Sexuality In Greek Society

The Greek perceptions and uses for sex and sexuality were far from Victorian in nature. Illustrated in an early inscription on a vase promising sexual desire to anyone who consumes its contents, there was value in virility (Freeman, 132). On the more lascivious end of the scale, were the Corinthians, who engaged in ritual prostitution in their temples which they believed was overseen by goddesses (Freeman, 157). Yet in more conservative Greek culture there were defined roles and measures of appropriate sexual behavior. Women served two separate and distinct purposes, neither condoned in the same woman. One purpose was matrimony and procreation, the other was sexual pleasure for pleasure’s sake (Freeman, 228-229). The Greeks had several beliefs

Illustrated in Aristophanes comedies, sex with one’s female slaves was tolerated in Greek society (Freeman, 224). There was also a difference between sexually oriented entertainment, such as dancers or plays, and women who actually engaged in prostitution (Freeman, 217). In Homer’s tales of heroes he portrayed women being readily available simply to meet sexual drives, and in his tales they were not the same women who were chosen for wives and were not shown the same respect as a wife (Freeman, 137). This illustrates the relationship between how and what the Greeks worshiped and how they lived out their own lives, including how they related to sexuality. Sexuality was represented and worshiped through the goddesses Aphrodite and Dionysus, Aphrodite being the more tame goddess of sexuality, while Dionysus was a patron of sexual abandon (Freeman, 237-238). The festivals celebrating Dionysus were affairs where the attendees could engage in unrestrained sexual activity, essentially purging oneself of unruly sexual desires and making self-discipline more accessible the rest of the year (Freeman, 242 & 270). Aphrodite on the other hand, inspired Sappho to dedicate herself and to lead a group of women in worshiping the goddess, and throughout her life she wrote sensual, though sometimes subtle, poetry which is valued for its quality even today (Freeman,

In Greek culture the primary sexual deviation was homosexuality, though it isn’t quite that simple. Homosexual relations were acceptable in a limited form, known as pederasty, between a mature man and adolescent boys who had not yet reached full maturity (Freeman, 218-219). There were even courtship rituals in place for these pederastic relationships (Freeman, 219). Yet homosexual actions that did not constitute as pederasty, or engaging in homosexual prostitution, were both considered so highly unacceptable that the offender would lose his citizenship if caught (Freeman, 219 & 254). In contrast to Athens, there was the Spartan and Thebian culture which also appear to have engaged in homosexual relationships, but under the auspices of brotherhood and soldiering (Freeman, 227 & 305). While it is theoretical speculation, it appears that prior to marriage the Spartan males engaged in homosexual relationships, and that their consummation ritual suggests a crossing over from homosexuality into the heterosexual world of marriage (Freeman, 227). Thebian homosexuality existed among their elite warriors, who were homosexually pair-bonded with each other (Freeman, 305). There are several other notable mentions of deviant behavior in Greek history, among them necrophilia and incest, yet these are considered deviations in almost every culture throughout history (Freeman, 165,