LGBTQ Emperors of Ancient Rome

History Tea Time

In Ancient Greece and the Roman empire homosexual relationships were an accepted and common practice. In this hyper-masculine society the male form was revered for its physical perfection while women’s virtue was jealously guarded to ensure the legitimacy of children. In Greece romantic and sometimes sexual relationships between older and younger men was seen as an initiation rite. The Romans modeled themselves after Greece in most things but had strong feelings that a roman citizen should always play the dominant, never submissive role in a homosexual relationship. Prominent citizens sought out enslaved men, prostitutes, and entertainers to fulfill their sexual desires. Enslaved boys would sometimes be castrated in an attempt to keep them docile and immature for the pleasure of their dominant male lover. Though uncommon, marriages between men were not unheard of in ancient Rome. They included many of the traditional elements of a wedding including a dowry and the man acting as the bride would wear a veil. Here are the stories of 8 Emperors of Rome whose preference for the masculine form was particularly renown.

Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC)

Tiberius (42 BC - 37 AD)

Nero (37 - 68 AD)

Galba (3BC-69AD)

Domitian (51-96 AD)

Hadrian (76 – 138 AD)

Elagabalus (204 - 222 AD)

Constans (323 - 350 AD)

Sources: Dall’Orto, Giovanni. Who’s Who in Gay and Lesbian History from Antiquity to World War II. Robert Aldrich and Garry Wotherspoon, eds. London: Routledge, 2001.

https://en.wikipedia.org

https://www.britannica.com

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