num_pages: 832
description: For nearly two thousand years historians have treated the subject of homosexuality in ancient Greece with apology embarrassment or outright denial. Now classics scholar James Davidson offers a brilliant unblushing exploration of the passion that permeated Greek civilization. Using homosexuality as a lens Davidson sheds new light on every aspect of Greek culture from politics and religion to art and war. With stunning erudition and irresistible witand without moral judgmentDavidson has written the first major examination of homosexuality in ancient Greece since the dawn of the modern gay rights movement.What exactly did same-sex love mean in a culture that had no word or concept comparable to our term homosexuality? How sexual were these attachments? When Greeks spoke of love between men and boys how young were the boys how old were the men? Drawing on examples from philosophy poetry drama history and vase painting Davidson provides fascinating answers to questions that have vexed scholars for generations. To begin he defines the essential Greek words for romantic loveeros pothos philiaand explores the shades of emotion and passion embodied in each. Then exploding the myth of Greek boy love Davidson shows that Greek same-sex pairs were in fact often of the same generation with boys under eighteen zealously separated from older boys and men.Davidson argues that the essence of Greek homosexuality was besottednessfalling head over heels and making a great big song and dance about it though sex was certainly not excluded. With refreshing candor humor and an astonishing command of Greek culture Davidson examines how this passion played out in the myths of Ganymede and Cephalus in the lives of archetypal Greek heroes such as Achilles Heracles and Alexander in the politics of Athens and the army of lovers that defended Thebes. He considers the sexual peculiarities of Sparta and Crete the legend and truth surrounding Sappho and the relationship between Greek athletics and sexuality.Writing with the energy vitality and irony that the subject deserves Davidson has elucidated the ruling passion of classical antiquity. Ultimately The Greeks and Greek Love is about how desirehomosexual and heterosexualis embodied in human civilization. At once scholarly and entertaining this is a book that sheds as much light on our own world as on the world of Homer Plato and Alexander.
language: English
title: The Greeks & Greek Love: A Bold New Exploration of the Ancient World
publisher: Random House