A Review of The Greeks and Greek Love, James Davidson
Davidson, James. The Greeks and Greek Love: a bold new exploration of the ancient world. Random House, 2007. xxxiv. 644.
James Davidson is a history professor at the University of Warwick in England. He has authored Courtesans and Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Classical Athens, and he contributes regularly to the London Review of Books, The Guardian, and other journals. The Greeks and Greek Love questions the way that modern scholars have interpreted Greek homosexuality. Davidson seeks to shift the focus on homosexual intercourse, what he dubs “sodomania”, …show more content…
The relationship between Patroclus and Achilles is considered by some a very close friendship, but Davidson believes that there is more there. He seeks to display the pure love between Patroclus and Achilles clearly, and he also seeks to show that this is a romantic, sexual love. When Achilles learns of Patroclus’ death, he is moved so much that the messenger sent to tell him stays with him so that he does not slit his throat. There is a scene in Achilles then seeks vengeance for his fallen comrade, knowing that he will die once he kills Hector. His willingness to die for his beloved shows that he truly loved Patroclus. In book twenty-three of the Iliad, Patroclus’ ghost appears to Achilles, asking that his body be buried. This is not an unusual request because in order for the soul to pass to the afterlife, the body must be buried. However, the request is important to note because Patroclus asks for his and Achilles’ bones to be buried together, highlighting the intensity if their bond. In a poignant moment, Achilles even reaches to embrace Patroclus, but he is unable to, as Patroclus’s spirit disappears. While mourning Patroclus, Achilles states that he longs for his “manliness and spunk” (317). The word for spunk here is menos, which Davidson says in some other texts is very clearly translated to mean sperm. Here, the meaning seems to be sperm, but scholars of ancient Greece do not agree on this. In support of his interpretation, Davidson looks further in the work. Achilles’s mother, Thetis, tries to console him saying, “it is good to have loving intercourse even with a woman” (317). Many commentators are uncomfortable with this, and try to find ways to avoid the sexual implications the statement carries. They suggest that Thetis is saying that sex with women is good, even though they are only women, but because
Davidson, James. The Greeks and Greek Love: a bold new exploration of the ancient world. Random House, 2007. xxxiv. 644.
James Davidson is a history professor at the University of Warwick in England. He has authored Courtesans and Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Classical Athens, and he contributes regularly to the London Review of Books, The Guardian, and other journals. The Greeks and Greek Love questions the way that modern scholars have interpreted Greek homosexuality. Davidson seeks to shift the focus on homosexual intercourse, what he dubs “sodomania”, …show more content…
The relationship between Patroclus and Achilles is considered by some a very close friendship, but Davidson believes that there is more there. He seeks to display the pure love between Patroclus and Achilles clearly, and he also seeks to show that this is a romantic, sexual love. When Achilles learns of Patroclus’ death, he is moved so much that the messenger sent to tell him stays with him so that he does not slit his throat. There is a scene in Achilles then seeks vengeance for his fallen comrade, knowing that he will die once he kills Hector. His willingness to die for his beloved shows that he truly loved Patroclus. In book twenty-three of the Iliad, Patroclus’ ghost appears to Achilles, asking that his body be buried. This is not an unusual request because in order for the soul to pass to the afterlife, the body must be buried. However, the request is important to note because Patroclus asks for his and Achilles’ bones to be buried together, highlighting the intensity if their bond. In a poignant moment, Achilles even reaches to embrace Patroclus, but he is unable to, as Patroclus’s spirit disappears. While mourning Patroclus, Achilles states that he longs for his “manliness and spunk” (317). The word for spunk here is menos, which Davidson says in some other texts is very clearly translated to mean sperm. Here, the meaning seems to be sperm, but scholars of ancient Greece do not agree on this. In support of his interpretation, Davidson looks further in the work. Achilles’s mother, Thetis, tries to console him saying, “it is good to have loving intercourse even with a woman” (317). Many commentators are uncomfortable with this, and try to find ways to avoid the sexual implications the statement carries. They suggest that Thetis is saying that sex with women is good, even though they are only women, but because