homosexuality-and-civilization

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Beautiful boy, flower fair, Glittering jewel, if only you knew That the loveliness of your face Was the torch of my love. The moment I saw you Cupid struck me; but I hesitate, For my Dido holds me, And I fear her wrath. Oh, how happy would I be If for a new favorite I could abandon this love In the ordinary way. I will win, as I believe, For I will yield to you in the hunt: I am the hunter, you are the hunter, And I yield to any hunter like you. Even the ruler of heaven, Once the ravisher of boys, If he were here now would carry off Such beauty to his heavenly bower. Then, in the chambers of heaven, You would be equally ready for any task: Sometimes in bed, other times as cupbearer-- And Zeus' delight in both.

To an English Boy, Hilary the Englishman, 12th century. Originally in Latin.

#poetry #zeus #12th century #Hilary the Englishman

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Distortion on this issue was little known in the ancient world but became more widespread with the dramatic shift in public morality following the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. Ignorance was the major force behind the loss of information on this subject in medieval Europe - with Alcibiades occasionally appearing in medieval literature as a female companion to Socrates - but the heavy hand of the censor was also evident. In a manuscript of Ovid's Art of Love, for example, a phrase which originally read, 'a boy's love appealed to me less' was amended by a medieval moralist to read, 'a boy's love appealed to me not at all' and a marginal note informed the reader, 'Thus you may be sure Ovid was not a sodomite.' Crudities of this sort are of course easily detected, and more modern ages devised subtler means of disguising gay sentiments and sexuality. Changing the gender of pronouns has been popular at least since Michelangelo's grand-nephew employed this means to render his uncle's sonnets more acceptable to the public; and scholars have continued the ruse even where no one's reputation was involved: when the Persian moral fables of Sa'di were translated into English in the 19th century, Francis Gladwin conscientiously transformed each story about gay love into a heterosexual romance by altering the offending pronouns. As late of the mid-twentieth century, the ghazals of Hafiz were still being falsified in this way.

Christianity, Social Tolerance & Homosexuality, John Boswell

#censorship #John Boswell #ovid #hafiz #michelangelo

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

In a now famous remark, Edward Gibbons observed that 'of the first fifteen emperors Claudius was the only one whose taste in love was entirely correct', meaning heterosexual. If Gibbon was right, the Roman Empire was ruled for almost 200 consecutive years by men whose homosexual interests, if not exclusive, were sufficiently noteworthy to be included for posterity.

Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality by John Boswell.

"But," added W.C. Firebaugh in 1966, "Claudius was a moron."

#roman empire #ancient rome #emperor claudius #john boswell

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Zeus came as an eagle to god-like Ganymede, as a swan came he to the fair-haired mother of Helen. So there is no comparison to the two things; one person likes one, another likes the other; I like both.

From the Anthologia Palatina (Greek Anthology), a collection of Greek poems and epigrams dating from the 7th century BCE to 600 CE and discovered in 1606. A selection of other English translations can be read here.

#ancient greece #epigrams

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Brother Anselm to Dom Gilbert, brother, friend, beloved lover...sweet to me, sweetest friend, are the gifts of your sweetness, but they cannot begin to console my desolate heart for its want of your love. Even if you sent every scent of perfume, every glitter of metal, every precious gem, every texture of cloth, still it could not make up to my soul for this separation unless it returned the separated other half. The anguish of my heart just thinking about this bears witness, as do the tears dimming my eyes and wetting my face and the fingers writing this. You recognized, as I do now, my love for you, but I did not. Our separation from each other has shown me how much I loved you; a man does not in fact have knowledge of good and evil unless he has experienced both. Not having experienced your absence, I did not realize how sweet it was to be with you and how bitter to be without you.

Epistle 1.75 from the Patrologia Latina, attributed to Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), a Benedictine monk, philosopher, and prelate of the church.

#11th century #12th century #saint anselm

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

My soul, there is a proper time of life in which to gather love; yet, should a person catch the gleams that flash from Theoxenus' eyes and not be deluged with desire, his heart is black and hammered over frozen flame to adamant or iron. Slighted by eyelid-fluttering Aphrodite, he either labors crushingly for money, or, effeminately bold, he wafts down every road and mollifies his mind. But I, beneath her influence, melt like the wax of sacred bees beneath the sun, when I gaze upon the fresh-limbed youth of boys. Yes, in Tenedos, seductiveness and grace reside in Hagesila's son.

Pithian 8, Pindar, c. 522–443 BCE.

One of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, it was said, "His life ended as he had wished it to; in answer to his prayer for the finest of life's blessings, he met death quickly in the theatre, lying in the arms of his beloved Theoxenus."

#pindar #poetry #ancient greece #theoxenus

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Boy, you're like a horse. Just now sated with seed, You've come back to my stable, Yearning for a good rider, fine meadow, An icy spring, shady groves.

Theognis of Megara

A lyric poet near the 6th century BC, little is known of his life save for his poetry about morals and cynicism and what he wrote about the men he was involved with. The name of his erômenos (beloved) seems to have been Cyrnus.

#ancient greece #theognis of megara #6th century #poetry

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Honestly, I wish I were dead. Weeping she left with many tears, And said; "Oh what terrible things we endured. Sappho, truly, against my will I leave you." And I answered: "Go, be happy, and remember me; For you know how we cared for you. And if not, then I want to remind you...of the wonderful things we shared. For many wreaths of violets and roses... you put on by my side. And many woven garlands fashioned of flowers, you tied round your soft neck. And with rich myrrh, fit for a queen, you anointed... And on a soft bed, tenderly, you satisfied our desire. And there was no sacred place from which we were absent. No grove, No dance, No sound...

Fragment 94, Sappho. Translation by Ellen Greene.

Ellipses are in place where words are absent from the original damaged text.

#sappho #poetry #ellen greene #ancient greece

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

She has gone out, and she is far away, but I see her still, for all within this room is full of her, all is hers, and I just like the rest. This bed, still warm, where my mouth is wandering now, is rumpled to the pattern of her body. In this soft pillow her little ringleted head has softly slept. This is the basin where she oft has washed; this comb has smoothed the knots of her tangled hair. These slippers have held her little naked feet. This gauze bandeau restrained her swelling breasts. But I dare not touch, even with my finger, this mirror in which she sees her burning bruises, and in which, perhaps, the image of her sweet moist lips is still reflected.

Absence, The Songs of Bilitis (1894).

#the songs of bilitis #19th century #poetry

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Admin Note

Due to some commentary, I'd like to make it clear that this tumblr is supposed to be inclusive of the entire LGBTQ+ community and not just a narrow umbrella of 'homosexuality'. The title of this blog came from Louis Crompton's text of the same name, which inspired me to make this tumblr in the first place. All of this information has been in the blog header since the day I opened H&C.

Trans content in particular can be very hard to find due to trying to discern if something is appropriate or something else like ritual or satire that isn't a reflection of personal identity, although I'm always looking for more and it is a part of this tumblr.

I refrain from listing historical figures as gay, bisexual, lesbian, or queer as well unless they self-identify (like Natalie Clifford Barney) because the labels we use today don't apply cleanly to historical context or universally to every culture.

Sappho would have only called herself a Lesbian because she was a citizen of Lesbos. That doesn't change that she wrote a score of poems about loving women or what her sexuality happened to be, but I don't know what word she would have used to identify her love of women, so I refrain from tagging with a particular label.

Anyone who follows or reblogs can tag as they like, but I don't want it assumed that the lack of particular tags on H&C is a sign of exclusivity.

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Lord in heaven, who brought forth wonders by fire and water for our Fathers, cooling Abraham's Chaldean kiln, so in its flames he'd not be burned; who altered Dina's fate in the womb, and made a serpent of Moses' wands; who whited with illness Miriam's hands and turned the Sea of Reeds into land- transforming the muddy bed of the Jordan into passable sand, and making from stone and shale a pool whose springs would not fail if only you would make me female! If that alone might be done, how wondrous then would be my fortune Spared the arduous labor of men, I'd settle down and raise my children. But why complain and so bitterly whine? If my Father in heaven is so inclined as to fashion me with a lasting deformity, how could I ask that He take it from me? Worry about what just can't be is incurable pain and endless misery; empty condolence is hardly an answer. "I'll just have to bear it," I said, "though I'll suffer until I wither away and die." And since long ago I learned from tradition that both good and bad deserve benediction, in the faintest whispers I'll mutter each morning; Blessed art Thou, O Lord - who has not made me a woman.

On Becoming A Woman by Qalonymos ben Qalonymos, c. 1322 CE.

Another translation from the original Hebrew is available here.

#14th century #poetry #qalonymos ben qalonymos

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

My heart’s desire, my eyes’ delight: the hart beside me and a cup in my right hand! Many denounce me for loving, but I pay no heed. Come to me, fawn, and I will vanquish them. Time will consume them and death will shepherd them away. Oh, come to me, fawn, refresh me with the nectar of your lips until I am satisfied. Why, why would they discourage me? If it be because of sin or guilt, I am ravished by your beauty—and God is there! Let your heart not be swayed by the words of my tormentor, that close-minded man. Oh, come put me to the test! He was enticed and we went to his mother’s house. There he bent his back to my heavy yoke. Night and day I alone was with him. I took off his clothes and he took off mine. I sucked at his lips and he suckled me. But once his eyes stole my heart, his hand fastened the yoke of my sin, and he looked for grievances. He raged against me and shouted in fury, “Enough! Leave me alone! Do not drive me to crime, do not lead me astray!” Oh, do not be unrelenting in your anger, fawn. Show me the wonders of your pleasure, my love. Kiss your friend and fulfill his desire. If you wish to revive me, then give life; but if you would instead kill—then kill me.

The Desire of My Heart by Moses ibn Ezra, a Jewish and Spanish philosopher, linguist and poet (1055?-1138 CE).

#Moses ibn Ezra #11th century #12th century #poetry

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Look at me, my fawn, look! Take full note of my misery lest I fill with sorrow . . . Drip, drip, drip goes my blood, my life in your hands. Let your heart be compassionate to the downcast, who cannot eat and cries when you rage and waits for your love to return . . . Manna, manna, manna for my hunger, give my daily wage. If you rejoice in my lovesickness, so here are my cheeks, abuse me then, afflict me . . . No, no, no disgrace, just the casualties of innocence. I have fought this miser of the heart, and were he only to fear me he would return my sleep and I would . . . Fly, fly, fly in my slumber, I would dream double. I would ask for his honeycomb lips, reddening like the setting sun my eyes transfixed on his form . . . How, how, how does this man from Aram color his lips so ruddy? His song ploughs through my body, he sings to awaken my fire. Enough, my love, drink from my mouth. Kiss, kiss, kiss my mouth, Put aside your black mood, my friend.

-Look At Me, My Fawn, Look by Yehuda Halevi, a 16th century rabbi and religious writer. Translated by Rabbi S. Greenberg.

#poetry #yehuda halevi #16th century #judaism

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

[Picture: Anasyromenos statuette, ancient Roman in origin. Artist unknown.]

Aphroditus was a deity whose worship originated in Cyprus - specifically the city of Amathus - and eventually spread to Athens. Often described as a 'male' Aphrodite or Venus, the deity is actually supposed to be a fusion of both male and female, in a capacity that produced new divine power.

Statues in the pose above - άνασυρόμενος (anasyromenos) - are copying a gesture said to have apotropaic qualities, which deflected misfortune and could bestow good luck.

Macrobius, a writer in 5th century Rome, spoke of Aphroditus' worship in his book, the Saturnalia:

There's also a statue of Venus on Cyprus, that's bearded, shaped and dressed like a woman, with scepter and male genitals, and they conceive her as both male and female. Aristophanes calls her Aphroditus, and Laevius says: Worshiping, then, the nurturing god Venus, whether she is male or female, just as the Moon is a nurturing goddess. In his Atthis Philochorus, too, states that she is the Moon and that men sacrifice to her in women's dress, women in men's, because she is held to be both male and female.

The association of a fused divinity with the moon was considered to have powerful influence over fertilization, giving a blessing to crops and animals alike. In later years, the origin of Aphroditus was retooled, becoming the child of Hermes and Aphrodite who fused with a water nymph and as such developed the same abilities as the Cyprian predecessor.

#ancient rome #aphrodite #venus #5th century #macrobius

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Kylix (drinking cup), attributed to the Pistoxenos Painter, c. 470-480 BCE.

"The decoration of the exterior is carefully placed. When the cup was suspended, the underside of the foot with the black band melded with the impression of the continuous couch on which the figures are reclining. A representation such as this one implies the homosexual relationships between men and youths that were part of an Athenian male's culture."

#ancient greece #pistoxenos painter

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Erastes (lover) and eromenos (beloved) kissing by the Briseis Painter, a Greek red-figure vase painter. Athens, c. 480 BCE.

#ancient greece #briseis painter #athens

[homosexuality-and-civilization]

Soir or Le Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées (The Roundabout on the Champs-Élysées) by Louis Anquetin, 1889. Pastel on paper.

While the immediate context of this work may not be clear, the symbolism in the pastels was meant to evoke images of lesbians of the era in France while avoiding censorship. To elaborate:

In 1891, [Henri de Toulouse-]Lautrec's friend Louis Anquetin made an important submission of ten works to the Independants. One of these, under the curt title Soir, was probably the large pastel made in 1889 which represents the rond-point of the Champs-Élysées. With stylized elongation and linearity, it depicts the dark, veiled silhouette of a woman, accompanied by her poodle, just as they pass prancing horses pulling a carriage across the picture plane. At first sight this is a cloisonnist, slightly caricatural image of a momentary encounter at an intersection in central Paris. However, in his book La Corruption fin-de-siècle, also of 1891, Leo Taxil noted that:

"A tribade [lesbian] in search of one of her own kind has a distinctive sign: it's a magnificent poodle, curled, pompommed, frizzed, sometimes beribboned, which accompanies her on her prowls on foot or in a carriage. In the Champs-Élysées the observer easily notes elegant lesbians riding around in search of a partner in vice. Here is a superbly harnessed team: in the carriage, a woman alone, in a more or less luxurious costume, with the inevitable poodle next to her. This woman, driving down from the place d'Etoile, looks carefully at the woman on foot, principally between the rond-point and the place de la Concorde. A stroller sees the woman with the poodle and catches her eye, while making a rapid movement with her tongue and lips; it's the standard signal used among lesbians to say: 'I go for women'."

At the turn of the decade, Anquetin treated this specific theme on a number of occasions, representing the woman in her carriage on the lookout, the eye contact from carriage to pavement, and the pedestrian woman using her tongue to signal a passing vehicle. These images are all fairly discreet.

-The Troubled Republic: Visual Culture and Social Debate in France, 1889-1900 by Richard Thomson.

Given the lack of corroborating context, it's up for debate whether the behaviors mentioned above were actually part of lesbian subculture or whether a tribade friend of Taxil was playing a bit of a joke in regards to how she found partners, but regardless, Anquetin continued to privately illustrate images of a lesbian lifestyle for years, casually dodging the censors of 19th century France.

#Louis Anquetin #Leo Taxil #19th century #France #Henri de Toulouse Lautrec