Were the spartans gay

The distinctive part of the heroes was their gay relationships not only within the soldiers but outside their troops.

Just because they were gay does not mean that the city of Spartan did not have women and children. It was the period when an adolescent kid had to develop relations with the men from the military.

To a far extent, it helped in the development of the military mind creating strong bonding.

The main motive for developing gay soldiers

Gay bonds are nothing new in the Greek history of ancient times.

To prevent such an event from occurring again, they realised they needed to beef up their security, so to speak.

Gorgidas handpicked the 300 men, chosen for their physical attributes and military merit, as well as the fact they were all same-sex lovers. He was especially loyal to the Spartans, having trained with them and received gifts from them.

Later, Pelopidas, a Theban general, came to command the group, where he tasked them with dispatching the enemy’s best troops.

They were used in the Boatian War, which saw Thebes, assisted by Athens, battle Sparta.

The Spartan King Agesilaus II brought a large Spartan army into the Theban territory, which was defended by both Theban and Athenian troops.

Each couple had a dominant older lover and a younger more passive lover.

This force received extensive training, making them one of the most elite forces around at the time. Hunting, training of body fitness, arms, and military was from an early age.

As soon as they stepped into the ages of teens, it was time for Pederasty.

This was the reason it was implemented in the military forces. Speaking on the SKY HISTORY podcast Not What You Thought You Knew, Stephanie Larson, Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at Bucknell University stated: “Gay is not a word we can use of ancient people at all because they didn’t think of the world in these dichotomies (gay, not gay, straight, etc).

Believing it to be undefended, Pelopidas marched the Sacred Band towards the city only to find out Spartan reinforcements were on their way. He would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather than endure this.”

Our modern world would define these 300 men as gay. However, they were outnumbered by Spartan forces and eventually lost control of Thebes’ outer defenses.

The Theban forces refused to retreat and organized their ranks to face Agesilaus’ forces, with the Sacred Band positioned at the front.

Agesilaus ordered his entire force to advance towards the Theban and Athenian troops in the hopes that they would flee at the sight.

Although debated by historians, the idea of such a fighting force could have been inspired by the earlier writings of the Greek philosopher Plato in his Symposium. In the end, they would be completely routed with significant loss of life.

The Sacred Band had proven their worth and handed the Spartans their first defeat to a numerically inferior force.

With Thebes now on the rise it was only a matter of time before they came to blows with Sparta again.

However, it’s essential to avoid imposing contemporary judgments on historical practices. First deployed onto the battlefield in 378 BC, it was during the Battle of Tegyra in 375 BC that they truly made their mark.

Now under the command of a man named Pelopidas, they looked to seize Orchomenus, a city allied to Sparta.

Most historians today generally agree that the unit was likely formed around 379 to 378 BC. However, a number of prominent Greek historians mention a 300-strong group of Theban troops that were trained to an elite level well before this date.

None of these references use the name Sacred Band, but this similar group may be a precursor to that unit.

They were accommodated in communal barracks, intentionally scarcity of food was imposed so that the kids learn to steal. This was beginning to expose their gender power and develop a strong bonding towards the force.

The relationship of the Spartans gays was true and committed as the force had 150 pairs, and a total of 300 warriors.

They were not allowed to get married at an early age.