Other indications
exist showing the attitude of ancient writers.
Aristophanes felt that same gender attraction was part of the natural
order of things.[1] Aristotle appears to feel the same way when
he “suggests that some men desire homosexual sex because it is in their nature
to do so; it is natural for them.”[2] In addition to these men, Catullus, who lived
from 84-54BCE, wrote passionate poetry for both a mistress and a boyfriend
showing he was capable of passion for either men or women which he had in
common with other poets such as Tibullus and Martial.[3] Also, Julius Caesar was known in the first
century BCE to have an ongoing relationship with King Nicomedes.[4] Also, in the 1st Century BCE, Mark
Antony, at least according to Cicero ,
was a prostitute who was removed from prostitution and set up in a legitimate
marriage with Curio.[5] Even if this last story was fabrication
intended to slander Mark Antony, it is not as if most Romans would have been
unaware of homoromantic relationships.
In addition to
homoromantic relationships, early Romans would have been aware of
transvestitism and transexualism. Roscoe
points out, “By the first Century BCE, however, a variety of evidence,
including literary references and artifacts found at the site of the Cybele
temple, suggests that the popularity of Attis, and the number of galli, was
growing. The Senate initially responded
by regulating the activities of begging priests.”[6]
In order to show
that this recognition of other forms of erotic love continued, it would be
helpful for us to consider what took place after the beginning of the Common
Era. Xenophon of Ephesus wrote a novel
in the 2nd or 3rd century CE in which Hippothoos and
Cleistenes were in what appeared “a relationship of mutual and lifelong
fidelity.”[7] Likewise, In Erotes, supposedly written by Lucian of Samosata, in either the 2nd
or 3rd century CE, the author concludes that there are what we would
call today heterosexual and homosexual men.[8] Greenburg indicates that some Roman slave owners
had “sizable male harems.”[9] It can only help to remember that “Many of
the Roman Emperors had homosexual tastes,” and a lack of concern for the sex of
a partner is attested to in the writings of Catullus, Philostratus, Horace,
Plautus, Tibullus, Augustus, Vergil, and Ovid.[10] To show that homoromantic love found
depiction in art as well, a silver cup, called The Warren Cup, dated to the
early Imperial period depicts men engaged in sex. While one side depicts some age variance in
the men (one has a beard, the other does not), the other side depicts the men
as similar in age (neither has a beard).[11] So, it seems clear that recognition of
variety within erotic passions continued and was approved of by at least a
portion of the population in ancient Rome .
To further
indicate that same gender attraction was well attested to in Roman times,
Caelius Aurelianus, writing in the 5th century CE, wrote about same
gender attraction in a medical work.
Parmenides in the 4th century BCE wrote that some people are
attracted to members of the same gender due to the circumstances in which they
were conceived, which oddly enough scientists today are also exploring. Artemidorus, 2nd Century CE, in
writing about dreams indicates that dreams with homosexual content are those
dreams that are “according to nature.”
Cantarella indicates that his attitude reflects “popular morality” not
“official morality.” Having said that,
for some reason, he believed that female homosexuality in dreams was against
nature.[12]
In addition, Galen
of Pergamon who lived from 130-200CE was a physician who briefly mentions same
sex desire when commenting on the physiological effects of sex. He viewed male and female characteristics and
desires on a continuum and disagreed with a contemporary physician named Soranus
that clitoridectomy should be performed to reverse masculinity in women. Nor does he state that man’s desire to be
penetrated is a result of a pathological condition as Soranus did.[13] Here, we begin to see the diverging
viewpoints of Romans regarding homosexuality.
Cantarella says,
“Paul Veyne writes that between the age of Cicero
and the century of the Antonines, Rome
saw a sea-change in sexual relations, by the end of which, pagan morality was
identical to the future Christian morality of marriage.” Cantarella goes on to indicate that Veyne
sees this as a result of the aristocracy loosing rights and becoming
“self-repressive” to maintain good standing by way of having an air of
respectability.[14] This may be partly true; however, it doesn’t
fully satisfy the change. Also,
Cantarella indicates that Cicero
does condemn pederasty, but not homosexuality.[15]
[1] Fone pg
54
[2] Fone pg
54
[3] Lambert
in Gay Histories and Cultures pg 751
[4] Bullugh
pg 138
[6] Roscoe
201
[7] Fone 47
[8] Fone 62
[9]
Greenburg pg 120
[10]
Greenburg pg 155, Boswell pg 72
[11] Pollini entire article
[12] Cantarella pg 204-06, Greenburg pg 147
[14]
Cantarella pg 187
[15]
Williams pg 518
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