Gay sex in ancient rome

Despite the fact that Roman sources were hostile to the issue of Nero’s marriages, Cassius Dio mentions that society saw the emperor’s artistic performances as worse than weddings.
In the 3rd century CE, Emperor Elagabalus was to stand on a wedding carpet as a bride with a Greek slave – Hierocles. Lex Julia de vi publica, a law adopted in the 3rd century CE but dating back to the times of Julius Caesar’s dictatorship, unequivocally defines rape as a forced rapprochement on “a boy, woman and anyone “.

It wasn’t exactly the same as Greek custom; the Romans introduced their own spin, layering it with class consciousness and civic identity. The law applied to free people as well as the so-called infamis or suspiciosus – a term for people with lower status and rights. Whether factual or not, it was a common smear tactic.

[Source: wikibooks +]

“Male with male relations were the most common and prevalent type of homosexuality in ancient Rome. As a freeborn Roman male, you could partake without too much blowback—provided you remained the penetrator and didn’t cause any high-profile scandal.

Imagine a smoky banquet hall, wine flowing, guests reclined on couches—a near-perfect scenario for flirtation.

Ancient Rome illustrates a world that both celebrated and mocked queer desire, normalized certain forms of same-sex encounters while outlawing others, and left behind a legacy of raunchy poems, political slanders, and the occasional heartfelt romance.

For gay men today, it’s a mixed bag of inspiration and caution: on one hand, it’s liberating to see our erotic inclinations woven into such a legendary civilization.

If a man was the dominant one in a male on male sexual relationship it was just another way for him to assert his place of power in society. In return, the soldiers could enjoy prostitutes of both sexes, slaves, prisoners and homosexual sex. The emperor Nero also had a male lover who he eventually married. In this way, the stereotype of the Roman, commander and conqueror was preserved.

It turns out that same-sex action in Rome was as messy, fascinating, and sometimes scandalous as you’d hope.

It was socially acceptable for a free-born Roman to have sex with a woman or a man assuming a dominant role. Comedies, satires, and day-to-day chatter thrived on speculations about who was doing what (and whom).

Irrumare often implied a man forcing someone’s mouth onto his penis—an act of dominance. The first lex dates back to the 2nd century BCE and applies to both same-sex and bisexual acts. Emperor Vitellius always prepared an exclusive menu for his young lovers, aimed at stimulating the imagination and potency: wild boar liver, pheasant brain, flamingo tongues and dandelion moray.

Such a crime was considered one of the worst crimes that could be committed alongside patricide, rape of a virgin and sacking of a temple.

The lack of self-control, especially in managing his own sex life, indicated that the man was unable to properly control other people. In this century, further steps were taken to end homosexuality, including an absolute ban on gay marriage.

See Epigrams VIII.46, XII.75.

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Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Rome sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Late Antiquity sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; “Outlines of Roman History” by William C. Morey, Ph.D., D.C.L.

Cicero had to pay his head for this mockery – when Marcus Antony came to power, he ordered his head to be cut off with a blunt knife, and the triumvir’s wife Fulvia additionally pierced the orator’s tongue with a nail.

Loud – because very unusual – was also the relationship between Marcus Antony and his peer, Scribonia Curio.

It was also important for a Roman to have sex with a man who was in some way socially inferior (younger, lower class, slave).