Greek Homosexuality (book)

Greek Homosexuality
	Cover of the first edition
Author	Kenneth Dover
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	Homosexuality in ancient Greece
Publisher	Harvard University Press
Publication date	1978
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	244
ISBN	0674362616
OCLC	3088711
LC Class	HQ76.3.G8 D68 1978

Last updated July 28, 2023

Greek Homosexuality (1978; second edition 1989; third edition 2016) is a book about homosexuality in ancient Greece by the classical scholar Kenneth Dover, in which the author uses archaic and classical archaeological and literary sources to discuss ancient Greek sexual behavior and attitudes. He addresses the iconography of vase paintings, the speeches in the law courts, and the comedies of Aristophanes, as well as the content of other literary and philosophical source texts.

Summary

In the preface Dover writes that the aim of the work is: "To describe those phenomena of homosexual behaviour and sentiment which are to be found in Greek art and literature between the eighth and second centuries B.C., and so to provide a basis for more detailed and specialised exploration (which I leave to others) of the sexual aspects of Greek art, society and morality."^[1] In the Preface he furthermore argued that ‘heterosexual’ and ‘homosexual’ were not antithetical terms, but that homosexuality was a sub-division of the ‘quasi-sexual’ or ‘pseudo-sexual’.^[1]

The conclusions drawn are that the Greeks regarded homosexuality in general to be natural, normal, and salutary, and their actual practices were circumscribed by cultural norms. In the case of the ancient Greeks – specifically the Athenians – the book claims that the sexual roles of the lovers were sharply polarized.

Dover concludes that the Greeks conceived of same-sex relations primarily as intergenerational and identifies the terms for the roles of the two male lovers, erastes, "the lover," that is, the older active partner, and eromenos, "the beloved", indicating the adolescent male beloved. Basing himself on the work of Sir John Beazley, Dover divides the evidence of surviving vase painting depicting these type of relationships into three types. Some show the erastes offering a gift to the eromenos. Others depict the "up and down" gesture – the erastes attempting to fondle the eromenos while, with the other hand, he is turning his head to look into his eyes. The third group, usually older black-figure vases, show the couple engaging in interfemoral intercourse or, in a couple of instances, anal intercourse. Traditionally, the young beloved, when he reached the age of manhood – indicated in the iconography by his growth of a beard – would switch roles and become a lover himself, seeking out a younger male for a love relationship. Later in life he was expected to marry and produce new citizens for the state.

To fail to switch roles was considered unmanly and irresponsible, and Dover points out the mockery that Aristophanes (a very popular and successful Athenian comic playwright) inflicted in passing, in several plays, on a certain Athenian citizen who was notorious for his persistence in the role of beloved long after reaching his maturity.

With regard to the record of cases in the law courts, Dover concentrates primarily on a certain case initiated by the orator Demosthenes. Demosthenes had been in an embassy sent to the neighboring state of Macedonia which had not only failed to achieve its mission, but was widely suspected of having accepted bribes from king Phillip to abandon their mission. Upon the return to Athens, Demosthenes initiated a prosecution of his fellow ambassadors for bribery in an attempt to avoid being indicted himself. The defendants successfully had the charges dismissed on the grounds that one of Demosthenes' co-plaintiffs, Timarchos, had been a boy prostitute and had thereby lost his rights as an Athenian citizen, becoming ineligible to bring suit in Athenian courts.

Dover extensively quotes from the records of the trial to demonstrate, among other things, that while the Athenians attached no stigma to same sex relations per se, they did adhere to certain conventions; in this case, that no citizen could be permitted to sell his sexual favors, which they regarded as the proper function of a slave, not a free man.

Reception

Greek Homosexuality received some negative reviews.^[2] Nevertheless, the book had an enormous impact on the study of homosexuality in ancient Greece, partly because of Dover's credentials as an historian and a philologist.^[3] It influenced scholars such as the philosopher Michel Foucault, and the classicists David M. Halperin, John J. Winkler, and Eva Cantarella.^[4] Eva C. Keuls praised Dover for giving explicit discussions of subjects such as anal sex and intercrural copulation.^[5] The historian Peter Gay commended Greek Homosexuality as a "model of scholarship".^[6] The philosopher Roger Scruton dismissed Greek Homosexuality as "trivialising".^[7] Dover later granted that some of his claims in the first edition of Greek Homosexuality about the meaning of Greek words had been wrong.^[8] He also commented that while he understood what Scruton meant when he called his work "trivialising", he was not abashed, since he attached importance to phenomena Scruton ignores.^[9]

Halperin called the work "the first modern scholarly study" of its subject and "a triumph of empirical research", and identified it as one of the key intellectual influences on his One Hundred Years of Homosexuality (1990). Halperin argued that the publication of the work in 1978, together with the appearance of the English translation of Foucault's The History of Sexuality , marked the beginning of a new era in the study of the history of sexuality.^[10] The critic Camille Paglia disputed Halperin's characterization of Greek Homosexuality, observing that while it was a valuable book on Greek pederasty, it was not an "intellectual" work and aside from Dover's discussion of intercrural copulation contained relatively little that was surprising.^[11] Cantarella has criticized some of Dover's conclusions, concluding that there was no restriction on anal intercourse in pederastic relationships, a claim rejected by the classicist Bruce Thornton. Critical discussions of Dover's work include those by David Cohen in Law, Sexuality and Society (1991) and Thornton in Eros: The Myth of Ancient Greek Sexuality (1997).^[4] The philosopher Martha Nussbaum described Greek Homosexuality as the "best historical account of Greek sexual customs".^[12]

Greek Homosexuality was republished in a third edition, containing a foreword by Mark Masterson and James Robson discussing the book and its influence, in 2016.^[13]

Related Research Articles

Anal sex or anal intercourse is generally the insertion and thrusting of the erect penis into a person's anus, or anus and rectum, for sexual pleasure. Other forms of anal sex include fingering, the use of sex toys, anilingus, and pegging. Although anal sex most commonly means penile–anal penetration, sources sometimes use anal intercourse to exclusively denote penile–anal penetration, and anal sex to denote any form of anal sexual activity, especially between pairings as opposed to anal masturbation.

Eroticism is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculpture, photography, drama, film, music, or literature. It may also be found in advertising. The term may also refer to a state of sexual arousal or anticipation of such – an insistent sexual impulse, desire, or pattern of thoughts.

Societal attitudes towards same-sex relationships have varied over time and place. Attitudes to male homosexuality have varied from requiring males to engage in same-sex relationships to casual integration, through acceptance, to seeing the practice as a minor sin, repressing it through law enforcement and judicial mechanisms, and to proscribing it under penalty of death. In addition, it has varied as to whether any negative attitudes towards men who have sex with men have extended to all participants, as has been common in Abrahamic religions, or only to passive (penetrated) participants, as was common in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Female homosexuality has historically been given less acknowledgement, explicit acceptance and opposition. The widespread concept of homosexuality as a sexual orientation and sexual identity is a relatively recent development, with the word itself being coined in the 19th century.

Intercrural sex, which is also known as coitus interfemoris, thigh sex and interfemoral sex, is a type of non-penetrative sex in which the penis is placed between the receiving partner's thighs and friction is generated via thrusting. It was a common practice in ancient Greek society prior to the early centuries AD, and was frequently discussed by writers and portrayed in artwork such as vases. It later became subject to sodomy laws and became increasingly seen as contemptible. In the 17th century, intercrural sex was featured in several works of literature and it took cultural prominence, being seen as a part of male-on-male sexual habits following the trial and execution of Mervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of Castlehaven, in 1631.

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Effeminacy is the embodiment of traits and/or expressions in those who are not of the female sex that are often associated with what is generally perceived to be feminine behaviours, mannerisms, styles, or gender roles, rather than with traditionally masculine behaviours, mannerisms, styles or roles. Effeminacy and other gender expressions are independent of a person's sexuality or sexual identity and are displayed by people of all sexualities and none. Effeminacy is seen in some societies as something embodied by some in the homosexual male community. The embodiment of effeminacy by people in some societies has resulted in prejudice, discrimination, antagonism and insults towards those who display it.

In ancient Greece, an eromenos was the younger and passive partner in a male homosexual relationship. The partner of an eromenos was the erastes, the older and active partner. The eromenos was often depicted as beautiful, beardless and more youthful-looking than the erastes.

The social construction of human sexuality and sexual behavior—along with its taboos, regulation, and social and political impact—has had a profound effect on the various cultures of the world since prehistoric times.

In classical antiquity, writers such as Herodotus, Plato, Xenophon, Athenaeus and many others explored aspects of homosexuality in Greek society. The most widespread and socially significant form of same-sex sexual relations in ancient Greece amongst elite circles was between adult men and pubescent or adolescent boys, known as pederasty. Certain city-states allowed it while others were ambiguous or prohibited it. Though sexual relationships between adult men did exist, it is possible at least one member of each of these relationships flouted social conventions by assuming a passive sexual role according to Kenneth Dover, though this has been questioned by recent scholars. It is unclear how such relations between same-sex partners were regarded in the general society, especially for women, but examples do exist as far back as the time of Sappho.

Lesbianism is the sexual and romantic desire between women. There are historically far fewer mentions of lesbianism than male homosexuality, due to many historical writings and records focusing primarily on men.

Pederasty in ancient Greece was a socially acknowledged romantic relationship between an older male and a younger male usually in his teens. It was characteristic of the Archaic and Classical periods. The influence of pederasty on Greek culture of these periods was so prevalent that it has been called "the principal cultural model for free relationships between citizens."

Greek love is a term originally used by classicists to describe the primarily homoerotic customs, practices, and attitudes of the ancient Greeks. It was frequently used as a euphemism for both homosexuality and pederasty. The phrase is a product of the enormous impact of the reception of classical Greek culture on historical attitudes toward sexuality, and its influence on art and various intellectual movements.

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References

1 2 Dover, Kenneth James; Dover, Vice-Chancellor K. J. (1989). Greek Homosexuality. ISBN 9780674362703.
↑ Halperin, David M. (1990). One Hundred Years of Homosexuality: And Other Essays on Greek Love . New York: Routledge. p. 5. ISBN 0-415-90097-2.
↑ Halperin, David M. (1990). One Hundred Years of Homosexuality: And Other Essays on Greek Love . New York: Routledge. p. 4. ISBN 0-415-90097-2.
1 2 Thornton, Bruce S. (1997). Eros: The Myth of Ancient Greek Sexuality . Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. pp. 256–258, 264. ISBN 0-8133-3226-5.
↑ Keuls, Eva C. (1985). The Reign of the Phallus: Sexual Politics in Ancient Athens. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 274. ISBN 0-520-07929-9.
↑ Gay, Peter (1986). The Bourgeois Experience Victoria to Freud. Volume II: The Tender Passion. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 446. ISBN 0-19-503741-3.
↑ Scruton, Roger (1994). Sexual Desire: A Philosophical Investigation. London: Phoenix. p. 308. ISBN 1-85799-100-1.
↑ Dover, Kenneth (1989). Greek Homosexuality. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 204. ISBN 0-674-36270-5.
↑ Dover, Kenneth (1995). Marginal Comment: A Memoir. London: Duckworth. p. 115. ISBN 0-7156-2630-2.
↑ Halperin, David M. (1990). One Hundred Years of Homosexuality: And Other Essays on Greek Love . New York: Routledge. pp. x, 4, 5. ISBN 0-415-90097-2.
↑ Paglia, Camille (1992). Sex, Art, and American Culture: Essays. New York: Penguin Books. pp. 172–173. ISBN 0-14-017209-2.
↑ Nussbaum, Martha (1997). Estlund, David M.; Nussbaum, Martha C. (eds.). Sex, Preference, and Family: Essays on Law and Nature. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 39. ISBN 0-19-509894-3.
↑ "GREEK HOMOSEXUALITY - Classics for All". Archived from the original on 2016-12-24.

Bibliography

Dover, K. J. (1989). Greek Homosexuality. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0674362703.

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[books.google.com-1] 1 2 Dover, Kenneth James; Dover, Vice-Chancellor K. J. (1989). Greek Homosexuality. ISBN 9780674362703.

[2] Halperin, David M. (1990). One Hundred Years of Homosexuality: And Other Essays on Greek Love . New York: Routledge. p. 5. ISBN 0-415-90097-2.

[3] Halperin, David M. (1990). One Hundred Years of Homosexuality: And Other Essays on Greek Love . New York: Routledge. p. 4. ISBN 0-415-90097-2.

[Thornton-4] 1 2 Thornton, Bruce S. (1997). Eros: The Myth of Ancient Greek Sexuality . Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. pp. 256–258, 264. ISBN 0-8133-3226-5.

[5] Keuls, Eva C. (1985). The Reign of the Phallus: Sexual Politics in Ancient Athens. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 274. ISBN 0-520-07929-9.

[6] Gay, Peter (1986). The Bourgeois Experience Victoria to Freud. Volume II: The Tender Passion. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 446. ISBN 0-19-503741-3.

[Scruton-7] Scruton, Roger (1994). Sexual Desire: A Philosophical Investigation. London: Phoenix. p. 308. ISBN 1-85799-100-1.

[8] Dover, Kenneth (1989). Greek Homosexuality. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 204. ISBN 0-674-36270-5.

[Dover-9] Dover, Kenneth (1995). Marginal Comment: A Memoir. London: Duckworth. p. 115. ISBN 0-7156-2630-2.

[10] Halperin, David M. (1990). One Hundred Years of Homosexuality: And Other Essays on Greek Love . New York: Routledge. pp. x, 4, 5. ISBN 0-415-90097-2.

[Paglia-11] Paglia, Camille (1992). Sex, Art, and American Culture: Essays. New York: Penguin Books. pp. 172–173. ISBN 0-14-017209-2.

[12] Nussbaum, Martha (1997). Estlund, David M.; Nussbaum, Martha C. (eds.). Sex, Preference, and Family: Essays on Law and Nature. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 39. ISBN 0-19-509894-3.

[13] "GREEK HOMOSEXUALITY - Classics for All". Archived from the original on 2016-12-24.

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