History Bisexuality

shudo (japanese pederasty): young male entertains older male lover, covering eyes while surreptitiously kissing female servant.




young man , teenager engaging in intercrural sex, fragment of black-figure attic cup, 550 bc–525 bc, louvre.

ancient greeks , romans did not associate sexual relations binary labels, modern western society does. men had male lovers not identified homosexual, , may have had wives or other female lovers.

ancient greek religious texts, reflecting cultural practices, incorporated bisexual themes. subtexts varied, mystical didactic. spartans thought love , erotic relationships between experienced , novice soldiers solidify combat loyalty , unit cohesion, , encourage heroic tactics men vied impress lovers. once younger soldiers reached maturity, relationship supposed become non-sexual, not clear how strictly followed. there stigma attached young men continued relationships mentors adulthood. example, aristophanes calls them euryprôktoi, meaning wide arses , , depicts them women.

similarly, in ancient rome, gender did not determine whether sexual partner acceptable, long man s enjoyment did not encroach on s man integrity. expected , socially acceptable freeborn roman man want sex both female , male partners, long took penetrative role. morality of behavior depended on social standing of partner, not gender per se. both women , young men considered normal objects of desire, outside marriage man supposed act on desires slaves, prostitutes (who slaves), , infames. immoral have sex freeborn man s wife, marriageable daughter, underage son, or man himself; sexual use of man s slave subject owner s permission. lack of self-control, including in managing 1 s sex life, indicated man incapable of governing others; indulgence in low sensual pleasure threatened erode elite male s identity cultured person.