Note: The following text has nothing to do with homophobia or authors' relation to the affected subject; it represents just a few facts and illustrations of problems of particular historical period.

V Something that you've always wanted to know about the Spartans, but were afraid to ask...

Part II

There's the document that have remained from those times, it fully reproduces the speech "On libertinism" of a Greek politician and orator Aeschines against Timarchus...

The excerpts from the law that was given by Aeschines:

16 Law
[If any Athenian shall outrage a free-born child, the parent or guardian of the child shall demand a specific penalty. If the court condemn the accused to death, he shall be delivered to the constables and be put to death the same day. If he be condemned to pay a fine, and be unable to pay the fine immediately, he must pay within eleven days after the trial, and he shall remain in prison until payment is made. The same action shall hold against those who abuse the persons of slaves.]"

21 "Law
[If any Athenian shall have prostituted his person, he shall not be permitted to become one of the nine archons, nor to discharge the office of priest, nor to act as an advocate for the state, nor shall he hold any office whatsoever, at home or abroad, whether filled by lot or by election; he shall not be sent as a herald; he shall not take part in debate, nor be present at public sacrifices; when the citizens are wearing garlands, he shall wear none; and he shall not enter within the limits of the place that has been purified for the assembling of the people. If any man who has been convicted of prostitution act contrary to these prohibitions, he shall be put to death.]"

Despite the support of Demosthenes, Timarchus lost this process: he was found guilty on all charges, including homosexuality and were denied the right to speak before people, except that he was exposed to public scorn as well as lost opportunities to be the ambassador for the making Peace of Philocrates as the person not entitled to be endowed with whatever was of public authority and to hold any public post...

Some people were saying that Timarchus hanged himself, without waiting for the court decision.
The case has being scandalous known, and after that trial all the men charged with libertinism has been called "Timarchus"...

In another law of Solon (denoted in the speech of Demosthenes against Meidias): "Anyone who urges to the lust children, woman or man (no matter will he/she will be free man or a slave), or commit illegal acts to the prejudice of any of them – let it will be accused by any Athenian before the legislators. The Legislators from their part within the next thirty days from the date of application will be judging him, if conditions will permit it. If, however, will be considered by the court and will be found guilty – he sentenced to the death or fine."

There are more severe laws? It will be hard to find...

And after all these historical evidences people can only wonder how the rumors of loyalty to same-sex relationships in Greek World (not only in Sparta, but even in Athens) can still exist?

But the one can remind: "there were also The Gymnopedies..."

And it's needed to start all over again...

The Gymnopedies (Gymnopedia – literally – dance of the naked boys). Events held in Sparta every year, starting from 670 BC, followed by physical trainings of naked participants of the ceremony. Later The Gymnopedies were devoted to the Spartans, who died in the Battle on the Thyreatus plain (544 BC)...

But and this could be questioned. In fact, the word "gymnos" could mean not only "naked", but and "dressed only in a tunic"...

In Sparta appearing nude was allowed only during the competitions in running, while the rest of Greece was considered quite ordinary to be completely naked during Olympic games.

The boys really didn't wear any clothes during the classes in the gymnasium, but and the audience was not expected... The idle observers were suggested to leave immediately or to take off the clothes and to set to their own physical improvement on general grounds (that was not so easy to go through)...

Aeschines "Against Timarchus":

12 "Laws
[The teachers of the boys shall open the school-rooms not earlier than sunrise, and they shall close them before sunset. No person who is older than the boys shall be permitted to enter the room while they are there, unless he be a son of the teacher, a brother, or a daughter's husband. If any one enter in violation of this prohibition, he shall be punished with death. The superintendents of the gymnasia shall under no conditions allow any one who has reached the age of manhood to enter the contests of Hermes together with the boys. A gymnasiarch who does permit this and fails to keep such a person out of the gymnasium, shall be liable to the penalties prescribed for the seduction of free-born youth. Every choregus who is appointed by the people shall be more than forty years of age.]"

Another quote from the same Speech:

"We are not allowed to enter the gymnasium, but we can still recognize those who practice gymnastics seeing their excellent bearing. Similarly, even if we are not witnessing the affairs of libertines, we still recognize these people by their impudence, insolence and lifestyle. After all, a man who neglects the law and morality has a certain spiritual qualities which are clearly visible due to the general disorderliness of his behavior."

The chastity of Sparta may even seem funny... Aristophanes, the great comedy dramatist, who was never missing the opportunity to make hot the already spicy story, could not fail to admit how delicate the gymnasium pupils treat each other...

"Sitting on the sand, boys stretching legs in a dignified way
For not to uncover their private parts,
And, standing up from their places, each of them
Sweeps with his foot the picture that was drawn by the body,
As should be erased the traces of wrong
From thoughts that came in your mind by chance...

to be continued...