Re: RARA-AVIS: heroes/Achilles

From: Rene Ribic ( rribic@optusnet.com.au)
Date: 27 Jul 2002


>
> Someone, I don't remember who but don't think it was
> miker, mentioned the classical Greeks as looking down
> on homosexual behavior, unless I misunderstood the
> post. This is incorrect. Homosexual behavior (I'm
> using that phrase on purpose, because the idea of
> being "gay" or "straight" would have been alien to the
> Greeks of that time, so I'm strictly talking behavior
> here) was widespread, particularly among the upper
> classes. This continued on into the Hellenistic
> period until the spread of Christianity throughout
> Europe.
>
> G.
>
> =====

That was me (poor miker, copping all my flack). When I say they didn't approve of homosexuality let me be more specific - they didn't think much of sexual love between grown men (with the obvious exception of the Spartans who felt it was a good thing between barracks mates believing it made them more effective warriors). Sexual love between men & boys was considered the purist form of love, on the other hand. (the Greeks didn't think very highly of women, either).

Rene

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