Homosexuality in Greek MythArguing that homosexuality of the classical era grew out of the prehistorical practice of initiatory homosexuality, Sergent examines initiation rites in a wide variety of ancient cultures, particularly in Crete and among a group of Germanic peoples. In these two cultures, a sexually active adult, the erastes, was the mentor/suitor of an adolescent boy, the eromenos. The boy was ritualistically kidnapped and then lived in the wild for a prescribed period, during which time the erastes taught him to hunt and slept with him. Killing a boar or bear - the final trial - qualified the eromenos as a hunter and signified his ascent to adult status. To illustrate his compelling thesis, Sergent provides an exhaustive survey of the Greek myths, demonstrating that the homosexual relationships of male gods and heroes follow a similar pattern of ritual initiation. |
Contents
The Cretans of Ephorus and the Taifali of Ammianus | 7 |
Ethnographic | 40 |
Pelops and Laius | 59 |
Copyright | |
18 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
abduction according Achilles Actaeon Admetus adolescent adult Aetolian Alcathous ancient Antheus Aphrodite Apollo Apollodorus archaic Argive Argonauts Argos Aristomenes Artemis Athenaeus Athens Attic Bethe boar Boeotia Boeotian Brelich Buffière Carnea century B.C. Chapter chariot Chios Cleomachus Couretes Cretan Crete cult Cycnus Cyparissus daughter death Delphi Demeter Diocles Diodorus Dionysus Dorian Dumézil Ephorus eponym erastai erastēs erōmenos Euripides fact father festival frag Ganymedes Glaucus goddess Greece Greek Hellenistic Hera Heracles hero Hippolytus Homeric homosexuality hunting Hyacinthia Hyacinthus Hylas Iliad Indo-European initiation initiatory homosexuality interpretation Iolaus Jeanmaire killed king Lacedaemonian Laconian Laius legend male marriage Megara Meleager mentioned Miletus Minos Mycenaean myth mythical mythology Narcissus Orchomenus origin Paus Pausanias pederasty Pelops Phorbas Phylius Pindar Plato Plut Plutarch Poseidon relations relationship rite ritual sacrifice sanctuary Schol sexual Sparta story Strabo symbolism Taifali Talos temple Theban Thebes Theseus Thessaly tomb tradition Vian warrior young Zeus