Plutarch Moralia Summary

The Greek concept of homosexuality is nothing more than the idea of love until the act of sex comes into play. Not all forms of consensual homosexual behavior were approved by the Greeks. In particular, it demonstrates how the Greeks saw effeminacy in the male as degrading. The masculine status of the adult Athenian male was not jeopardized by sexual acts with other men or boys so long as he took the dominant, active role. Plutarch’s Moralia contextualizes the roles of sex very well. He states that, “we class those who enjoy the passive part as belonging to the lowest depth of vice and allow them not the least degree of confidence or respect or friendship” (Plutarch, Moralia 768E). This specific sentiment of Greek culture is largely seen as …show more content…
Because of this reason, the practice of pederasty was widely accepted in Greek culture and the reaches of its territories. Although sexual affairs between two adult men were less common and somewhat stigmatized, it was common for an adult male to court a pre-pubescent boy in a very unique relationship. Ideally, the older partner in a pederastic relationship strove to win the admiration and love of the younger through exemplary conduct, while the younger sought to emulate the older. In Sparta, this pedagogic function was heavily militarized while in Athens it involved preparation for the more varied life of an Athenian Adult (Plato, Symposium 182-85, 192A). As previously stated the Greek culture accepted the construct of homosexuality as a fully realized desire to find the other half of one’s whole. Love between any two humans was a completely accepted concept. The perception of homosexuality begins to deviate in Greek culture when sex is involved, reserving that occasion solely for two beings of varying social status. In all previously cited cases of a homosexual presence in Greek culture, the age gap was large enough to consider the relationships pederastic. Because of this the Greek society accepted the relationships as valid, establishing the construct of ancient Greek culture even more thoroughly. The concept of homosexuality was seen as a completely valid occasion, as long as it served as a sort of

Show More

Related Documents: Plutarch Moralia Summary

History Of Syncretism