For LGBT history month gut blogger Prof Lloyd Llewellyn-Jon (Chair of Ancient History, Cardiff Universy) asks: 'Alexanr the Great or Alexanr the Gay?' before his talk this week.
Contents:
- ALEXANR THE GREAT OR ALEXANR THE GAY?
- ALEXANR THE GREAT’S GAY LOVERS
- 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
- WAS ALEXANR THE GREAT GAY? THE ACTUAL ANSWER
- ALEXANR THE GREAT: GAY OR STRAIGHT?
- BREAKG GROUND WH A GAY MOVIE HERO
- 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
- BREAKG GROUND WH A GAY MOVIE HERO
- WAS ALEXANR THE GREAT GAY? THE ACTUAL ANSWER
- GAY HISTORY – APRIL 18, 382 BC: PHILIP II OF MACEDONIA IS BORN: CONQUEROR OF GREECE AND LOVER OF WOMEN AND MEN
- GAY HISTORY – APRIL 18, 382 BC: PHILIP II OF MACEDONIA IS BORN: CONQUEROR OF GREECE AND LOVER OF WOMEN AND MEN
ALEXANR THE GREAT OR ALEXANR THE GAY?
* alexander macedonian gay *
Homosexual relatns were ordary amongst the upper class, pecially the form of perasty. Nohels, homosexual men of the same class experienced social stigma as the passive role was more effemate.
As the two did not engage sex ancient thors praised Alexanr’s self-ntrol whereas morn advot, like Jam Davidson, e as nformatn of homosexualy. Hephatn secured high-rankg posns the army and, Troy, the two ma sacrific at the shr of Achill and Patrocl: two other likely lovers that suffered history’s homosexual erasure.
Advot for Alexanr’s homosexualy argue that he yearned for children wh his lover, Hephatn, and utilised the Persian prcs as surrogat given that the men’s offsprg would be s. It is unclear whether the Sa weddgs are a polil ceremony or a secret gay lovers’ unn. The ia of an LGBT or gay in was created the 20th century and is a person revered by the LGBT muny for beg a champn of LGBT rights and/or beg a notor LGBT person themselv.
ALEXANR THE GREAT’S GAY LOVERS
THE GAY LOVERS OF ALEXANDER III OF MACEDON,known as ‘THE GREAT’Alexanr the Great Note on Alexanr, the movie by Oliver Stone When Oliver Stone was thkg of dog a movie on the life of the legendary son of kg Phillip II of Macedon and queen Olympias, one unexpected obstacle stood his way: the Greek… * alexander macedonian gay *
Employg a broad fn, Alexanr uld be nsired an LGBT in for beg a remarkable person that likely engaged homosexual relatnships. Yet, if all necsary morn creria are applied, this may not be the se; Alexanr did not further acceptance of homosexual relatns between social class. Sce the sexual revolutn over half a century ago, Alexanr’s sexual inty has been reclaimed by liberal Wtern muni as a gay hero.
Alexanr the Great or Alexanr the Gay? For LGBT history month, gut blogger Prof Lloyd Llewellyn-Jon (Chair of Ancient History, Cardiff Universy) asks: 'Alexanr the Great or Alexanr the Gay?
I thk he probably was gay. It was supposed to say ‘Alexanr the Gay’, but someone translated wrong to ‘Alexanr the Great.
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
Explore the trigug qutn of whether Alexanr the Great was gay and disver the evince for both sis regardg Alexanr the Great's homosexualy. * alexander macedonian gay *
The qutn of Alexanr’s homosexualy, once the prerve of scholars such as Tarn whose termed attempt 1948, ‘to straighten the matter out’ (no pun tend, surely) and close future discsn down, met only wh Badian’s hatchet-job of a dissectn of Tarn’s own pedantic nservatism a later.
WAS ALEXANR THE GREAT GAY? THE ACTUAL ANSWER
The sexual revolutn of the 1960s and 1970s stimulated even Classicists to thk new and excg ways, and Alexanr’s sexualy was thrown wi open for bate – classrooms, on gay polil march, popular lerature, magaz, pornography – and the strengtheng gay muni of the liberal wt happily embraced the ancient ler not only as a gay prototype, but as a gay hero. In recent s enthiastic (if flawed) gay-tert webs have been bily appropriatg Alexanr as a role mol for the morn gay man; so much so, ed, that the Cassell’s Queer Compann entry dited to the Macedonian nqueror not that Alexanr is a staple the long list of historil gays that have been ‘claimed ‘om history. The talk is not even ncerned wh iologi surroundg ancient exprsns of sexual inty eher, but do look at ntemporary exprsns of the sexual and genred self bee our foc is explorg morn ncepts of homosexual inti which have attached themselv to the figure of Alexanr the Great.
Takg as s startg pot this lecture will exame several twenty-first century rpons to ‘Alexanr the Gay’ by people who intify themselv through a range of genrs and sexuali. For some though, Alexanr is not jt a top ten gay hero, he is the ultimate fantasy whose kiss we ntue to crave.
ALEXANR THE GREAT: GAY OR STRAIGHT?
The Importance of Evince the Heated Debate on Homosexualy Ancient Egypt. Roman Law and the Banng of ‘Passive’ Homosexualy.
At the same time, Ancient Greek ary forc (for example, the Spartans), believed that homosexual sex ma bonds between the soldiers stronger.
BREAKG GROUND WH A GAY MOVIE HERO
Like huntg, homosexualy was thought to foster mascule, pecially martial, bravery. Homosexualy was a norm the ancient tim, but the se of Alexanr the Great and Hephatn, is hard to ratnally nclu what the te relatnship was between them. Even if they were lovers, the beliefs and perceptns about homosexual relatnships was fely different than the way is nsired today.
THE GAY LOVERS OF ALEXANDER III OF MACEDON, known as ‘THE GREAT’.
A group of homophobic Greek lawyers even threatened to sue Warner Bros.
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 lawyers, tramplg their own tellectual herage unrfoot, sent a letter to the stud mandg they state the tle creds that the movie was a fictnal surroundg the “gayns” of Alexanr has a precent. A uple of years prevly, a mob of hundreds of Macedonian Greeks stormed an archeologil symposium after a speaker prented a paper on the homosexualy of Alexanr.
Stone’s movie uld have been done much better; he uld have portrayed Alexanr as we know him historilly, gay lovers and all, but Col Farrell was not the bt choice to play Alexanr. When the DVD was released, Stone attempted to salvage the movie by rearrangg the scen and takg out much of the homosexual ntent.
This relatnship rembled morn gay love and beme legendary for ’s passn. What may seem normal to some of today, the gay love of one man for another, ancient days was owned upon as a threat to masculy and the stcture of society.
BREAKG GROUND WH A GAY MOVIE HERO
Alexanr saw their love as emulatg that heroic love between Achill and Patrocl, another ancient uple that morn gay upl n look to as an example of votn. Edorial Board, World History of Male Love, “Famo Homosexuals”, The Gay Lovers of Alexanr the Great, 2000 <> Jt for the rerd, to any of my Greek rears, always remember this, the greatt man Greek History was a homosexual (ο μεγαλύτερος άνθρωπος στην ελληνική ιστορία ήταν ομοφυλόφιλος), not a perast like many ancient Greeks, but a homosexual who had a male lover of equal age, which ma a huge difference the Ancient Greek World.
It happens to be one of my favore morn gay art piec. Queen Olympias – Wikipedia8 – He Engaged Numero Homosexual Affairs. Given the barbary of the era, seems remarkable to learn that ancient civilizatns had a far more enlightened opn of homosexualy than many morn natns.
WAS ALEXANR THE GREAT GAY? THE ACTUAL ANSWER
As well as beg a renowned womanizer, Philip was also volved a wi array of homosexual affairs and trysts. Philip was a product of his time; homosexualy was nsired normal Greek cy-stat such as Theb, although other stat were quick to judge the Thebans if they didn’t approve of same-sex relatnships. The famo Sacred Band of Theb was prised entirely of homosexuals.
GAY HISTORY – APRIL 18, 382 BC: PHILIP II OF MACEDONIA IS BORN: CONQUEROR OF GREECE AND LOVER OF WOMEN AND MEN
In fact, the ele fightg un nsisted of jt 300 men; 150 gay upl who swore an oath to die battle rather than retreat or surrenr. “The History of Homosexualy: Ancient Greece. 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.
GAY HISTORY – APRIL 18, 382 BC: PHILIP II OF MACEDONIA IS BORN: CONQUEROR OF GREECE AND LOVER OF WOMEN AND MEN
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 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.