The Myth Of The Ancient Greek 'Gay Utopia' - CURVE

Contents:

• 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
• THE MYTH OF THE ANCIENT GREEK ‘GAY UTOPIA’
• WERE THE SPARTANS GAY? HOMOSEXUALY SPARTA, ANCIENT GREECE
• 20 GAY GREEK GODS
• SEX SYMBOL: HOW ANTO BEME A GAY CO WORD THE VICTORIAN ERA
• GAY GREECE: QUEER CULTURE, LOL LIFE, AND WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW! ??
• GAY MOSW MOSW CY GUI

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

Issu the morn-day regardg genr inty and civil rights for members of the LGBTQ muny are a relatively recent phenomenon as are the terms 'homosexual' and 'heterosexual'.

THE MYTH OF THE ANCIENT GREEK ‘GAY UTOPIA’

The terms 'homosexual' and 'heterosexual' are morn nstcts of the 19th century, ed by the Atrian wrer Karl-Maria Kertbeny (l. Kertbeny, a closeted gay man, had lost a close iend his youth who killed himself after he was extorted by a blackmailer who found out he was gay. Although homosexual relatnships were, of urse, regnized prr to Kertbeny, he was among the first to argue that one’s sexual preference and genr inty was nate – not a choice – and that a gay man should not be equated wh effemacy by potg to great hero of antiquy who were gay.

History, both morn and ancient, tells the stori of many people whose sexualy is downplayed or ignored bee, for centuri after the rise of Christiany, homosexualy was nsired a shameful s. 280-233 BCE) of the Q Dynasty until Wtern Christian attus toward homosexualy began to fluence Che culture.

One of the biblil passag most often ced the prent to nmn same-sex relatnships, Romans 1:24-27, any translatn, mentns how men and women gave up "natural relatns for unnatural" and mted "shamels acts" but, the ntext of the whole passage, this should be unrstood as referencg idolatro behavr – behavg as pagans did at i – rather than a mted gay relatnship. Later European translators of the Bible terpreted the reference to pagan sexual practic as viance, and this was fally terpreted as 'homosexualy' the 1946 Revised Standard Versn of the Bible (Cannon, 9).

WERE THE SPARTANS GAY? HOMOSEXUALY SPARTA, ANCIENT GREECE

Some scholars, fact – cludg the bishop John Shelby Spong - have suggted that Pl’s "thorn the flh" (II Corthians 12:6-7) is a reference to his own homosexualy which he seems to have stggled wh. It has also been poted out that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah om the Book of Genis, also equently ed to nmn homosexualy, is actually a utnary tale on the importance of hospaly.

Although there is certaly evince of negative personal views toward homosexual practic pre-Christian civilizatn, the seem to have to do wh eher loss of a man’s virily and stat as a man, loss of a young woman’s virgy, or, the se of certa perds of Roman history, extreme licentns and promiscuy.

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.

20 GAY GREEK GODS

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.

SEX SYMBOL: HOW ANTO BEME A GAY CO WORD THE VICTORIAN ERA

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. Like other opprsed mori, gay people have a reason to voice their hardships and acplishments.

However, vlatg and alterg history the name of gay pri is not necsary.

GAY GREECE: QUEER CULTURE, LOL LIFE, AND WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW! ??

One historil suatn that is often sourced the name of gay pri is the ancient Greek society and several ancient Greek historil figur that are falsely portrayed as gay pop culture. Many morn terpreters of the story, however, have felt fortable wh g the characters’ relatnship as evince of gay glorifitn ancient Greek lerature and culture. Even though the available historil sourc clearly dite that the Greek kg had different female lovers each night, he is nsired the most famo gay man of antiquy, simply bee a screenwrer Hollywood imaged him as one.

But how did we end up wh the false misnceptns about ancient Greek society and homosexualy?

The whole thg officially opened up by Kenh Dover’s work Greek Homosexualy 1978. Sce then, as MacDowell pots out, homosexualy ancient Greece “has been discsed a good al, maly om a soclogil and anthropologil pot of view.

GAY MOSW MOSW CY GUI

It wouldn’t be much of an exaggeratn to speculate that a rated and experienced historian such as Dover avoid this acunt of the official stance of Athens on homosexualy.