Sacred Band of Thebes – The Elite Military Lovers

[guy]

 

Nice review of this effective military band of same-sex lovers:

Quote

The Greek geographer Pausanias (AD 110-180) in his “Description of Greece”, mentions that the Thebans had erected a lion statue near Chaeronea to commemorate the Thebans killed in the battle.

During the 19th century, pieces of a large stone lion were rediscovered, along with a quadrangular enclosure containing the remains of 254 men, that many historians argue is the final resting place of the fallen soldiers from the Sacred Band of Thebes.

 

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/06/the-sacred-band-of-thebes-the-elite-military-unit-of-same-sex-lovers/139599?fbclid=IwAR3cxaHt7Bg4a9NzvBsehxWjxjHFLcOibyBC7zk-JxM41Tq4zIAW0zbFj3A&amp

 

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by guy

[caldrail]

This gay thing? It's overstated. A common aspect of warrior culture anywhere in the world is a tendency for male bonding. That doesn't mean sex, nor does the Theban relief imply that. What happens is a range of relationships from full on lovers to the mildly friendly, and indeed, to ancient peoples the relief might suggest no more than the 'band of brothers' so beloved of recent WW2 drama. I do know the Greeks were more physical about relationships between men but that did not mean they were actual lovers, just that it might be acceptable to touch, stroke, or caress for reasons such as admiration and closeness.

Please note also that between warriors women have a tendency to be seen as interfering or untrustworthy. A man fighting at your side can be relied on - your wife might not be so dependable.

However I must concede that human  relationships are viewed with different emphasis in ancient times. The Romans for instance saw the active partner as male, the passive partner as female, regardless of actual gender.