THE GREEKS and THE GREEK LOVE, James Davidson

[John Galaor]

This is a book of 635 pages over the Greek Love, and what really meant, as seen by the light of last analysis over this matter.

 

The book is very rich not only on information but also on analysis. It give the reader a massive information, over the topic of homosexual love in Ancient Greece.

 

Here is the Index.

 

Part I: The Greeks Had Words for It

1. Eros in Love

2. Grace, sex and Favours

3. Age-classes, Love Rules and `Corrupting the Young

 

Part II: Sodomonia

4. Sexing up the Greeks

5. Sex Versus Homosexuality

6. Language as a Mirror of the World

 

Part III: Greek Love and Greek Religions

7. Ganymede Rising

8. Noonday Phaedrus. Cephalus at Dawn

9. Pelops and Hyacinthus at New Year

 

Part IV: Men of War

10. Achilles and Heracles

11. Crete and Sparta

12 The Secrets of Elis, the Sacred Band and Alexander:

Regional Variations

13 Syzygies

 

Part V: Eros Off-Duty

14. Sappho, Samos and the Tomb of the Diver:

Lyrics of Greek Love

15. Words ad Pictures: The Athenian System

16. Fourth Century: Politics and the Professionals

 

Conclusion: A Map of Greek Love

 

My comments: I have trouble to give a cold appraisal of this book, for it has resulted a like a treasure of information for me.

I have had read half a dozen books about ancient Greeks, and many of the classics like Plato, Aeschines, Plutarch, Xenophon, Herodotus, and others.

But one feels a little like lost in those books, if have not enough knowledge about the context. I mean, we do not know well the implications, or the deep meaning of what are reading. One get something of the meaning, but one risk also to understand wrongly some passages, or some commentaries. Then, we need to have calm and start reasoning the meaning of some part, or some phrases. Then, there is something contradictory between what some authors are saying and what is the hidden essence of the question beneath the words written.

 

In this case, this book of David is a great book over this important question. Perhaps it is not such important, but I was very interested in this topic.

 

I was going to copy some paragraphs on the first part of the book over the different words that can be translated as "love", such as "erós", "agapé", "pothos" and "himeros".

 

But to copy this, I need see if there is a minimal interest for this book. In case that someone would show interest for this book by making questions or doing comments I would react by posting more information over this book.

This post is meant only for people that is interested in increasing their knowledge on this topic.

 

In the book is solved a common misunderstood concept about the love of boys being underage boys. It is not the case. The problem with the word "pais", that has been translated as a boy is the same as in English, a boy has not a determined age. It can be a boy from 10 or 12 years of age till twenty-something.

Other problems with age, till very recently, were that the Greeks had not calendar, and their age was computed as the age of their graduation in the gymnasium, when he started his life as a young soldier at age like 17 or 18. And this year of graduation was named by one of the 42 heroes of Ancient History. Then, the age in years were never expressed. Then, each Greek City state had their own ways of computing time, by means of Kings or rulers. It was quite a puzzle to determine Greek historical times according to the Roman Calendar.