CLSA 1000 Lecture 2: Classical Mythology Chapter 2-1
30 Jul 2016
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From ages 6-13 boys received education (reading, writing, memorization of homer). At the age of 18-20 they were engaged in pederasty: love fore boys . An older man would court a younger male offering gifts. If the young man accepted the suitor"s offers he would submit to the latter"s erotic desires. Whether the young man enjoyed the attention was irrelevant. Pederasty was a social institution: respect, affection, courage. Part of the preparation for manhood and war. The practice could continue even if a man was married. At the age of 18 they became citizens, able to vote and speak in public. Symposium: drinking party a principal form of male social life and an important setting for the telling of myths. Female courtesans offered sexual service for pay. Warfare: paramount concern in the lives of greek males who throughout their lives prepared for this moment: hoplites: heavily armed men (hoplon=shield)
