Eros in Classical Greece Flashcards

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1
Q

Definition of Eros

A

Physical and spiritual, sexuality, passion, desire, affection

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2
Q

Male sexual morality in classical Greece

A

For a man, there were several kinds of social accepted sexuality:

  • With his wife
  • With hetairai, prostitutes and concubines, both before and after marriage – if it didn’t cause problems for the household
  • Upper classes that adult males had relations with younger males before they became fully adult (pederasty = ‘the love of boys’)
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3
Q

Other sexual relations were not accepted:

A
  • Male adulterer – who had relations with a respectable Athenian who was not his wife
  • Sexual relations between adult men were viewed negatively
  • Male prostitution was highly dishonorable
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4
Q

Modern theories on Greek ‘homosexuality’

A
  • For some, pederasty derived from initiation rites in rituals
  • In any case, pederasty played a very important role in the transition from childhood to adulthood, especially among the upper classes
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5
Q

The context of Greek Pederasty: the sexual identity of the young

A

**Because children grew into their gender = homosexuality cant be defined

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6
Q

Erastes and Eromenos

A

Erastes: the lover, adult male
Eromenos: the beloved, adolescent

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7
Q

Places of Homosexual Relationships

A

symposium and gymnasium

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8
Q

Function of the Erastes and Eromenos relationship

A
  • Relationship of adult members with the younger ones was intended to introduce them to the relationship between members of the group and the polis itself
  • Adult tried to build special relationship with the new member of the group
  • His role was a mentor/guide who taught the young through praise and blame
    • Relationship happened in a period of transition when sexual ID is uncertain
  • After coming of age of the eromenos, their relationship was not supposed to be sexual anymore
    • Homosexuality between two adults was severely blamed
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9
Q

Gods of the Gymnasium

A
  • Hercules (physical)
  • Hermes (intellectual)
  • Eros (love)
  • Agon (competition)
  • Slaves cannot be an eromenos, cannot love of follow a boy – will be whipped
  • At school, no one older than the boys can enter or they’ll be killed
  • Inscriptions at the gymnasium of Thera tell who has had sex with who
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10
Q

Concubines - pallakai

A

-Lived in a permanent or a long term relationship with a man who they weren’t married to

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11
Q

Prostitutes - pornai

A

-Slaves or free, worked for money in brothels, homes, etc.

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12
Q

Courtesans - hetairai

A

-Female entertainers, sometimes educated and sophisticated women

  • Not a citizen, usually foreigner
  • Took part in banquets and symposia

The image of the hetaira
-Representation of sex

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13
Q

The Wife

A
  • Relationship between husband and legitimate wife = production of heirs, this is the aspect privileged by literary sources and art
  • Doesn’t mean that Eros was absent from relationship
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