Written by Flora Gilchrist
Content warning – this piece alludes to mythological stories which involve various kinds of sexual assault, including rape.
Many of us have heard the stories of ancient Greek mythology, such as the heroic portrayals of Zeus, Apollo, and Achilles. What is omitted from the narrative however, especially by many historians, is the underlying homoeroticism present in these ancient tales. On top of this, there are many lesser-known stories in ancient Greek mythology that contain homoerotic undertones and gender fluid characters. This article seeks to uncover the variety of Greek characters who submit to their queer fantasies, to whatever extent that may be.
Firstly, one must acknowledge the more well-known stories of Greek mythology. These stories echo throughout history, appearing repeatedly both in museums and academic history, but also recreated in pop culture, with the new publication of Madeline Miller’s book The Song of Achilles for example. What is often negated from these historical narratives however is the underlying queerness and fluidity of their characters. The Greek god Zeus is a prime example; Zeus is most famous for being the King of Gods, overthrowing his father Cronus and exploiting his thunderbolt weapon. He was also famously involved in many love affairs, labelled as a womaniser, even transforming into a cuckoo to rape his wife. However, his affairs with men appear to have been historically glossed over. It is less well-known that Zeus transformed into an eagle and abducted Ganymede, a young male mortal, forcing him to become the cupbearer for the Gods.
There is also an abundance of lesser-known stories to be explored, with equally as complex, queer, and curious storylines. One more subtle rumoured love story is between Poseidon and Pelops. Poseidon, God of the sea, is also known for his love affairs, with his main love interest being Amphitrite, his consort. Like Zeus, most of his lovers were female, meaning the one documented homoerotic affair is often disregarded. There is an overemphasis on Poseidon’s sexual relationships with women, simply because most of his lovers were female. This underscores a common issue within the retelling of ancient Greek mythology. Before becoming King to the Peloponnesian region, Pelops was the apprentice to Poseidon and always by his side. Poseidon had a special bond with Pelops, even gifting him a chariot with winged horses. However, it is interesting to note that the retelling of their relationship followed the conventions of the typical ancient Greek homoerotic affair, with a more powerful protector figure (Poseidon in this case), becoming romantically involved with a younger figure (Pelops).
The rigid power dynamic between Poseidon and Pelops arguably reflects the homoerotic nature of ancient Greece. Ancient Greek society was known to be more fluid, driven by lust and status, and not restricted to the binary notions of sexuality with which we are familiar. There was no emphasis on labels but a preoccupation with rank and reputation, with many rich elderly men having affairs with (and effectively grooming) younger, more vulnerable men to showcase their power and status. These homosexual affairs were common in all aspects of ancient life, including the military. In neighbouring Sparta, the Sacred Band of Thebes is a well-known army of a hundred and fifty pairs of male lovers who fought in fourth century BC. This army is partially a product of the close connections formed by men in the military, with service being compulsory until you were considered an elder.
Despite some homosexual practices being accepted, like in the military and brief affairs to boost status, queer love was still restricted, with only certain privileged groups being able to indulge. Wealthy men could delight in their homoerotic fantasies to some extent, whereas women and those with a lower status were excluded from these rights. However, even wealthy men’s homoerotic drives were restricted to fleeting affairs, with male-on-male relationships (especially of the same age) being unheard of. Status and sexuality were therefore intertwined, a higher status allowing one to indulge in homoerotic acts, coinciding with the stories of Zeus and Poseidon.
One striking example, which is void of exploitation and power play, is the tragic love story between Achilles and Patroclus. As explained above, so-called ‘normal’ homoerotic encounters included relations between a dominant, older man and a passive, younger man. However, the love story between Achilles and Patroclus is different, with Patroclus only being slightly older, with the couple growing up together. Because Patroclus was older, he should therefore fall into the protector role, however this is completely undercut by Patroclus’ eventual demise, being unable to kill Trojan Prince Hector and leaving Achilles to struggle through life alone. Moreover, the power dynamic differs from typical homoerotic relations in ancient Greece, with power constantly switching, starting with Pelias ordering Patroclus to be the squire of Achilles, but in the Iliad Achilles is younger than Patroclus. Achilles and Patroclus therefore defy stereotypical ancient Greek labels of dominant and submissive male lovers, going against contemporary societal norms and standing as anomalies in the chronicles of ancient Greek mythology.
As well as the abundance of same sex male relations evident in Greek mythology, there are also Gods who are presented as genderfluid, intersex and/or androgynous. A more well-known example is Hermaphroditus, God of androgyny and effeminate men and the two sexed child of Aphrodite and Hermes. The most famous artworks of Hermaphroditus depict them with male genitals but softer more feminine features, such as long hair. In many ancient texts they are described as half man half woman, namely in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, where he is born a boy but then is raped by his caregiver Salamacis, and then upon Salamacis’ request to the Gods fused together for eternity. Another interesting genderfluid character is Iphis, who is daughter of Ligdus and Telethusa. Ovid describes Iphis’ backstory, being born a girl but raised as a boy. Not only does Iphis transgress gender binaries, but her story is also (for a fleeting moment) one of the only ancient Greek love stories between two women. However, before their homosexual love story can blossom fully, the goddess Isis intervenes and turns Iphis into a young man, and the marriage continues. The fact that their queer love story was barred from progressing mirrors ancient Greek society, exemplifying that homosexuality was a privilege only wealthy men could indulge in, and even then, only momentarily for status rather than genuine love.
To conclude, the queer nature of ancient Greece both in mythology and society becomes increasingly apparent when we look at a plethora of examples, both famous and less well known. You could argue same sex attraction was so normalised that in these ancient tales there was no need for clarification or emphasis on queerness, because for that audience there did not need to be. However, after completing a deeper analysis of these tales, it is clear that many same sex relationships are either overridden (by heterosexual love affairs in the case of Zeus and Poseidon) or undercut by tragedy (Achilles and Patroclus). Therefore it is more accurate to argue that these identities were hidden for darker reasons; the idea of homosexuality had not yet blossomed independently and was too entangled with ulterior motives such as power and status in order to be fully realised and accepted.
Bibliography
Boehringer, Sandra, Caciagli Stefano, Stevens Anne, ‘The Age of Love: Gender and Erotic Reciprocity in Archaic Greece’ Clio, Women, Gender, History, 42 (2015), 25-26.
Kamen, Deborah, ‘Naturalised desires and the metamorphosis of Iphis,’ Texas Tech University Press 39, 21-36.
Ovid, Metamorphoses (9.666-797) and (4.285-388), edited by R.J. Tarrant, Ed, 43 BC-17 0r 18 A.D
Penadés, Antonio, ‘Bred for Battle – Understanding Ancient Sparta’s Military Machine,’ National Geographic History Magazine (November/December 2016).
Silberman, Lauren, ‘Mythographic Transformations of Ovid’s Hermaphrodite,’ The Sixteenth Century Journal 19, no. 4 (1988), 643–52.
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