Times Of Plato Female Homosexuality example essay topic

Evolution of Ideas and Practices From Ancient Times Plato's symposium is a array of speeches on what love meant in the society. Although the term "homosexuality" was not present in ancient times, it was something that was well practiced. Men and women still shared intercourse, but it was not thought of as wrong, or out of the norm, for there to be male and male interaction, and sometimes female and female interaction. Love, the kind shared between two males, came from physical attraction, emotional attraction and mental attraction. Love, the kind shared between a man and a woman came from emotional and mental attraction, and a need to procreate. After the times of Plato female homosexuality was completely forbidden, although male homosexuality was deemed acceptable.

Marriage was often just for procreation, but there was also love involved. Homosexuality in modern times is often thought of as wrong. It is thought of as completely inappropriate for two men or for two women to be together in a sexual way. It is interesting to see how the idea and practice of homosexuality and the practice of love and marriage has evolved through the times. There was much male and male interaction in the times of Plato. Older men often took younger men "under their wings".

An older man would teach younger men about the world of love, politics, business etc. in return for sexual favors. In the beginning of "Symposium" Agathon requests that Socrates be seated next to him so that "I may touch you", he said "and have the benefit of that wise thought which came into your mind in the portico... ". Agathon believed that he were to touch Socrates and be with Socrates he could learn Socrates' many wisdom's. It would not have been uncommon for the other men in the room to witness a sexual interaction between males, for they themselves surely participated in it. Although it is later learned that Socrates is not a enthusiast of sexual pleasures, he looks better upon stimulation of the brain.

Who is really to say which kind of love is the true kind of love? Aristophenes tells a story of a different people, and "Androgynous" people. In the beginning a human was one being with four arms, four hands, four legs, and four feet. This being even had two faces, on either side of the one head it shared. The being was egotistical and upset Zeus, and so Zeus cut it in half and made two of one in an attempt to humble this being. The love that Aristophenes describes can be male / male, female / female, or male / female.

Zeus put the parts of privy on the front of these new beings so that they "sowed the seed no longer as hitherto like grasshoppers in the ground, but in one another; and after the transposition the male generated in the female in order that by the mutual embraces of man and woman they might breed... making one of two and healing the state of man". Although if two males were two interact they would feel satisfied and then go about their daily business, and there would still be female to female companions, but they must be careful not to upset the gods for then they would all be destroyed. Aristophenes tells us that for all of life each half is wandering the earth looking for its other half, whether it be of the same sex or opposite, so that it can complete its love. Pausanias says in his speech that there is more that one Love. First there is common love, which is of the body and not of the soul. Since common love does not discriminate and was born of a male and female parts, common love partakes in the union of male and female.

The second Love of which Pausanias speaks is called heavenly love. It came from a birth in which there was no female participation so this love is a union of two males, "Those who are inspired by this love turn to the male, and delight in him who is the more valiant and intelligent nature... For they love not boys, but intelligent, beings whose reason is beginning to be developed, much about the time at which their beards begin to grow". He is telling us of love between to men, yet goes on to conclude that this love should be against the law. In the end it may have bad effects of the younger male and make him turn out corrupt.

This may be the time where the homosexuality was starting to be questioned, and may be why some of it became wicked in the end. The beginnings of the male dominance in the Greek times are seen in the start of the Olympic Games. Men participated in the nude, and homosexuality here was a sign of a masculine, virile society. It was an importance of warfare. When the times of Plato ended and the new era began homosexuality was looked at in a completely different manner. It was quite okay for a man to have homosexual relations but completely out of the question for a female to commit such acts.

The roles of male and female being mostly equal changed as men started to be the sex in charge. Men were considered by society to be good citizens if they had faithful wives and produced sons, but they could be unfaithful if they so desired. In fact men had unrestricted power over their wives, servants and slaves (both male and female). The importance of procreation overruled marital fidelity for men and so began the age of "bastard" children.

Men would take on courtesans. Courtesans were highly accepted and were a sign of a mans high social standing. Since sex within a marriage was for the purpose of procreation, the courtesans purpose was for pleasure of the male. It was said "One should not caress one's wife like a courtesan" since the rules governing the interaction between a man and his courtesan were purely physical. In the Roman times a woman's essential role was for childbirth.

It was thought that she needed no pleasure from sex to produce a child, and so she was given none. The age of marriage for a woman began as early as she started puberty. Although there was one exception to this rule: Vestal Virgins. These were women who were keeping the sacred fire of Vesta, protective goddess of the Roman family.

They made a vow to stay virgins and keep the fire burning for 30 years, if they broke this vow they were buried alive. Throughout the times marriages were mainly for procreation, but there were marriages of love. We can see evidence of this in "Symposium". It is the story of Alcestis "the daughter of Pelias, a monument to all Hellas; for she was willing to lay down her life on behalf of her husband, when no one else would, although he had a father and mother; but the tenderness of her love so far exceeded theirs, that she made them seem to be strangers in blood to their own son... ". It is crazy what love can make you do.

Past the time of the Greeks and Romans, in the beginning of Western culture marriages were governed by the church. They were often arranged and considered "loveless" marriages, although a couple came to "love" each other after being together for years. Many things that were acceptable in ancient times grew out of fashion in Western culture. The biggest of these things is the practice of homosexuality.

If we look back we can see how it started to transform. In the Greek times there was homosexuality between men as well as between women. In the Roman times there was only homosexuality between men, and in fact these men were thought of highly within their society. With the beginning of Christianity an the Western culture homosexuality was very outdated.

It became wrong for a man to love a man or a female love a female in a sexual way since there would be no way for the sexes to reproduce. In our modern culture there are many fights for gay and lesbian rights. Is this something that will eventually be accepted again? If it was acceptable for our ancestors, then why can't it be acceptable for us? Another thing that has grown out of date in Western culture is the idea of a "loveless" and arranged marriage. It is now very important for a couple to be in love with each other in order for them to commit to a marriage.

Yet the divorce rate seems to be up. In ancient times there was no such thing as a divorce. How did it come about in modern times? Along with the arranged marriage, sex only for procreation is also gone.

It is now understood that sex is pleasurable for both men and women. It was known ancient times, such as the Greek era, that this idea was true, so how did it come about that it wasn't, and then back again that it was? Many ideas have come and gone throughout the times. Homosexuality being the most prevalent of those ideas. If we look back to the times of Socrates, Plato, and his "Symposium" we can see that homosexuality was not only accepted, but it was thought of as a good idea for the most part.

It was possible that homosexuality was finding the other half of one's self and finding love. In the times of the Roman's homosexuality between a man and his servants and slaves was a sign of power. In modern times homosexuality is looked down on. It is viewed by many as wrong and disgusting. Is it possible with all that is going on in the world today that soon this practice will be accepted again? History, if not learned from, is doomed to repeat itself.

So lets hope that we all learn something and learn to be a little more accepting so that maybe we can live in a happier time.