This kind of pederastic matchmaking try recognized to have numerous characteristics; regarding Symposium, Phaedrus means that the commitment ranging from male partners in addition to their aversion to help you becoming shamed before both from the acts away from cowardice offered her or him an alternate virtue when you look at the organizing a culture, stating you to “the best possible business [to have a beneficial] battalion is for this to help you add couples and their men…A handful of such as for example boys, attacking side by side, you certainly will get over society.” Actually, including an effective battalion did exists in town-condition regarding Thebes.
The fresh Sacred Number of Thebes are an army device composed away from 150 pairs out of male people and you may is regarded as the newest most elite product from the Theban army, the troops being from strange courage and you can ethical profile
Tend to, sexual relationships anywhere between guys of anything in the bum was in fact looked down on, given that rectal intercourse is actually near to dick-in-genitals intercourse. This should improve receptive lover from inside the anal intercourse something like a female or a prostitute, because the classical student Kenneth Dover produces one to in many things “gay rectal entrance [was] handled none because an expression out of like nor once the a reply to your stimuli out of beauty, however, due to the fact a hostile act appearing new 
quality of one’s effective to your couch potato spouse,” a decrease into the standing too humiliating are approved.
To be the responsive companion during the anal sex was considered being kinaidos, or effeminate: there is absolutely no escaping it, bottom-shaming is as old as Western european culture itself, cooked to your strong misogyny from patriarchal communities. It prohibition to your anal don’t connect with people visiting men gender professionals otherwise men having sex which have enslaved boys, provided the person of high status is actually one performing new penetrating-good exemplory case of exactly how, in the Greek area, status are the key determinant of one’s nature out-of intercourse.
That is because to own a totally free kid, a resident regarding Rome, to-be the newest penetrated partner inside a same-sex operate is actually, in some way, a citation of stability out of their muscles
Brand new philhellenic Romans took up some of the same axioms and thinking with the homosexuality, however with an important huge difference. If you’re on Greeks brand new pederastic relationships had an effective pedagogical and you can philosophical basis-to be sure the induction of commendable males toward mental and you may governmental neighborhood they were to control-on Romans the main focus was rather towards sensual. Roman society was publicly celebratory away from men dominance and you can energy. There aren’t any Western european countries for who the hard dick are such a symbol of worship; indeed the fresh Vestal Virgins, this new priestesses from Vesta, the brand new goddess of the fireplace, actually attended to the brand new cult out of Fascinus, an excellent goddess illustrated as a good disembodied erect penis, usually which have wings. Its character were to have a tendency to the fresh holy flame on heart out of Rome, at which any Roman resident you may light their particular flame. Therefore, the fire symbolized the new continuance of Rome and the integrity out of the official. You to a difficult dick is actually among the victims of the Vestal’s adoration is not any coincidence, as integrity of your own men human anatomy are a symbol of a totally free Roman’s governmental reputation. Getting a free Roman intended the human body couldn’t become violated. On the words away from historian Amy Richlin, “Are permeated, for a Roman, is actually degrading in both an actual physical feeling of intrusion, rupture, and contaminants, and in a category experience: the latest penetrated man or woman’s body is compared on body out of good servant.” That it focus on fertility and you will conquest was some dissimilar to the fresh Greeks’ dependence on pederasty and you may pedagogy, however, so you can very similar comes to an end.
