Exploring the Lustful Gods and Sexuality of Ancient Greece
Exploring the Lustful Gods and Sexuality of Ancient Greece
From the Cretan civilization to the Spartans, Ancient Greece is famous for its views on sexuality and stories about sexuality. You must have heard about the love stories and sexual adventures of the Greek gods. After all, the number of adventures by Zeus is endless! Here we have analyzed this interesting Ancient Greek history in the context of sexuality.
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In many ways, it is not surprising that sexuality comes to mind when we think of ancient Greece and Greek mythology.
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1. The expression of sexuality in Ancient Greece begins with the Cretan civilization, which ruled from about 3650 to 1400 BC.
Women were usually depicted with thin waists, large breasts, long hair and full hips. Today, such a depiction might sound sexist, but not at that time.
Although the term may not sound pleasant, "pederasty" was another aspect that could not be ignored when referring to sexuality in Ancient Greece.
In the ritual, the 'philetor' would take the 'kleinos' deep into the forest and hunt with him for two months, entertaining his friends and having sexual intercourse in the process.
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'Philetor' would shower the boy with gifts: a chalice with spiritual meaning, an ox to sacrifice to Zeus and a military uniform.
3. You may have heard of the lecherous 'satyrs' who have donkey ears, horse tails and are half goat and half human.
Apart from being the representation of sexuality in a mythological context, satyrs have also given their name to the disease of sex addiction, which is called 'satyriasis' in psychology today.
4. In Greek mythology, one of the most important stories is the story of Achilles, the glorious hero of the Trojan War, and his love for Briseis of Troy, whom he took as a trophy of war.
5. Masturbation was quite common in Ancient Greece, and it carried with it a sense of security because it didn't carry the disappointment of a real relationship.
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Diogenes, the philosopher known for living in a barrel, also masturbated regularly in the middle of the street.
Of course, masturbation is not unique to Ancient Greece; many other civilizations have also left evidence of it.
6. Femininity in men and wearing clothes typical of the opposite sex are common phenomena in mythology and history.
On the contrary, some names that are said to wear women's clothes may surprise you!
According to some sources, there was also a period when Achilles, our "lion-hearted" hero, lived disguised as a woman.
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There are also rumors that 20-year-old Julius Caesar disguised himself as a woman while living in the palace of King Nicodemes IV.
What do you think about ancient Greek perspectives on gender and sexuality? Let's meet in the comments!
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