Why were the ancient Greeks tolerant towards homosexuality?

Question

Ancient Greeks were the nation to set the basis of modern western civilization. How you explain that while they were such a wise nation, they were still tolerant towards homosexuality? (some even say they and practised it in large scale)

Answer 1

I think your question should be the other way around.
Why would an intelligent nation be against homosexuality?

The old Greeks understood that there is no threat in gay sexuality. It will never get to the point that, if you accept homosexuality, everyone will only have homosexual contacts. Men and women will allways be attracted to each other and make children, so it doesn't form any threat against the survival of a nation.

They where a wise nation indeed, and in that wisdom they saw only benefits from that sexual freedom. When you had soldiers (that was also a big part in the Roman army and not just the Greek), those soldiers got very frustrated if they could not have sexual contacts. They had to be away from their wifes for years sometimes. That frustration is solved if they could have sexual freedom and can have homosexual contact.

I think they also saw the big part of pleasure. Look at greek gods and half-gods, they where all sexual beeings and had bisexual contacts. They saw nothing wrong with that. It is a strange thing from this society to condemn those pleasures.

Besides that, again, people who are stricktly gay are (and will always be) a minority. They fully realised that the majority would still be male-female relationships and therefore make children.
Therefore the old Greek (and Romans) only saw benefits from homosexual and bisexual contacts, and no threats at all.

Answer 2

There are a number of different theories put forward to explain the acceptance of male-male sexualities in ancient Greece.

1) traditional scholarship - since Greece was admired as the source of Western civilization, 19th and 20th century scholars had a hard time dealing with homo-eroticism in Greek literature and philosophy, many early European scholars theorized that Greek homosexuality developed because women were largely kept in seclusion (untrue about Sparta where boys were encouraged to choose a male lover) and as a population check of too many people in a small physical space (though this would not account for other ancient people NOT developing the same homosexual "cultures" as ancient Greece (ancient India for example)
2) The Greeks themselves (Plato, Aristophanes, Anacreon, etc.) explained their interest in male-male Eros as being based in the belief that the love of man-to-man was superior (philosophically) to the love of man-to-woman. The reason being that man-to-woman love produced material off-spring (children,) while male-male love could only produce great deeds and accomplishments as the "children" of their union (this is the argument offered in Plato's symposium.)

3) Modern scholarship- more recent scholarship theorizes that Greek homosexual Eros may have derived from a more ancient form of sacred warrior homosexuality (a modern example would be the highland tribes of New Guinea ) where warriors are "formed" by a sacred relationship with an older warrior. This could account for the institutional "military" homosexualities of Sparta and Thebes (the sacred band) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_in_the_militaries_of_ancient_Greece

Whatever the actual explanation(s) an important thing to hold in mind is that the concept of "homosexuality" would have been radically different in ancient Greece from contemporary America. While it was considered "normal" for an ephebe (boys 15-18) to accept a lover (eromenos) from among the "older" citizens (22-30), and in return for a (sometime) physical relationship receive political, military and social mentoring from his older lover; this relationship (even if lifelong as in the Theban Sacred band) would never keep either of the parties from marrying when they were 30 and having a family. Greek 'homosexuality" was built around the "beauty of youth" and the "philosophical" nature of make Eros rather than the idea of "attraction" to members of the same sex. Try this site for a more in depth discussion of the various aspects of Greek homosexualities: http://www.religionfacts.com/homosexuality/ancient_greeks.htmm

Answer 3

All the Trojan warriors were gay and had wives. They felt that sleeping together made them fighter harder for one another. It wasn't a sin. It was normal then. It wasn't until the much later in history that homosexuality became a sin. All through history there has been homosexuality. It is a part of life and always has been. It will continue to be a normal part of life for many.

Answer 4

The ancient cultures (Egyptians, Greeks, Romans...) had no problem with same gender sex, polyamorous sex, orgiastic sex... They were more liberal-minded with regard to sex and it's role in (their) society.

It was only with the rise of Christianity (and it's dogmatic attitude of "sex for procreation only") that social attitudes were moderated to the extent that the more puritanical men would only visit their wives at night, when they would judge that it was te right time to conceive - separate bedrooms otherwise (and any number of STD-ridden prostitutes).

Fortunately, times are gradually bringing back more sexual freedoms. Sex is no longer only for procreation. Gays are recognised in the western world. Kids are no longer ostracised for being born out of wedlock. Women can choose when (if) to have children...

Answer 5

In Ancient (and not so very ancient) Greece men used young boys for sexual gratification. These men were not all homosexual, but rather were using the boys simply for their own gratification, as an act of dominance. In our culture we'd see this as child abuse, in theirs, it was a part of growing up. It is a cultural difference, and to the extent that one party was a young boy, one we, even as homosexuals, would not endorse.

Answer 6

Gay and bi were accepted up to the time that Rome turned Christian. Shortly after which Rome collapsed. Thus you might blame the fact that Christians were every-where for the fall of Rome.
Tammi Dee

Answer 7

because you can't change human nature and they (very wisely) accepted that sexuality is fluid for many and a small part of who a person is. it also meant the troops weren't lonely when away from home and men fought better protecting their beloved by their side than for some dim memory of home.

Answer 8

I don't know the answer to that but isn't weird that towards the end of every civilization gay people are everywhere to be seen coming out of every nook and cranny.

Answer 9

they (that time) didnt see homosexuality as a bad thing or as we see it today. they thought that with that way they loved each other and they were one! dont see how the american books write it today..they just cant see through their eyes that period.. Greeks was wise and they blv sth we cant understand..

Answer 10

this answer is very simple....in those times, people were open minded spirituals who lived to love, lived for sex, and lived for the beauty of their land. Now in day, the society we live in has gone to crap and people have become more and more ignorant and narrow minded,