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According to an oft-told story, the pair fell asleep one afternoon in the same bed. Some believe they were most likely brothers.

British connection

In 55 BC and again in 54 BC, Caesar invaded Britain, as described in his book De Bello Gallico ("On the Gallic War"). For Caesar, sex was also a tool of dominance and social control, and his virility was part of the personal myth he built around himself.

A Political Issue More Than a Sexual One

Amid the fierce political struggles of the late Republic, sexuality often became a tool of rhetoric and propaganda.

Was Julius Caesar Bisexual? Sexuality was understood through different criteria, primarily the role played during the sexual act and the social status of the individuals involved.

For a free adult Roman citizen, it was socially acceptable to have relations with men, slaves, or youths, as long as he maintained the active role.

He was assassinated by a group of conspirators on the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC. After his death he was proclaimed a god by the Senate. Upon waking to realise Dong was resting on the sleeve of his robe, the emperor chose to cut off the sleeve rather than risk disturbing his lover. His legal prudishness even led to the banishment of his own daughter, Julia, to the island of Pandateria and the exile of the licentious poet, Ovid.

He had just kicked to death his pregnant second wife Poppaea Sabina when he decided to marry a male freed slave called Sporus who resembled her. Allowing himself to be used as the plaything of an oriental despot.

Years later, the Bithynia episode led to a bawdy ditty being sung by the legions as they marched along: Gallias Caesar subegit, Caesarem Nicomedes.

Suetonius says that in Caesar's Gallic triumph, his soldiers sang that, "Caesar may have conquered the Gauls, but Nicomedes conquered Caesar,"[1] and that he was referred to as "Every woman's man and every man's woman."[2]

The poet Catullus wrote two poems suggesting that Caesar and his engineer Mamurra were lovers,[3][4] but later apologised.[5]

References

  1. ↑http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#49 Suetonius, Julius 49.
  2. ↑http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#49 Suetonius, Julius 52.
  3. ↑http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/VRomaCatullus/029x.html Catullus, Carmina 29
  4. ↑http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/VRomaCatullus/057x.html 57 Catullus, Carmina 57.
  5. ↑http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#73 Suetonius, Julius 73.

It’s surprising just how many Roman Emperors could be defined in today’s terms as LGBT.

Only Nero didn’t have himself castrated for this role. A Contemporary Perspective

Today, re-examining Caesar’s figure through a queer lens doesn’t mean fitting him into modern labels, but rather questioning the mechanisms of control and representation of sexuality in the past. Reigning in the 1st century BC, he had a celebrated love affair with Dong Xian, a minor court official whose closeness with the emperor propelled him to become one of the most influential figures of his time.

But beyond the legend, one question continues to circulate among scholars, history enthusiasts, and queer culture observers: was Julius Caesar gay or bisexual?

The question may seem anachronistic, yet it reflects a growing interest in reinterpreting past sexual identities through the lens of contemporary categories.

It’s a jaw-dropping list!

Kicking off the LGBT Roman Emperors list…with Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar: The Roman poet Catullus sarcastically commented that Caesar was “the husband to every woman and the wife to every man”. In Caesar’s case, it’s not merely a matter of modern speculation—rumors about his alleged youthful affair with Nicomedes IV of Bithynia were already widespread during his lifetime, quickly becoming fodder for satire, insults, and political propaganda.

A (Diplomatic?) Relationship with the King of Bithynia

Around 80 BCE, the young Caesar, then just in his twenties, was sent on a mission to the court of King Nicomedes IV in the region of Bithynia (in present-day Turkey).

was caesar gay

Emperor Ai lavished Dong Xian with money and gifts, including a residence so elaborate it was said to rival the imperial palace.

But with somebody of equivalent social rank, they needed to be sure that Catullus hadn’t been pressured into it. That’s because of the remarkable artwork on their joint tomb, which seems to sideline their wives and emphasise a romantic intimacy between the men.

Should also mentioned that elite Romans were queasy about Caligula cross-dressing as he allegedly did. Being penetrated, on the other hand, was seen as degrading and incompatible with the ideals of masculinity and authority.

For instance, he was once informed that a Roman actor called Stephanio was parading around the streets with a page-boy who it turned out was a married woman with her hair cut short.