Sacred Band of Theb: An All-Gay Army Battaln Ancient Greece – The Journal of A_C_Un

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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
• SACRED BAND OF THEB — AN ARMY OF GAY THAT DEFEATED SPARTANS
• THE HISTORY OF GAYS THE MILARY – THE SACRED BAND OF THEB
• WERE THE SPARTANS GAY? HOMOSEXUALY SPARTA, ANCIENT GREECE
• SACRED BAND OF THEB, ELE GAY SOLDIERS
• GAY HERO OF ANCIENT GREECE
• THE VICTOR GAY GREEK ARMY THAT GOT CANCELED BY HISTORY
• SACRED BAND OF THEB: AN ALL-GAY ARMY BATTALN ANCIENT GREECE
• THIS FEARSOME, ANCIENT ARMY WAS MA UP ENTIRELY OF GAY LOVERS AND ENDORSED BY PLATO
• THE HISTORY OF GAYS THE MILARY – THE SACRED BAND OF THEB

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 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. 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.

The ancient Greek cy of Theb was surprisgly relaxed about gay relatnships, even tchg the attentn of famo Greek philosopher Plato, who noted that opns on the matter his cy of Athens were plited. As mentned, the un was ma up entirely of male lovers, to a total of 300 (leadg them to sometim be lled the Theban “gay 300”). In addn, is believed that unrlyg homophobia at the time and throughout history has led to the actns of the ele Theban un beg downplayed or pletely ignored.

SACRED BAND OF THEB — AN ARMY OF GAY THAT DEFEATED SPARTANS

Plato explaed that the Theban emphasis on gay relatnships was bee they were poor at sctn, unlike Athenians, who perceived themselv as more sophistited. Meanwhile, Xenophon downplayed gay relatnships among Spartan troops, explag that they may fall love but do not engage sexual ntact. The time when an army of gay feated mcular and powerful SpartansSpartans vs.

THE HISTORY OF GAYS THE MILARY – THE SACRED BAND OF THEB

Theb | Image Source: TwterThere was a strange, weird, and hred part of Greece’s ary history, was the ancient Greece perd, the practic of gay were mon among emperors. Increasg the feelgs between the soldiers was the way to velop the morale to fight ditedly the fluence of homosexuals was prent om the emperors and emprs.

Spartans was one of the ary forc that has a historil imprsn of the gay was the Sacred Band of Theb, the soldiers who feated the Spartans the 4th century BC. It is possible that the fluence of homosexual nnectn showg a sign of had Homosexualy their armySculpture of Band Of Theb | Image Source: Wikimedia CommonsThe history of the Theb warrrs still mentns the 150 warrrs who were male lovers who fought the battle of Lctra and feated the Spartans. He was the lear that end the domance of the creatn of the Sacred Band was by Boeotarch Gidas between 379 to 378 BC, which slowly extend s soldiers to 300 was not that the Gay ary forc were limed to the Theb, but the Spartans' ary forc were followg siar strategi.

Ancient Greek ary history is extribly bound up wh homosexualy. Homosexual fightg uns – the Sacred Band of Theb.

WERE THE SPARTANS GAY? HOMOSEXUALY SPARTA, ANCIENT GREECE

The end of the first known gay fightg un. The Sacred Band was unfeated for the entire forty years of s history, until s fal annihilatn by Philip of Macedon and his son Alexanr (another world famo gay soldier) at the battle of Chaeronea 338 BC. Historil Views of Homosexualy: Ancient GreeceThomas K.

Acrdg to ancient sourc and var historians, all of them were homosexual lovers, 150 exceptnally well-traed pairs of them. Among historians, however, one of the most hotly bated qutns is whether the men were really all homosexuals. The Battle of Lctra helped Theb reassure s pennce, sealed the fame of s homosexual factn, and marked the end of Sparta’s domn of ancient Greece.

The state of Sparta ma homosexual relatnships mandatory.

SACRED BAND OF THEB, ELE GAY SOLDIERS

The homoerotic element nnot be entirely ignored. Lbian and gay women’s relatnships Ancient Sparta.

Gay men and women ancient Sparta.

Heterosexualy and homosexualy were both enuraged and expected at different stag life, wh homosexualy, mon wh prevalent ancient Greek thought, beg seen as the ial form of love and heterosexualy as sential for procreatn. The Sacred Band Of Theb: The All-Gay Regiment From Ancient Greece. But ancient Greece, one army was ma up exclively of gay hero.

GAY HERO OF ANCIENT GREECE

Ancient Greeks had a different view of homosexualy than many morn natns. Though Plato acknowledged that gay relatnships were “plited” his native Athens, he explaed that they were nsired mon plac like Elis and Theb, where the Sacred Band origated.

THE VICTOR GAY GREEK ARMY THAT GOT CANCELED BY HISTORY

This army of gay soldiers saw actn. The aths of the gay soldiers so moved the victor general, Philip II, that he wept. Check out my latt blogpost for the Gay and Lbian Review.

Along wh Achill and Patrocl the Iliad (whom the ancient Greeks mostly saw as a uple), Harmodi and Aristogeon were the biggt gay hero of ancient Greece. Their story shows how different cultural attus toward gay love n be. Anyway, here is the blog post: If you’re terted this kd of gay history , sign up for our mailg list.

SACRED BAND OF THEB: AN ALL-GAY ARMY BATTALN ANCIENT GREECE

Harmodi and Aristogeon are a big theme our gay history tour of Italy “Gay Italy, om Caar to Michelangelo tour, ” which will take place this year on October 9-19. They are the bt remag py of the monument to the gay hero of ancient Greece that stood the Athenian agora ancient tim.

Fally, they even put an appearance on our “Gay Secrets of the MFA” tour Boston, which we did May and hope to repeat some time this tumn. Gay Warrrs: A Documentary History om the Ancient World to the Prent on JSTOR. The explanatn li ep the prejudic of ancient Greek historians and thkers, as do the spiratn for that one exceptn: The Caledonian Thebans, Sttish ggers who fe themselv as gay, bisexual, or ’s start by notg that Greek Theb (not to be nfed wh the Egyptian cy of the same name) had unually gay-iendly laws and social ctoms.

THIS FEARSOME, ANCIENT ARMY WAS MA UP ENTIRELY OF GAY LOVERS AND ENDORSED BY PLATO

The whole discsn, wh s equatn of male sexual love and wardice, adds a layer of homophobia to the standard Greek slurs agast Theban wlsns and poor rears n sometim spot and rrect for the bias, but outright omissns are harr to overe, bee we pend on Xenophon for so much of our rerd of Greek history. The Theban “gay 300, ” as some have cheekily lled them, are ltle known today, spe of the fact that they too, like the Spartans at Thermopylae, were stroyed to a man as they fought a hopels stggle. In the cultur of the ancient world, there was no need for signatns such as LGBTQ+ bee there was no difference noted between what is now fed as "homosexual" and "heterosexual" relatnships.

There are not even words the ancient languag which translate to the morn-day "homosexual" and "heterosexual" which were only ed 1869 CE. The Greek term arsenoko, translated as "homosexual" the Bible for the first time 1946 CE, never existed until was ed by St. Scholar Col Spencer not, "Bisexualy the male was accepted as natural and never drew adverse ment, but passive homosexualy ma the Egyptians feel uneasy.

THE HISTORY OF GAYS THE MILARY – THE SACRED BAND OF THEB

There was no ncept of a "homosexual" relatnship Egypt, only relatnships. The tale of Sodom and Gomorrah om the Book of Genis is also monly ced attacks on the gay muny, but even Church Fathers such as Sat Ambrose (d. They were 150 pairs of gay lovers.