What Happend To The Homosexuality In Roman times?

Answer 1

Regarding the answer above, when the western part of the Roman Empire fell, it did not evolve into the Holy Roman Empire (HRE). The HRE was created in 962, nearly 500 years after the fall of this part of this empire. When it fell, it was split into the kingdoms of Germanic peoples: Vandals, Sueves, Visigoths, Burgundians, Franks and Alemanni. Christianity changed Roman attitudes towards homosexuality and this occurred with the spread of Christianity around the Roman Empire during the period of the Later Empire. It must not be forgotten that Christianity spread and developed during the Roman days and that it is the Romans who have given us Christianity (both Catholic and Orthodox).

The Romans were not bothered about homosexuality as such. Latin does not even have words which can be precisely translated into heterosexual and homosexual. Homosexual intercourse was all right as long as it did not occur between Roman citizens, because this went against the notion of Romans as virile men. The Romans almost had a cult of virility. Homosexual intercourse with a slave or a non-Roman was fine because this implied that it was the slave or non-Roman who was penetrated. Penetration was considered dominant and masculine. The idea of a Roman citizen being penetrated was abhorrent because it was considered passive, submissive and effeminate. The real dichotomy for the Romans was between dominant/masculine and passive/submissive/effeminate. Sex with prostitutes and entertainers was fine even if they were Roman citizens because they had the inferior social status of infamia (without reputation and esteem).

A man who got penetrated was called with the derogatory term of pathicus. This comes from the verb passus (to undergo, submit to, endure, suffer,) from which the word passive is derived. Cinaedus was a derogatory word for a man who was perceived as a deviant because his mannerisms, sense of dress and use of cosmetics were considered as effeminate and deficient as a man. He was perceived as allowing himself to be penetrated, even if he had sex with them. The puer delicatus or deliciae (delightful boy) was a child slave who was the toy boy of his master.

Same sex relations with non-Romans needed not be keep secret. There were important men who had male lovers or concubines. The emperor Hadrian deified Antinous, a Greek who was his lover, when the drowned in the Nile and created a cult devoted to him. Both of these had previously been reserved for members of the imperial family. Healso had a city should be built on the site of his death in his commemoration and called it Antinopolis (city of Antinous).

Sexual intercourse between Roman soldiers was punished harshly as a violation of military discipline as well as being considered socially abhorrent. There was a report of a soldier being clubbed to death for willingly submitting to penetration. A soldier who killed his commanding officer because of sexual assault was acquitted in his trial, escaping the death penalty. He was also given the crown of bravery. He had upheld his right to defend his sexual integrity. Romans soldiers were allowed to obtain sexual gratification from prostitutes of either gender, male slaves and same-sex relations with non-Romans.

Roman female homosexuality is hardly documented. It was the subject of male fantasies, such as women using dildos for penetration or doing it with a huge clitoris, sodomising boys, being masculine looking, drinking and eating like men, being heavily into exercise and the like.