logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2021
47m 59s

Homosexuality & Ancient Greece

History Hit
About this episode
Frederick the Great, Marie Antoinette and Oscar Wilde. Each of them have talked about, or been talked about in terms of, Ancient Greek ideas of homosexual love. From men taking on young apprentices, to Sappho’s yearning poetry, the Ancient Greek traditions have long been called upon in conversation as a background to contemporary celebrations of love between members of the same sex, but what is the truth to these stories. We are thrilled to welcome Alastair Blanshard, Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Queensland, back to the Ancients to talk us through the concept and truth of Greek love, and its ripples through history.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
What if the Ides of March Failed?
What if Julius Caesar had survived the Ides of March? This episode explores his last known plans — vast eastern campaigns, sweeping reforms, and his visions for Rome’s future. Could he have rivalled Alexander the Great, crowned himself king, or reshaped the Republic forever? Disc ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 15
Herodotus: The Father of History
What drove Herodotus to write the first great story of history? Tristan Hughes speaks with Dr. Roel Konijnendijk to uncover the world of Herodotus of Halicarnassus - the traveler, investigator, and storyteller behind The Histories.From Persian kings to Greek heroes, they explore ... Show More
48m 14s
Mar 12
The Phoenicians
Three thousand years ago, Phoenician ships sailed west across the Mediterranean, their holds packed with pottery, wine and enslaved people to trade. Passing beyond the fabled Pillars of Heracles, they were pushing at the familiar limits of the ancient world.In this episode of The ... Show More
1h 3m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2024
LGBTQ Emperors of Ancient Rome
In Ancient Greece and the Roman empire homosexual relationships were an accepted and common practice. In this hyper-masculine society the male form was revered for its physical perfection while women’s virtue was jealously guarded to ensure the legitimacy of children. In Greece r ... Show More
20m 47s
Jan 2022
Greek myths: everything you wanted to know
In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, classicist Natalie Haynes tackles listener questions on Greek myths. Speaking to Rachel Dinning, she examines the tales of popular figures including Hercules and Aphrodite, and explores how these ancient stories hav ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 2022
INTRODUCING Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
<p>Why did kings and queens have spectators on their wedding night? Who had the very first boob job? And did our ancestors have their unmentionables pierced?</p><br><p>Join historian, Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets as she unashamedly roots around the topics which seem to have be ... Show More
1m 43s
Nov 2017
Thebes
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the myths and history of the ancient Greek city of Thebes and its depiction in Athenian drama. In myths it was said to be home to Heracles, Dionysus, Oedipus and Cadmus among others and, in history, was infamous for supporting Xerxes in the Persian ... Show More
46m 49s
Nov 2017
Thebes
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the myths and history of the ancient Greek city of Thebes and its depiction in Athenian drama. In myths it was said to be home to Heracles, Dionysus, Oedipus and Cadmus among others and, in history, was infamous for supporting Xerxes in the Persian ... Show More
46m 49s
Feb 2022
Same-Sex Marriages in Renaissance Rome
<p>All this month on the <em>History Hit </em>family of podcasts, we've been marking LGBT+ History Month.&nbsp;To round off the month, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb investigates an extraordinary episode, long denied by scholars.&nbsp;In 1578, a same-sex community that gathered in a ... Show More
48m 21s
Nov 2021
How the Greeks changed the world
Historian Roderick Beaton ranges over 4,000 years of Greek history, from the glories of Mycenae to the life of a modern European nation. In discussion with Rob Attar, he picks out some of the key moments in this journey, including the triumphs of ancient Greece, the conquests of ... Show More
53m 51s
Apr 2022
Gender Rebels of Greek Mythology: Achilles x Patroclus
In the first part of our Gender Rebels series, we talked about queer history—queer women, Intersex people, transgender people, and eunuchs. Now, we’re going to begin another series that takes that lens to Greek mythology. There are plenty of queer myths that break the binary as t ... Show More
1h 22m
Dec 2022
Zeus: King of the Gods
<p>Zeus, the chief deity in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of sky and thunder and is king of all other gods and men.</p><br><p>His tale is one of overthrowing fathers, eating babies and seducing women, both mortal and divine, by changing his own form. He's one of the most c ... Show More
55m 6s