Discussion on Greek sexuality - split from Faction Symbols discussion

[Asterix]

Pervy bunch.

i also read that in Ancient Greece, homosexuality was encouraged so the men would fight harder in battle. It seems that it worked.

[Sire Brenshar]

i also read that in Ancient Greece, homosexuality was encouraged so the men would fight harder in battle. It seems that it worked.

It is true it was encouraged, though maybe the men didn't actually fight harder.

The single faction symbol I'm most impressed is is the Roman Rebels one... Truly original and just an awesome idea. Who's idea was that? I'll have to +rep him

[Concrete]

i also read that in Ancient Greece, homosexuality was encouraged so the men would fight harder in battle. It seems that it worked.

I believe that the general idea was that the bonds amongst the soldiers would be even closer if they were lovers.
...Also, I suppose it gave them a way to entertain themselves.

[torzsoktamas]

If I remember well,homosexuality was banned in Sparta.I think mainly because the city didn't had a big population,and men had to produce children with their woman,..and not **** their on arses.But in Thebes,it was,as you say,encouredged so they would fight better.

[Nordmann]

*Cough* If I remember my history correctly, was it not the Spartans who encouraged homosexuality the most?

[torzsoktamas]

*Cough* If I remember my history correctly, was it not the Spartans who encouraged homosexuality the most?

NOPE!

[Nordmann]

Funny, I've got quite a few books on the subject, and most state that homosexuality was the norm amongst Spartan warriors.

[Blobo23]

NOPE!

Spartans where from my understand bisexual... they where encouraged to have sex with there "teachers and class mates" (dunno what to call them :L) in the Agoge, but also many had wives at home whom they'd sex up when not a war.

I also heard on.. i think the History Channel that the woman used to get together and Orgy it up or something whilst the men where away.. although that was the first i heard of that and i didnt really see it as fact. But hey! If woman want to start that tradition again...

[AotxLoGiX]

How would you "fight" better just say one word and watch the other army run?

[Brusilov]

How would you "fight" better just say one word and watch the other army run?

The theory is that you are more likely to stay and fight if someone you know or 'care about' is standing with you.

[Nesimî]

Straightness? THIS IS SPARTAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

[Medkirtys]

Well they surely fought with harder, if you know what i mean

[Visarion]

that is just wrong... Greeks practiced tutoring... meaning an experienced man chose a young boy to teach him everything he knew about love, art and war! love between men did not implied sexual contact... it was the love between master and disciple, teacher and pupil... of course there were deviants back then too but remeber what the great philosophers said...

[UnderTheEagle]

While I feel this is rapidly going off topic....

The most famous 'homosexual' Greek warriors were the Theban Sacred Band which were made of 150 couples, in the belief that a man would not abandon his lover. It must have worked as the Sacred Band destroyed a larger Spartan force at the Battle of Tegyra and helped shatter the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra before being destroyed by the Macedonians at the Battle of Chaeronea.

As for the other Greeks - pretty much every Polis engaged in some form of homosexuality. Some ancient writers say that Spartans did not engage in this behaviour - but it is almost certain they did. Athenians did, Boetians did, Thebans did (duh), Megara did, the Ionians did - well you get the point!

[Brusilov]

While I feel this is rapidly going off topic....

Yes, which is why I've created this new thread with the discussion.

The other thread was about faction symbols but got derailed.

[Asterix]

Yes, which is why I've created this new thread with the discussion.

The other thread was about faction symbols but got derailed.

sorry, all my fault

[torzsoktamas]

that is just wrong... Greeks practiced tutoring... meaning an experienced man chose a young boy to teach him everything he knew about love, art and war! love between men did not implied sexual contact... it was the love between master and disciple, teacher and pupil... of course there were deviants back then too but remeber what the great philosophers said...

Exactly!

[Inhuman One]

In these days homosexuality is often viewed as feminine and unmanly, how come this was not the case amongst the greeks?

[Nergal1610]

In these days homosexuality is often viewed as feminine and unmanly, how come this was not the case amongst the greeks?

As far as I understand, the opinions on homosexual relationships were quite different to what we think nowadays (inlcuding the nonexistence of the term 'homosexual'). For example, many men of high status often had lovers, male and female. However, such persons themselves were not thought of as feminine and unmanly. On the other hand, the male lover of a person would have been seen as such. This is derived from the fact that he was the receiving partner in a relationship, in more ways than one. Atleast the romans thought that the receiving partner in the relationship ship was the "woman" or in this case more womanly.

[Fabricus]

Good point, Visarion. I think I read somewhere also that one of the Archons of Athens made homosexuality illegal, I think it was Solon, so Homosexuality was certainly not a part (or in places forbidden) of all Hellenic culture, of course as Torzoktamas said the Theban army practised homosexuality.