The Sexuality Thing

[Linda]

Plato refers to the pairing in The Symposium, debating what the relationship might have been."Very different was the reward of the true love of Achilles towards his lover Patroclus-his lover and not his love (the notion that Patroclus was the beloved one is a foolish error into which Aeschylus has fallen, for Achilles was surely the fairer of the two, fairer also than all the other heroes; and, as Homer informs us, he was still beardless, and younger far)."Taken from The Internet Classics Archive. Complex issue, obviously.

[H]

Hello TreRe: Alexander would have punched someone in the face who asked such questions, that's for sure :-)But not because he thought there was anything wrong in such a relationship. He would do it because they would be stepping over polite barriers to pry into his private life. No wonder there is no real mention of anything re: this from his friends. Even after his death, we know they believed he still had the power to affect their lives and so they would not have dreamed of discussing, particularly not in writing, anything that he would not have allowed when he was alive.I know you understand this, Tre, but today, when there is so much hatred directed at same-sex relationships, it needs to be said for those who are new to Alexander.Regards
Halil

[John.]

The passage from Theopompus you mention is embedded in Polybius. You can find it at the link below (it's after the big red #9).http://www.ku.edu/history/index/europe/ ... eopomompus is specificly attacking Philip and his Companions, not Macedonians in general. There was quite a difference between Philip and his Companions, and Alexander and his. There was a lot less "monkey business" going on with Alexander and his Companions.Alexander appreciated Theopompus, and bailed him out of trouble on more than one occasion.John

[John.]

The link in the above post didn't underline completely, for some reason. It won't work right unless you add those last few characters.John

[aen]

Damn near did the same thing myself, Halil, when I first saw it in Tre's post. Simply unbelievable. Of all the subjects Mr. Dover could choose to write about . . . Quite incredible.

[Tre]

I would hope no one would interpret what I said in that remark as being remotely anti-gay, anti-bi or anti-straight or anti-anything for that matter. Sexual orientation is not an important issue for me because I don't label people, nor do I consider any particular orientation as being superior or inferior (this does not include exploitation of the weak and helpless, pedophilia et al). However, it will raise my ire when people sit in judgement of others about something so unimportant in the grand scheme of what makes a person truly human and a credit to the planet. I have never had a desire to see the ancient world as anything but what it really was so I park my baggage in the present and disembark in the past with nothing but my brain and a good bit of common sense, i.e. don't believe everything you read, then or now. The remark was meant as you explained it should have meant and I apologize if anyone thought different. Apparently, my writing skills failed me in this instance.And that's the "Last of the Whine' for me on this.Regards,Tre