Were spartans gay lovers
Re: Spartan pederasty? - Kineas - 07-13-2008
I wouldn't deny that homosexuality existed in Sparta or Athens or anywhere else, but it is worth noting that, for instance, if homosexuality were the "norm" that some modern historians make it (wish it?) then Aristophanes's Lysistrata (Λυσιστράτη) (411 BC) would not have been funny.
Lysistrata is a comedy in which the women of Athens and Sparta reject to have sex with their husbands until they make peace. The act was written in the darkest days of the 30 Year's War and if Greek men, or even men of the Hoplite Class in either state had been "mostly" or even "some" queer, the point of the play would vanish--it wouldn't have been funny then.
I'd further argue that Plutarch and Polybius are at the root of a great many tales of pederasty and the like. Look--let's face it, any system that allows the mature (men or women) special powers and privileges over the immature (men or women) usually results in sexual exploitation. But... it seems to me that it suited later, mostly Roman, commentators to push the effeminacy of Greece. Most hoplites were farmers and tiny husbandmen or craftsmen who lived very plain, almost au
If you execute not believe me, read some books or just google or go on wikipedia.
You execute not see this on 300 film but when a young spartan reached the age o "adult" (about 14, when first hair grew) they were sent to use some time with a "teacher" who taught him many things....and usually he asked his "prize" for that. You were not obliged, but almost everyone did it.
Denunciar este mensaje
The army of same-sex lovers who made up Sparta's biggest rivals
The Other 300explores the untoldsaga of the world’s greatest military fighting force, made up of 150 pairs of male lovers, whose story has just been uncovered. The exhibition will be accessible on Sky HISTORY from Monday, 2nd June.
When it comes to elite fighting forces from ancient history, the Spartans seem to possess a monopoly in modern consciousness. This is in part due to the oft-biased focus of historians on the achievements of Sparta and, in more recent terms, big-budget Hollywood movies such as 300 and 300: Rise of an Empire,which showcase the prowess of Spartan warriors.
Although their fearsome reputation is well established in the historical sources, they were by no means the only professional soldiers with a formidable reputation on the battlefield that arose from ancient Greece.
For approximately forty years during the 4th century BC, a military unit established as the Solemn Band of Thebes was undefeated on the field of combat. In truth, during this day they even conquered the Spartan army, crushing the image of Spartan invincibility and forever altering the balanc
Lovers and Soldiers
If by some contrivance a city, or an army, of lovers and their fresh loves could come into existence . . . then, fighting alongside one another, such men, though few in number, could defeat practically all humankind. For a man in love would rather have anyone other than his lover see him exit his place in the line or toss away his weapons, and often would rather depart on behalf of the one he loves.
Plato wrote the Symposium probably around 380 BCE. At that time, many Greek states were subjected to the hegemony of the Spartans, who were enjoying a period of superiority after defeating the Athenians in 404 in the devastating Peloponnesian War. But one of these states, Thebes, stood up to the military might of Sparta. In doing so, the Thebans realized Phaedrus’s vision: They created an elite corps of three hundred soldiers, known as the Sacred Band of Thebes, comprising 150 pairs of male lovers who fought side-by-side in the name of freedom.
Given the uncertainty of the exact date of writing, Plato might have been referring explicitly to the Revered Band, which was formed in 379 BCE. A Spartan drive had been occupying the citadel of Thebes, crushing opposition