Homosexuality In Romans Essay

Most of us that love m/m romance, have to wonder when we read about gay Romans and other historical figures how their worlds viewed homosexuality. Well, wonder no more, because historians have a relatively good handle on how the Roman world viewed homosexuality, and it’s not exactly what you might think.

In ancient Rome there was no stigma per se against homosexuality, but rather against males who took the more submissive role. There in fact, were no words to describe homosexuality as a lifestyle as there is today. Instead, ancient Romans paid attention to behaviors, and it was one’s behavior that was either applauded or punished. There was a law to cover this called Lex Scantinia that stated that a Roman male of high status, and or freeborn could be penalized legally for taking a submissive

To do so in no way took away from the man’s place in society providing he took the active role during sex play. However, in a strange play on the rules, it was punishable by death for two soldiers who had the same status to have sexual relations, even if it was consensual.

Roman society was patriarchal in the extreme in some cases, and freeborn males were taught to lead from an early age. As such it was absolutely imperative that males took the “active” role during sex, particularly males who were freeborn, and or high born. So while sex with another man was okay, the man in question had to be known as taking the active role during sex.

Even though the Lex Scantinia law existed, it could not be used against a high born Roman, or any freeman for that matter, who committed acts of same sex rape against a slave or had forced passive sex with a male who was not a freeman. This unfortunately included male slave children. In contrast, it was punishable by death for one man who was freeborn to rape another freeborn