A question on the LA Board made me wonder how the word "Greek" came to mean what it does in sexual terms.  (Maybe anal is really popular in Greece?)

I couldn't find an answer, but I did find this article about the origins of some of the other more popular terms in the sexual lexicon.

http://www.takeourword.com/pt.html

Weren't the Greek armies, like the Spartans, prohibited from having sex with women and encouraged to be homosexuals to create a more bonded and effective fighting force?

I could be wrong, it may have been the Romans..

TET

During the Athenian Golden Age (5th century BC), homosexuality was considered an essential part of the education of Athenian citizens (only men were citizens)—cf. Plato's _Symposium_ re Socrates and Alcibiades, for example.

When Philip of Macedonia( Alexander the Great's father) was engaged in a war with a greek city state, who's army was made up of homosexual pairs ( it wasn't Sparta, but I can't remeber which one it was.) Although he won the battle, he remarked that all of the wounds on the enemy soldiers were from the front. So it was his way of saying that homosexuality did not make them less of soldiers. This kind of opened that lifestyle into the mainstream of the culture.

Okay, a funny thing - but the truth.....  back in BC times (before birth control) the good Greek prostitutes would only have anal sex so that they did not run the risk of pregnancy.  I saw this in a history of sex book at Virgin Records when I was in Chicago - I can't remember the name of the book unfortunately, and I am now kicking myself for not buying it.....

Hugs,
Amber

Yuo are correct sir!  The Spartans and the Thebans Band did the butt buddy system.  Worked for them too- so the Army's anti gay thing is a total crock.

I knew someone could deconstruct this better than I..

TET

A woman who is well read, AND..... well red.....

Damn, I wish I was in Iowa or the Twin Cities area!

Let me know if you're ever in the PNW.

TET

Long before the time of Alexander, (who himself was homosexual) bi-sexuality was the norm in classical Greek culture. Which is where I beleive the term originated. It was the norm for a man to not marry until around 30. Before that time he took an adolescent on as a protoge' The idea was to teach him to be a good citizen, it is accepted that homosexual sex was  a part of that relationship. There was no stigma, it was the norm that most Greek men were bi-sexual.

I.e., see my post above re this.