Pederasty in Athens was found only among a noble class, those who were able to find leisure in places such as the gymnasium or those who had the money to buy the persuasion of adolescent boys. In fact Greeks did not believe in the exclusiveness of homosexuality or heterosexuality, one could be both interchangeably. There are many accounts, of Socrates love for young men despite his marriage. Many Greeks had a preference between boys and women, most of the time boys were whom they often tried to woo. Often times we find in historic literature, the journeys that one will take to win the heart of his beloved. Phanias of Eresus wrote in the late fourth century B.C.E, of a powerful love between boy and man after a great un-accomplishable task.
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He told the boy not to incur risks by refusal; but he himself, when the tyrant was leaving his house, rushed up and assassinated him. This done, he fled and would have escaped had he not fallen in with a flock of sheep all tied together and been captured. So once the city had returned to its original constitution the Heracleotes erected bronze statues to both men, and a law was enacted that no one in the future was to drive bound sheep.
The script of Phanias of Eresus shows two important points; the first being that a man would in fact endure much to win the heart of his beloved, even if it meant that he would take on the task of murder. The second point remains that the Greeks did not condemn these actions but rather embraced them for they too would have done so for their beloved if need be. One must note that it was only boys who were placed in equal stature as women, not other men. Young boys whose beards had not yet grown were quite fond of, it was when their hairs started to show that their status as passive boys began to fade and their status as men started to appear. The change from passive to active roll did not happen overnight. In fact age …show more content…
Despite such a loyalty between lovers, many laws were enacted in Athens and Boeotia in order to protect young boys from the wrong men. Athenian law is quite confusing because, it encourages the courtship of boys, but on the other hand demands that fathers protect their sons from those who wish to court them. In fact sons had strict teachers who were in charge with controlling their behavior. The law forbade slaves to be a lover of a free boy or to pay court to them. If a slave broke this law he would receive fifty lashes. However, the law does not prohibit a citizen from loving, associating or following after a free boy. The laws of Solon permitted who were allowed around young boys. Teachers were to open schools no earlier than sunrise and were instructed to close them no later than sunset. Schoolmasters were given such instruction because it was understood that being a teacher of young boys would yield great temptation over their daily lives. No person older than the boys attending the school was to enter while the boys were present, unless the said person was the son of the teacher, a brother, or their daughter’s husband. If this law was broken it was punishable by death. In the laws of Solon it is also stated that the superintendents of the gymnasia shall not let anyone enter with the boys who has reached the age of manhood, for the superintendent will be liable for whatever is done to the boys
He told the boy not to incur risks by refusal; but he himself, when the tyrant was leaving his house, rushed up and assassinated him. This done, he fled and would have escaped had he not fallen in with a flock of sheep all tied together and been captured. So once the city had returned to its original constitution the Heracleotes erected bronze statues to both men, and a law was enacted that no one in the future was to drive bound sheep.
The script of Phanias of Eresus shows two important points; the first being that a man would in fact endure much to win the heart of his beloved, even if it meant that he would take on the task of murder. The second point remains that the Greeks did not condemn these actions but rather embraced them for they too would have done so for their beloved if need be. One must note that it was only boys who were placed in equal stature as women, not other men. Young boys whose beards had not yet grown were quite fond of, it was when their hairs started to show that their status as passive boys began to fade and their status as men started to appear. The change from passive to active roll did not happen overnight. In fact age …show more content…
Despite such a loyalty between lovers, many laws were enacted in Athens and Boeotia in order to protect young boys from the wrong men. Athenian law is quite confusing because, it encourages the courtship of boys, but on the other hand demands that fathers protect their sons from those who wish to court them. In fact sons had strict teachers who were in charge with controlling their behavior. The law forbade slaves to be a lover of a free boy or to pay court to them. If a slave broke this law he would receive fifty lashes. However, the law does not prohibit a citizen from loving, associating or following after a free boy. The laws of Solon permitted who were allowed around young boys. Teachers were to open schools no earlier than sunrise and were instructed to close them no later than sunset. Schoolmasters were given such instruction because it was understood that being a teacher of young boys would yield great temptation over their daily lives. No person older than the boys attending the school was to enter while the boys were present, unless the said person was the son of the teacher, a brother, or their daughter’s husband. If this law was broken it was punishable by death. In the laws of Solon it is also stated that the superintendents of the gymnasia shall not let anyone enter with the boys who has reached the age of manhood, for the superintendent will be liable for whatever is done to the boys