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11-12-2004, 02:54 PM

Greetings boys, I'm new here and an upcoming novel writer. Right now, I'm working on an epic/fantasy. One of the portions of the plots is based as a Greek-Type army...foot soldiers, except these are noted for their ability to cover great distances. They're runners, and they're fighters, but the combination-in my book-is what makes them so effective; flanking maneuvers, discipline, and so on and so on. 
 
My question, to the scholarly folks that know of this sort of thing is this; "Was homosexuality mandantory in the military?" Seems like I once heard a narrarator say that it WAS? I heard it on the history channel. Is this true? Can anyone confirm or deny this for me? 
 
Of course most publishing houses wouldn't try to publish something with homosexual foot-soldiers in it, due to the genre and the audience expectations. Also, in some aspects, the writer (me) has to conisder what the audience wants. Hard as it is to admit, homosexual heros would not be someone that a straight individual would want to poster his walls with. 
 
I could picture it now. "Hey, is that the poster of General Rricates from that novel you been reading? You're a fag!" Reader "No...I'm not, I swear it!" "Yeah, well I heard that he was gay, and if you have his poster on your wall that means you're in love with a gay man. You're a FAG!" Reader "Okay, fine I'm just gonna tear it up?" A devilish grin breaks across the guy who has been harrassing the reader, he says to the reader "Tear what up? The poster? ? ? OR General Rricates BUTT?" Reader "The poster DAMN YOU....THE POSTER!" Then the Reader grabs a dirk and pokes a hole in the arm of the his irrascible friend. "How's that for funny!" As blood leaks out, the reader has a last laugh. He says "It wasn't his "GAYNESS" I admired, it was the fact he'd stab anyone without second thought! Whose the fag NOW?" In the end, the reader takes his buddy to the hospital. He promises to take down the poster, in return his friend promises not to file assault charges. And to think, all because I used a homosexual army as my characters. 
 
So, with that being said, I still need the answer. Was homosexuality mandantory in the Greek Army? 
 
Thanks 
 
-Sansoucio

11-16-2004, 01:32 PM

I have not come across the notion that it was compulsary but dont confuse modern ideas with ancient, homosexual activity held no stigma. The Thebean sacred band were without doubt all homosexual.

11-20-2004, 03:07 PM

I know it held no stigma, but as far as confusing modern ideas with ideas of the past, I don't understand? On the history channel it said it was mandantory, I'm not saying the History channel is the gospel, but I COULD see the benefit of it, as well as the drawbacks. The benefit would be that the soldier wouldn't have sex on his mind cause he would have already had sex, BUT if there had been some "cold" going around the infantry unit, they'd all have it before long, and therein lies the problem. Then again, maybe a soldier's life was as valuble as it's ever been. Soldiers are tools, to kill...hopefully to kill more than die. 
 
In an epic fantasy book I read George R.R. Martin's series known as "A Song of Fire and Ice." A girl bought an army of eunechs (sp?), castrated males. It supposedly helped them focus, but that's why I wondered about the greek army. The more they got rid of their desires, the less apt they'd be to stray from duty by chasing women/whores or whomever followed the soldiers.

Vincula · 11-23-2004, 10:51 PM

How on urth could it be mandatory? Get real.

11-29-2004, 11:04 AM

Dont think Homosexual think Bi-sexual and you may get a more accurate picture.

12-03-2004, 04:32 PM

What about the age old stereotype of the Greeks sodomizing their sheep? Baaa I say.

**Robert Vermaat** · 12-08-2004, 10:21 AM

Maybe you saw something about the Spartan army, where sexual relations between the older and younger soldiers were part of the military culture? 
 
Valete, 
Valerius/Robert

12-09-2004, 08:10 PM

I suppose this is why Trojan is a brand name of condom. What an interesting topic... 
 
;0)

03-23-2005, 10:51 PM

One author wrote on this issue: "Homosexuality was no more common in Ancient than in modern Greece." Now, what does that mean....? Personally, I conclude from Greek pottery that they had an "anything goes" attitude to sex, so that no-one was bothered whether you were homo-, hetero- or bi-sexual - very much a case of oranges not being the only fruit! Mandatory? You could force someone into a homosexual act, but you can't make them homosexual. 
Paul

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