“Homosexuality Through History”, Part 5_th

“The post contains erotic photos and words”

Alexander the Great and his beloved Hephaestion; an artwork by Marco Zagata, to go to his website click the photo

At the second part of these series of articles I discussed about the homosexual behaviors of Persian kings, but the discussion today is somehow different. The actuality of historical narratives is an issue that never could be solved perfectly. History is a science which is based on narratives and theories which has been left from the

Bust of a young Alexander the Great from the Hellenistic era, British Museum; artist: unknown

mind of historians in their writings or the historical testimonials, evidences, historical remains and researches, so the faults are predictable. But some theories have more proofs and evidences to believe on. “Gayness” of Alexander the Great which I want to talk a little about in this article, is one of the theories of history which as was mentioned in many writings of historians can be notable.

Statue of Alexander in Istanbul Archaeology Museum; artist: unknown

Alexander III, known as Alexander the Great, a historical superhero of the west and Aristotle’s pupil and staunch follower, born in Pella, Macedonia, a state of Ancient Greece, in 356 BC, is well-known for his magnanimity and talent of commandant.

Aristotle tutoring Alexander; artist: unknown

The homosexuality in ancient world did not have the same meaning as today, Love between grown men and teenage boys was the only proper way for two males to love each other. At the third part of these series of articles I discussed about a manner of homosexuality in the past society of Iran which was also common among Persian kings, “Shahed Bazi” or “Catamite Play”. The similarities of this manner to the type of homosexuality which existed in the ancient west can conclude in a significant type of pederasty that had the same origins. The grown man had at least the feeling of possession of the young pretty boy, and gave himself the authority to educate the boy and led him into adulthood. The men vied to be chosen by the boys as their lovers, an erotic love which often had its sexual aspects. The idea of this kind of relationship came back to the philosopher “Aristotle” who had many male lovers himself, although he didn’t believe in the sexual aspects a man and boy relation. He believed that pretty boys are the creatures who through human beings should arrive at perfection. This is what we encountered in the Persian Literature as “Shahed Bazi” which seems both has the same origin. But of course the erotic aspect of this idea existed among ancient nations, either Persian Islamic society or ancient west. Alexander the Great not only had love affairs with young boys, but also was his love for a man his own age, his childhood friend Hephaestion. This relationship resembled modern gay love and became legendary for its passion. This is the difference to what existed as a male to male love affair in ancient world, which represented their love as the initial legendary symbol of modern gay love.

A mural in Pompeii, depicting the marriage of Alexander to Barsine (Stateira) in 324 BC. The couple are apparently dressed as Ares and Aphrodite. Artist: unknown; The Art Archive/Archaeological Museum Naples/Dagli Orti.

Indeed the “gayness” of Alexander the Great has essential difference with his predecessors and successor. Philip II himself, Alexander’s own father, pursued young lovers tirelessly all his life. His very death came at the hand of a vengeful former beloved, Pausanias, who had been spurned by the king for a prettier boy. Also other kings of ancient world, even eastern kings such as kings of Persia had sexual relations with pretty boys of dominated states who were took over as tributes, were become eunuch and served as the sexual partner of the king till they remained pretty. This traditional custom among eastern king also remained in Islamic era Sultans. One of the most popular loves between a king and a eunuch is the love between Mahmud of Ghazni (November 2, 971 – April 30, 1030) and one of his army generals, Malik Ayaz which became an Islamic legend. Poets praising the power of love looked to Sultan Mahmud as a prime example of the man who, because of the power of his love, became a slave to his slave.

As well in the ancient Greek society there was a relationship between an older male and an adolescent youth. A boy was considered a “boy” until he was able to grow a full beard. This was most common form of same-sex relationships between males in Greece which is better called pederasty, exactly the same type which existed in Persian literature which I have discussed in the past part of these series of articles, as well as whole Islamic eastern society. It also existed in Greek literature, love between Achilles and Patroclus, a legendary love, most likely first one of its type which mentioned in Illiad, although Homer does not depict the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus as sexual. For sure today me, as a homosexual and a queer, and the definition of modern homosexuality and moral cares as far as I know do not accept those relations as homosexuality.

Alexander (left) fighting an Asiatic lion with his friend Craterus (detail). 3rd century BC mosaic, Pella Museum. Artist: Unknown

What is different here is the type of male love relation of Alexander the Great. Although he had sexual relations with young pretty boys as the other kings, what makes him to be called bisexual is not that, his love for Hephaestion and later for a pretty eunuch, Bagoas who was a gift of one of the generals of Darius III (King of Persia, ca. 380–330 BC) when he had ran away; were not type of that erotic relations with pretty boys until they grew a full beard. Bagoas who was so pretty eunuch in his flower of boyhood, fell Alexander in such a love which lasted until end of his life, Alexander settled him in a villa outside of Babylon and asked all of his officers, Greek and Persian to render him honor and while one of the satraps did not accept under the excuse of being not the customs of the Persians to take males in marriage who had been turned into women for the sake of being fucked; condemned him to death, though the satrap ran away home one final insult: “I had heard that women once reigned in Asia; this however is something new, for a eunuch to reign!”

Detail of Alexander Mosaic, showing Battle of Issus, from the House of the Faun, Pompeii; artist: unknown. This mosaic was found in Pompeii in the House of the Faun and is now in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Naples). It is dated first century BC

The love between Alexander and Bagoas was popular among troops and also honored. At a dancing contest, Bagoas had won the honors then went to sit by the side of the king, “which so pleased the Macedonians that they shouted out for him to kiss Bagoas, and never stopped clapping their hands and shouting till Alexander took him in his arms and kissed him warmly,”. The episode is attested by several ancient writers.

Alexander and Hephaestion, an artwork by Marco Zagata, to go to his website click the photo

Although his love for Bagoas affected deep relations of him with Hephaestion their love was never warned. Hephaestion was his friend of childhood, a man of his age, neither a slave nor a eunuch. His love for him lasted for whole his life, a true love he compared to that heroic love between Achilles and Patroclus. On the way to Persia, Alexander the Great and his love Hephaestion halted their campaigns near the ruins of troy. There Alexander sacrificed and offered garlands at the shrine of Achilles, while Hephaestion did the same at the shrine of Patroclus. Following the ancient custom, Alexander ran naked around the hero’s tomb, proclaiming his admiration for Achilles, “fortunate in life to have so faithful a friend, and in death to have so famous a poet.”

Alexander, left, and Hephaestion, right; artist : unknown.

Death of Hephaestion was a major trauma for Alexander, It is said that he lay upon Hephaestion’s body for a day and a night and finally had to be dragged off by his friends. For another three days he remained mute, in tears, fasting. When he rose he sheared off all his hair and ordered all the ornaments in the city broken off the walls and the manes and tails of all the horses sheared. He forbade all music in the city and ordered every town in the empire to carry out mourning rituals. Then he sent envoys to Ammon’s oracle at the oasis of Siwah in Egypt to ask that divine honors be granted to his dead friend. The body of Hephaestion was embalmed and carried on to Babylon, where it was cremated on a pyre, in a funeral on which he planned to spend astronomical sums. Little did Alexander know that Babylon was to become his final stop as well. Forced to stay in the town through the hot, mosquito-ridden summer months, he took sick and died after a short illness. By accountings the year was 323 BCE. Alexander was only 33 years old.

Hephaestion; an artwork by Marco Zagata, to go to his website click the photo

This type of love and sexual relations of Alexander has great differences with the other king’s, and that’s why it can be counted as the first male to male love; however he could not ignore sexual intercourses with women as well as other Greeks.

gay art history

Homosexuality in ancient Greek; Wikipedia

Yalouris Nikolaos et al., The Search for Alexander, 
New York Graphic Society, 1980. 
Plutarch The Lives 
The Modern Library, New York; 2001

with special thanks to Marco Zagata 

Read more:

Homosexual Relations of Persian Kings

“Shahed”, Male Lover in Persian Litrature