of the origal Greek (and Roman) love. A seri of poems about Catull' gay love affairs has drawn more attentn ntemporary tim; some of gets outright vulgar.

Alexanr the Great and HephatnAlexanr III, the famed kg of Macedon, que likely mataed a gay relatnship wh his general Hephatn. Ined, two of the most famed generals of their day, Epamondas and Pelopidas, were lovers who fought wh this famo band of gay warrrs.

20 GAY GREEK GODS

Pdar and TheoxenThe most famo love poem wrten by Pdar to clare his love for the young Theoxen was scribed by gay rights scholar Magn Hirschfeld as "one of the most perfect love songs the Greek language. Ort and PylasThe relatnship between the two men was celebrated by Greek scholars as a tale of the wonr of homoerotic romance.

He lived wh longtime lover Psanias, who was quoted extensively on the subject of homosexual sire Plato's work.

HADRIAN — THE GAY ROMAN EMPERORHADRIAN WAS EPLY LOVE WH BETIFUL ANTOPETER PRKAR·FOLLOWPUBLISHED LSONS OM HISTORY·4 M READ·FEB 13, 2021--1SHAREHADRIAN IS NSIRED ONE OF THE FIVE GOOD ROMAN EMPERORS BY HISTORIANS. IN ROMAN HISTORY, HE BELONGS TO THE GROUP OF ELE EMPERORS SUCH AS TRAJAN AND AUGT.HE WAS A GOOD LER WHO DITED HIS LIFE TO THE STRENGTHENG OF THE ENORMO ROMAN EMPIRE. HE BUILT WALLS AND HE FORTIFIED BORRS WH STRONGHOLDS. YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT THE FAMO HADRIAN’S WALL ENGLAND.HADRIAN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS LOVE OF GREEK CULTURE AND TIRELS TRAVELS ALL AROUND THE EMPIRE. HE HAPPENED TO BE HOMOSEXUAL AS WELL.ALTHOUGH MON FOR THE ROMAN EMPERORS TO HAVE MALE LOVERS, HADRIAN WAS UNIQUE MAKG CLEAR HE WAS GAY.HADRIAN (LED 117–138 AD) MARRIED VIBIA SABA 100 AD FOR POLIL REASONS. AFTER ALL, SABA WAS A NIECE OF ROMAN EMPEROR TRAJAN.AS WAS MON AMONG THE IMPERIAL FAY, THE RELATNSHIP WAS CTUO. HADRIAN AND SABA WERE SEND S ONCE REMOVED. BUT THERE WAS NO BREEDG. HADRIAN NEVER NSUMMATED THE MARRIAGE AND THE UPLE DIDN’T HAVE ANY CHILDREN.CONTEMPORARI CLAIMED HADRIAN TREATED HIS WIFE SABA A LTLE BETTER THAN A SLAVE. HE MARRIED SABA OUT OF OFFICIAL DUTY AND NOT BEE OF ROMANTIC TERTS.HADRIAN WAS MUCH MORE TERTED HIS MALE LOVERS. NO WONR THAT POOR SABA LOOKED FOR SOLACE THE ARMS OF OTHER MEN!ONE OF SABA’S LOVERS WAS ROMAN HISTORIAN SUETONI. HADRIAN EXPELLED HIM OM THE URT FOR ‘SOLACG’ HIS WIFE. TODAY, SUETONI’S WRGS ARE A SOURCE OF RMATN ABOUT THE ROMAN EMPERORS.AS ALREADY MENTNED, HADRIAN PREFERRED SEX WH MEN. HE EVEN WROTE EROTIC POETRY ABOUT HIS YOUNG LOVERS. NO EVINCE POTS TOWARDS HADRIAN BEG ATTRACTED TO WOMEN. A WELL-KNOWN LOVE STORY BETWEEN HADRIAN AND ANTO IS A STRONG PROOF OF HADRIAN’S LOVE FOR YOUNG MEN.HADRIAN’S GAY LOVER ANTO BEME A GOD

This practice was lled irmat and Romans didn’t nsir gay sce they were the on dog the peratg. The Sacred Band of Theb feated even the SpartansGreek warrrs — artistic image (Image:Artstatn/@Aliaksandr Tryzon)The Sacred Band was an ele ary un om Theb prisg 150 gay upl. At the Battle of Lctra 371 BC, the 300 gay warrrs led the Theban army agast the Spartan army.

WERE THE SPARTANS GAY? HOMOSEXUALY SPARTA, ANCIENT GREECE

The Thebans won and shattered the Spartan ntrol of Greek view on gay warrrsA male uple engagg tercral sex. Depicted on Ancient Greek pottery (Image: Wikimedia Commons)The Thebans believed gay warrrs fought better orr to imprs and protect their lovers.

If a lover fell durg a battle, his partner would fight even harr to avenge his thoand years ago Ancient Greece, beg gay or lbian was not a crime. In fact, certa suatns, the Greeks even enuraged homosexual boys exchanged romantic favors for the knowledge provid by their olr tutors. A homosexual is characterized by his exclive sexual preference for same-sex relatnships.

THE MYTH OF THE ANCIENT GREEK ‘GAY UTOPIA’

Our morn preoccupatn wh sexualy has pend on a distctn between homo- and hetero-. Today you n have a lbian who was born a man and a gay male who was born a woman or a male prison who behav ways that to the outsi world appear homosexual, but to the prison, ​the muny do not, alongsi the more tradnal homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual rol.

Sce the ncepts 'heterosexual' and 'homosexual' did not exist, but there do seem to be a high gree of rrelatn between the nduct of men intified as caedi and that of some men now labeled 'homosexuals, ' though mt be appreciated that the morn term is clil while the ancient one is emotnal and even hostile, and that both have been imposed om outsi.

"Although later Romans sometim asserted that homosexualy was imported om Greece, by the close of the 6th century B. E, Polybi reported, there was wispread acceptance of homosexualy [Polybi, Histori, xxxii, ii].