Where the spartans gay

And it was founded on the principle that men so intimately devoted to one another would fight as a cohesive unit. This relationship was probably sexual, but it was also pedagogical. The band would eventually defeat the Spartan-led coalition, ushering in a decade of Theban hegemony. It was a general characteristic of macho societies that being dominant (or “giving”) was noble, while being submissive (“receiving”) was the opposite.

According to Xenophon, the Spartans abhorred the thought of using the relationships as the basis of unit formation for placing too much significance on sexuality rather than talent. This trend of gay soldiers in the. An elite corps of male lovers was unique in Greek history, but homosexual relationships were commonplace.

Each guest gives a speech in praise of the god Eros and provides his own understanding of love. Plato wrote the Symposium probably around BCE. At that time, many Greek states were subjected to the hegemony of the Spartans, who were enjoying a period of dominance after defeating the Athenians in in the devastating Peloponnesian War. But one of these states, Thebes, stood up to the military might of Sparta.

This was due to their founder Lycurgus who attacked lusts on physical beauty regarding it as shameful. Was homosexuality “compulsory” in Ancient Sparta? These Spartans soldiers always fought as heroes till their end of life. The article explores the prevalence and perception of homosexuality in ancient Greece, questioning whether it is fact or fiction.

The rest of the ancient Greek city-states would be classified as “macho” societies nowadays, with Sparta being disapproving of men who engaged in homosexual activities. One of the guests, Phaedrus, waxes lyrical about the loyalty that the lover has to his beloved. Given the uncertainty of the exact date of writing, Plato might have been referring explicitly to the Sacred Band, which was formed in BCE.

A Spartan force had been occupying the citadel of Thebes, crushing opposition and exiling dissidents. He cites, as evidence, the mythological hero Achilles, who sacrificed himself for his beloved Patroclus in the Trojan War. He speculates on the bravery that such soldiers might exhibit on the battlefield:. He also has translated works of the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca. If by some contrivance a city, or an army, of lovers and their young loves could come into being.

The documentary itself appears to be Bettany Hughes' The Spartans, which she did for Channel 4 in the UK back in Spartans are famous soldiers of the ancient history of Greek. [1] Although the primary example is the Sacred Band of Thebes, a unit said to have. Just because they were gay does not mean that the city of Spartan did not have women and children.

Now he turns to fourth-century Greek history, a turbulent period of shifting power dynamics that marked the transition from the Classical to the Hellenistic era. The distinctive part of the heroes was their gay relationships not only within the soldiers but outside their troops. The band was the first professional standing army funded by the state in Greek history; most armies in Greece consisted of citizen-soldiers who where the spartans gay only part-time.

Spartans are famous soldiers of the ancient history of Greek. Even more unusually, the Sacred Band was made up of pairs of male lovers, the only known fighting unit comprised in such a way that ancient Greece ever produced. The Thebans knew they needed to defend themselves against inevitable Spartan retaliation.

It was regarded as contributing to morale. | The Spartans (Ancient Greece Documentary) | Timeline where they say, at to Male homosexuality was compulsory. Homosexuality in the militaries of ancient GreeceHomosexuality in the militaries of ancient Greece was a significant aspect across the ancient Greek city-states, ranging from being a core part of military life to being an accepted practice of some individual soldiers.

One Theban exile, Pelopidas, formed a coup and liberated the city from the Spartans, installing a democracy there. In many cities, it was a rite of passage for elite males in their late teens to enter into a pederastic relationship with an older man. For a man in love would rather have anyone other than his lover see him leave his place in the line or toss away his weapons, and often would rather die on behalf of the one he loves.

The distinctive part of the heroes was their gay relationships not only within the soldiers but outside their troops. Established around BC, the elite fighting division was formed as a branch of the Theban army by a man named Gorgidas.

Even more unusually, the Sacred Band was made up of pairs of male lovers, the only known fighting unit comprised in such a way that ancient Greece ever produced. Established around BC, the elite fighting division was formed as a branch of the Theban army by a man named Gorgidas.

The army of same-sex lovers who made up Sparta's biggest rivals 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. These emotional bonds turned the band into a force to be reckoned with. I came across a YouTube channel called Timeline - World History Documentaries, and more specifically, a video titled Why Were Spartans So Disciplined?

These Spartans soldiers always fought as heroes till their end of life. Romm has written and edited a number of books on Greek history, from Herodotus to Alexander the Great. In short, while homosexuality may not have been literally mandatory, it was highly advisable and possibly even essential to retain citizen status at Sparta.