#s europe

[h1sstoria]

Greek homosexual activity, despite popular misconceptions, was not restricted to man-boy pairs. Vase-painting shows numerous scenes where there is little or no apparent difference in age between the young wooer and his object of courtship as well as graphic scenes of sexual experimentation between youths. Early poets such as Theognis (1.41, 1.65) and Pindar (1.86) make it clear that youths were attracted to and slept with other youths of the same age. Plato tells us that the young Charmides’ beauty provoked the admiration and love of everyone present, even the youngest boys (5.4.154). In the Phaedrus, Socrates quotes the proverb “youth delights youth” to imply that young men would prefer companions of their own age to older lovers (5.9.240). Xenophon shows Critobulus in love with Cleinias, a youth of the same age or perhaps even a bit older (5.8.4.23). Timarchus’ lover, Misgolas, appears to be the same age (4.7.49). In the Hellenistic period Meleager attests that boys were attractive to boys (6.40), and Quintilian worries about older boys corrupting younger boys in Roman schools (9.34).

Homosexuality In Greece And Rome: A Sourcebook of Basic Documents, edited by Thomas K. Hubbard

Sources referenced below the cut:

Theogonis 1.41

In youth you can sleep the night through with a friend,*

Unloading the desire for lusty action,

And you can go wooing and sing to a flute-girl’s tune—

No other thing is more thrilling than these

For men and women. What are wealth and honor to me?

Pleasure conquers all—and merrily.

Mindless men and fools weep for the dying

Instead of the blossom of youth that’s falling.

*The Greek makes it clear that the friend is an age-equal.

Theogonis 1.65

Boy, since the goddess Cypris gave you a lusty

Grace, and your beauty’s every boy’s concern,*

Listen to these words and for my sake take them to heart—

Knowing how hard it is for a man to bear desire.

*In other words, Cyrnus’ beauty arouses desire even among boys his own age.

Pindar 1.86

When Ephyrean¹ choristers pour out

My sweet voice around the Peneius,��

I expect by my songs to make the crowned Hippocleas

Still more splendid to look upon to both his age-mates and older men,

And a heartthrob for young maids. For

Different loves tickle the fancies of different folks.

Whatever each man reaches for,

If he wins it, let him hold as his desire an ambition near at hand;

Things a year in the future are impossible to foreknow.³

I have relied on the kind hospitality of Thorax, who, bustling about for my sake,

Yoked this four-horse chariot of the Muses,⁴

Favoring one who favors him, giving willing guidance to one who guides him.

To one who tests it, gold is revealed on the touchstone—

So too an upright mind.⁵

¹Ephyre was an ancient name of the Thessalian city of Krannon.

²The main river of Thessaly.

³The poet appears to be exhorting the boy not to be tempted by the other erotic opportunities that may be presented to him in his newly acquired glory, but to stick with his present good, namely Thorax.

⁴This expression is probably a metaphor for commissioning the present poem.

⁵In other words, Thorax’ virtue and devotion are proven by commissioning this poem (putting his gold to the test).

Plato 5.4.154

[...] You mustn’t judge by me, my friend. I’m a broken yardstick as far as handsome people are concerned, because practically everyone of that age strikes me as beautiful. But even so, at the moment Charmides came in he seemed to me to be amazing in stature and appearance, and everyone there looked to me to be in love with him, they were so astonished and confused by his entrance, and many other lovers followed in his train. That men of my age should have been affected this way was natural enough, but I noticed that even the small boys fixed their eyes upon him and no one of them, not even the littlest, looked at anyone else, but all gazed at him as if he were a statue. And Chaerephon called to me and said, “Well, Socrates, what do you think of the young man? Hasn’t he a splendid face?”

Plato 5.9.240

[...] But besides being harmful to his boyfriend, a lover is simply disgusting to spend the day with. ‘Youth delights youth,’ as the old proverb runs—because, I suppose, friendship grows from similarity, as boys of the same age go after the same pleasures. But you can even have too much of people your own age.

Xenophon 5.8.4.23

Hermogenes said, “Socrates, I do not consider it appropriate for you to overlook the fact that Critobulus has been so driven out of his senses by love.”

“Do you think,” said Socrates, “that he has been in this condition ever since he associated with me?”

“If not, since when?”

“Do you not see that the soft hair has recently crept alongside this one’s ears, while it already climbs from Cleinias’ chin towards the back.* Critobulus here was mightily inflamed before, when he went to the same school as Cleinias, [...]

*This suggests that Critobulus and Cleinias were both adolescents: if anything, Cleinias may have actually been a bit older. However, the interpretation of the Greek is disputed: others take the reference to be to hair on the nape of Cleinias’ neck. And 2.3 tells us that Critobulus is already married! Perhaps Critobulus is exaggerating his youthful appearance to imagine him-self as more like his beloved.

Aeschines 4.7.49

I want to say something else in advance, in case Misgolas obeys the laws and your authority. There are men who by their nature differ from others in their physical appearance as far as age is concerned. There are some men who though young appear mature and older, while others though old when one counts the years seem positively young. Misgolas is one of these. He is in fact a contemporary of mine and was an ephebe¹ with me; we are both in our forty-fifth year. And I myself have all these grey hairs that you see, but he doesn’t. Why do I give this advance warning? So that when you suddenly see him you will not be surprised and mentally respond: “Heracles! He is not much older than Timarchus!”² For it is a fact both that his appearance is naturally like this and that Timarchus was already a youth when Misgolas had relations with him. . . .

¹This refers to mandatory military service between the ages of eighteen and twenty.

²In fact, Timarchus seems also to be at least 45 at the time of this speech, judging from his service on the Council in 361 (mentioned in section 109); one had to be at least 30 to serve. Aeschines is apparently attempting to confuse the jurors and make Timarchus seem younger than Misgolas, whereas they were in fact the same age. Some commentators suspect textual corruption and think Aeschines and Misgolas were 54 rather than 45.

Meleager 6.40

Delicate Diodorus, casting a flame upon his young age-mates,

Has been caught by the flirtatious eyes of Timarion,*

And retains the sweet-bitter weapon of Eros. Truly, in this I see

A new wonder. Fire blazes bright burned by fire.

*A female courtesan.

Quintilian 9.34

I do not approve of younger and older boys sitting together in a classroom. For even if such a man as one would want is set over their studies and character and can keep the young modest, the weak should still be separated from the stronger, and not only the charge of moral turpitude, but even the suspicion of it should be avoided. I have considered that these matters should be briefly noted. That the teacher himself and his school be free from the worst vices I think hardly even needs to be said. And if there is anyone who in selecting a teacher does not avoid obvious moral misconduct, let him know that if this factor has been overlooked, everything else we try to devise for the benefit of the young is utterly futile.

[tamanegi-san]

its 3 am and I have offerings

have these late night conjured head cannons of mine for next chapter if Asagiri decides to pan back over to meursault

[retrogamingblog2]

Pac-man easter egg in the subway in Stockholm, Sweden

[gemsofgreece]

Monemvasiá at Peloponnese, Greece. Valantis M. Photography

[leocadra]

Kinsale, Munster, Ireland.

[did-you-expect-this]

I got way too excited when I went op shopping in Berlin and found Hawkeye’s Hawaiian shirt.

Not the craziest or most interesting thing on mashblr but it excited my adhd brain >:)

(I realise it’s not exactly the same but it’s close enough okay)

[vertigoartgore]

Spider-Man #0 Cover - Marvel Italia by Claudio Castellini (1994).

[slapthebass]

Source: @atami46791 on Twitter

[h1sstoria]

“The barmaid Syrisca’s [“the Syrian woman”] head is wreathed with a Greek headdress. Trained to move her gyrating hips to the music of the castanet, she sensuously and drunkenly dances in the smoky tavern and shakes the rustling reeds on her elbows. She says, “What good is it for a weary man to be off somewhere in the hot dust rather than reclining here on the drinking couch? Here there are landscape paintings, drinking cups, roses, flutes, guitars, and a cool terrace roofed with shadowing reeds . . . . Recline and drink from your cups of warm wine. Lift your ever-refilled cups. Come here, weary one, and rest under the shadow of the vines. Crown your head with a garland of roses. Snatch a kiss from the pretty lips of a youthful girl.””

Appendix Vergiliana, the Copa lines 1–8 and 29–33 (1st century AD)

[retrogamingblog2]

Pac-man easter egg in the subway in Stockholm, Sweden

[gemsofgreece]

Astypálea, Greece by Giorgos Charitos. 

[nyxx01]

All eyes on Rafah right the fuck now‼️‼️‼️

They are trying to distract the world with the met gala, it was NOT a coincidence it was planned. Do NOT let them have their way.

If you have any humanity left in your soul, speak the fuck up!!

Free Palestine 🇵🇸

Power to the people.

We will never give up, we will never forget.

Liberation for all.

[slapthebass]

Amazing video by @ginaxhk on IG!

DIR EN GREY - EUROPE TOUR24 FROM DEPRESSION TO [mode of Withering to death] - WARSAW 19/03/24

↳ Toshiya being Toshiya during C