Dear lovelies!!

Lots of homophobia in ancient civilisations was rooted in misogyny

In Ancient Greece and Rome (my example because that’s my specialty) - they’re often praised now for their view on homosexuality (even though lots of women were treated HORRIBLY but oh well but also I can go into detail on what women were and weren’t allowed to do because it wasn’t pretty housewife but that’s an essay for another time)

However, then, homosexuality was only normally accepted in men. Not women. The sources from Ancient Rome (there was one sort of astrology relationship guide I think the author was Apollonius? Something like that I can’t be bothered to get my book out and search for it) said that people were aware of lesbians as well, but it was sexualised and seen as a sort of prostitute thing or dirty - this guy said to let the women do what they want and he was like a Roman hippie 💀

Homosexuality in men WAS accepted and more common than (acted on? Known?) homosexuality in women, but it was only accepted if you were the top. Being the bottom was viewed as effeminate, which was a massive insult. Being called effeminate as a Roman man was a massive massive insult. In fact, even in heterosexual relationships, a man being in a submissive position was highly frowned upon as it was ‘womanlike’, unless it was at a brothel because ‘that’ just what prostitutes are like’. Examples of submissive homosexuality used as an insult:

- in Greek comedy, ‘sailing with Cleisthenes’ was a euphemism for having homosexual sex, as Cleisthenes was renowned for being a ‘bottom’ in homosexual relationships, it was often used to mock characters in a way that implied them shirking work? Or to mock Cleisthenes himself (my memory of this one is a bit hazy but the point stands)

- Cicero in his invective speeches (diss tracks) against Mark Anthony accused him of being the submissive partner of homosexual sex with a man called Curio. He also accused him of ‘wanting to be Caesar’s slave’ (this was a made up relationship entirely for slanderous purposes)

- Caesar himself was rumoured to have slept with a man called King Nicomedes. He was nicknamed the Queen of Bythnia (I can’t remember how to spell it) while holding the most powerful position a Roman could hold before he became dictator

Thanks for sharing all this !!

this girl is writing a Julius Caesar musical inspired by the Shakespeare play