Table of Contents

Preface 1. Early Greece: 776-480 BCE A Millennium of Greek Love Homer's Iliad Crete, Sparta, Chalcis Athletics and the Cult of Beauty Sappho Alcaeus, Ibycus, Anacreon Theognis of Megara Athens' Rulers The Tyrannicides 2. Judea: 900 BCE-600 CE The Judgment of Leviticus The Threat to Population Sodom's Gold Who Were the Kedeshim? Philo of Alexandria The Talmud 3. Classical Greece: 480-323 BCE Pindar's Odes Greek Tragedy Phidias The Comedies of Aristophanes Plato's Symposium The Phaedrus and the Laws Xenophon Aristotle's Dicta Zeno and the Stoics Aeschines' Against Timarchus The Sacred Band of Thebes Philip and Alexander 4. Rome and Greece: 200 BCE-138 CE Sexuality and Empire Cicero and Roman Politics Greek Love in the Aeneid Meleager and Callimachus Catullus and Tibullus Theocritus and "Corydon" Horace Ovid's Myths Lesbianism Petronius' Satyricon Suetonius and the Emperors Statius, Martial, Juvenal Hadrian and Antinous 5. Christians and Pagans: 1-565 CE The Gospels Intertestamental Judaism and Paul "Moses" and the Early Church Greek Love in Late Antiquity Plutarch's Dialogue on Love The Lucianic Dialogue Two Romances and an Epic Roman Law before Constantine The Edicts of 342 and 390 Sodom Transformed Saint John Chrysostom The Persecutions of Justinian 6. Darkness Descends: 476-1049 The Fall of Rome Visigothic Spain Church Councils and Penitentials The Carolingian Panic Love in Arab Spain The Growth of Canon Law The Book of Gomorrah 7. The Medieval World: 1050-1321 The Fortunes of Ganymede Scandal in High Places The Theological Assault The Inquisition and Its Allies The Fate of the Templars Secular Laws: The Sowing The Harvest Begins Poets for the Prosecution Dante's Admirable Sinners 8. Imperial China: 500 BCE-1840 A Peach, a Fish, and a Sleeve The Han Emperors Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism Poets and Lovers From Tang to Song Ming China: The West Reacts Feng Menglong's Anatomy of Love Fiction and Drama The Qing Dynasty The Peking Stage 9. Italy in the Renaissance: 1321-1609 A New Ethos and an Old Repression in the Italian City States Death in Venice Florence: The Price of Love Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo Michelangelo: Love, Art, and Guilt Sodoma and Cellini Rome and Caravaggio 10. Spain and the Inquisition: 1506-1700 The Spanish Inquisition Subcultures in Valencia and Madrid The Inquisition in Portugal Spain and the New World 11. France from Calvin to Louis XIV: 1517-1715 Outings, Protestant and Catholic Calvinism and Repression Henry III and the "Mignons" The Poets' Revolt 9. Queen Christina Louis XIII, "The Just" Monsieur and Madame Six Generals Les Lesbiennes 12. England from the Reformation to William III: 1533-1702 Silence and Denial Monasteries and the Law Elizabethan Literature Christopher Marlowe The Tragedy of Edward II Shakespeare's Sonnets James VI and I Francis Bacon Puritanism and the Restoration Between Women William III in England 13. Pre-Meiji Japan: 800-1868 Europe Discovers Japan The Buddhist Priesthood Samurai and Shoguns No Drama and Kabuki A Debate and an Anthology Saikaku's Great Mirror Tokugawa Finale 14. Patterns of Persecution: 1700-1730 Policing Paris "Reforming" Britain Souls in Exile Witch Hunt in the Netherlands 15. Sapphic Lovers: 1700-1793 Law and Religion Romance and Innuendo A Nun and an Actress An Ill-Fated Queen 16. The Enlightenment: 1730-1810 Montesquieu and Beccaria Frederick the Great The Vagaries of Voltaire Diderot and Sade Toward Reform Bentham vs. Blackstone Conclusion Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments Illustration Credits Index

Promotional Information

An encyclopedic survey of homosexuality in Western and non-Western civilizations. Crompton's writing is lively, vivid and refreshing--a pleasure to read. Anyone interested in looking at homosexuality from a comparative and historical point of view will want to own this book. -- David Greenberg, author of The Construction of Homosexuality A minor masterpiece. Each chapter is a small work of art in itself. Crompton's discussion of Sapphic love is the best general treatment of lesbian suffering that I have seen. Though passionate, Homosexuality and Civilization is articulate, balanced, and theoretically sound--accessible to beginners and informative for specialists as well. -- William A. Percy, coeditor of Encyclopedia of Homosexuality A master work of interpretive scholarship. Before this exhaustive and exhilarating study, a long shelf of books considered the intersection of homosexuality and civilization. Now there is one that does it all. Crompton's lifetime of academic gay activism powers this erudite, entertaining distillation of same-sex politics, practices, and passions across centuries and through cultures. He was born to write this book; generations yet unborn will draw knowledge and strength from it. -- Richard Labonte, Q Syndicate columnist and former general manager, A Different Light bookstores A one-of-a-kind, page-turning tour through gay history--one of the richest reading experiences in recent memory. This magnificent book educates us, startles us, and, by turns, reassures us as it traces the widespread cultural wellsprings of the changing forces of homosexuality. Crompton has crafted an utterly thrilling tour de force that succeeds in reinventing what we know about gay life across cultures and ages. This impressively detailed, eminently illuminating, and thoroughly enjoyable book should be on every gay person's--and every thinking person's--must-read list. -- David Rosen, Editor-in-Chief, InsightOutBooks A treasure trove of compelling information. This marvelous book, covering not simply the Western tradition but China and Japan as well, is sure to become fundamental reading in gay and lesbian studies. Crompton dazzles the reader with his exhaustive research and incisive analyses. Not since the work of the late John Boswell has a scholar brought such a brilliant light to bear on earlier evidence of same-sex affections. -- Karla Jay, author of Tales of the Lavender Menace

About the Author

Louis Crompton was Professor of English, Emeritus, at the University of Nebraska.

Reviews

Brilliantly researched… Crompton, drawing on his immense erudition, contrasts Christianity and its barbaric cruelty toward same-sex love with more benign traditions in Moorish Spain… [He] also discusses the cult of romantic homosexuality in traditional Japan, where relationships of intense loyalty and idealism sprang up between the samurai and their pages.
*Los Angeles Times*

In Louis Crompton’s sober, searching and somber new history, Homosexuality and Civilization, homosexuality is associated with the inner workings of civilization itself… It begins in the gladness of early Greece, where homosexuality had an ‘honored place’ for more than a millennium, and concludes with the madness of 19th-century Europe. In between is what Mr. Crompton calls a ‘kaleidoscope of horrors’ lasting more than 1,500 years… This is a restrained, careful, clear book of scholarly exposition.
*New York Times*

Crompton’s book is truly the culmination of a lifetime’s commitment… Writing a history of homosexuality is therefore a mission to remind the reader of millennia of oppression and resistance. For Crompton, the commonalities of that disparate history of homosexuality lie in two elements: the fact of common sexual practices, and the possibilities of human love and devotion that survived and contested all that history (‘their’ history) could throw at it. His history is, in part at least, a history of celebration.
*Times Higher Education Supplement*

Even after the explosion of literature on gay issues since the 1970s, comprehensive examinations of homosexuality in history have been few. An exception is Louis Crompton’s new Homosexuality and Civilization, a sweeping account that was 18 years in the making. Crompton, a professor emeritus of English at the University of Nebraska, presents both a catalog of horrific abuse and persecution in the West and a surprising history of tolerance in some Eastern cultures, such as Japan, where homosexuality was ‘an honored way of life among the country’s religious and military leaders.’
*Reason*

At last, a comprehensive, scholarly investigation into homosexuality through the ages. In Homosexuality and Civilization, Louis Crompton discusses in elevated but readable fashion how gays and lesbians have affected the civilized world from ancient Greece to modern America, and been affected by it.
*Louisville Letter*

When Europeans first arrived in the Americas they found men engaged in erotic entanglements virtually on the quayside. They responded with the horror their religion had implanted in them, holding out their bibles and shouting ‘Abomination! Devilry! Witchcraft!’ The problem was they found the same thing almost everywhere they set foot in East Asia. China and Japan both looked on this kind of activity with a cool shrug of the shoulders. But as the Europeans’ colonizing push gathered force, the hangings, disembowelment by mastiffs and burnings alive (especially popular) began to appear in these regions as well… This is a major work… It will be the first book future researchers in the topic turn to, and what they will find is a magisterial survey that delivers the fruits of a lifetime’s study. Everything in the field is touched on and weighed in the balance.
*Taipei Times*

Beginning where one would suspect—the ancient Greeks—Crompton puts a particular emphasis on Eastern social history in pursuing his narrative of the evolving place of homosexuality all the way to the Enlightenment. A key Crompton theme is that while much of Western civilization officially persecuted homosexuals throughout the ages, whatever the hypocrisy involved, in many Eastern cultures—including pre-modern China and samurai Japan—‘the celebration of same-sex love rivaled that of ancient Greece.’
*Toronto Star*

Based on the best recent scholarship and providing an overview of homosexuality from the Greeks to the end of the 18th century, this levelheaded, easy-to-read volume confirms the fact that homosexuality has had a long history (with periods of greater or less tolerance)… The result is the best historical overview of the topic that this reviewer has read.
*Choice*

In [Homosexuality and Civilization], impressive for its breadth and readability, an early pioneer of gay and lesbian studies attempts the Herculean task of chronicling the history of homosexuality in Europe and parts of Asia from Homer to the 18th century. In a series of short vignettes, Crompton…relates the ‘rich and terrible’ stories of men and women who have been immortalized, celebrated, shunned or executed for the special attention they paid to members of their own sex. Two chapters on China and Japan are a welcome addition to the usual Eurocentric focus.
*Publishers Weekly*

An encyclopedic survey of homosexuality in Western and non-Western civilizations. Crompton’s writing is lively, vivid and refreshing—a pleasure to read. Anyone interested in looking at homosexuality from a comparative and historical point of view will want to own this book.
*David Greenberg, author of The Construction of Homosexuality*

A treasure trove of compelling information. This marvelous book, covering not simply the Western tradition but China and Japan as well, is sure to become fundamental reading in gay and lesbian studies. Crompton dazzles the reader with his exhaustive research and incisive analyses. Not since the work of the late John Boswell has a scholar brought such a brilliant light to bear on earlier evidence of same-sex affections.
*Karla Jay, author of Tales of the Lavender Menace*

A master work of interpretive scholarship. Before this exhaustive and exhilarating study, a long shelf of books considered the intersection of homosexuality and civilization. Now there is one that does it all. Crompton’s lifetime of academic gay activism powers this erudite, entertaining distillation of same-sex politics, practices, and passions across centuries and through cultures. He was born to write this book; generations yet unborn will draw knowledge and strength from it.
*Richard Labonte, Q Syndicate columnist and former General Manager, A Different Light bookstores*

A minor masterpiece. Each chapter is a small work of art in itself. Crompton’s discussion of Sapphic love is the best general treatment of lesbian suffering that I have seen. Though passionate, Homosexuality and Civilization is articulate, balanced, and theoretically sound—accessible to beginners and informative for specialists as well.
*William A. Percy, coeditor of Encyclopedia of Homosexuality*

A one-of-a-kind, page-turning tour through gay history—one of the richest reading experiences in recent memory. This magnificent book educates us, startles us, and, by turns, reassures us as it traces the widespread cultural wellsprings of the changing forces of homosexuality. Crompton has crafted an utterly thrilling tour de force that succeeds in reinventing what we know about gay life across cultures and ages. This impressively detailed, eminently illuminating, and thoroughly enjoyable book should be on every gay person’s—and every thinking person’s—must-read list.
*David Rosen, Editor-in-Chief, InsightOutBooks*

An encyclopedic survey of homosexuality in Western and non-Western civilizations. Crompton's writing is lively, vivid and refreshing-a pleasure to read. Anyone interested in looking at homosexuality from a comparative and historical point of view will want to own this book. -- David Greenberg, author of The Construction of Homosexuality
A minor masterpiece. Each chapter is a small work of art in itself. Crompton's discussion of Sapphic love is the best general treatment of lesbian suffering that I have seen. Though passionate, Homosexuality and Civilization is articulate, balanced, and theoretically sound-accessible to beginners and informative for specialists as well. -- William A. Percy, co-editor of Encyclopedia of Homosexuality
A master work of interpretive scholarship. Before this exhaustive and exhilarating study, a long shelf of books considered the intersection of homosexuality and civilization. Now there is one that does it all. Crompton's lifetime of academic gay activism powers this erudite, entertaining distillation of same-sex politics, practices, and passions across centuries and through cultures. He was born to write this book; generations yet unborn will draw knowledge and strength from it. -- Richard Labonte, Q Syndicate columnist and former General Manager, A Different Light bookstores
A one-of-a-kind, page-turning tour through gay history-one of the richest reading experiences in recent memory. This magnificent book educates us, startles us, and, by turns, reassures us as it traces the widespread cultural wellsprings of the changing forces of homosexuality. Crompton has crafted an utterly thrilling tour de force that succeeds in reinventing what we know about gay life across cultures and ages. This impressively detailed, eminently illuminating, and thoroughly enjoyable book should be on every gay person's-and every thinking person's-must-read list. -- David Rosen, Editor-in-Chief, InsightOutBooks
A treasure trove of compelling information. This marvelous book, covering not simply the Western tradition but China and Japan as well, is sure to become fundamental reading in gay and lesbian studies. Crompton dazzles the reader with his exhaustive research and incisive analyses. Not since the work of the late John Boswell has a scholar brought such a brilliant light to bear on earlier evidence of same-sex affections. -- Karla Jay, author of Tales of the Lavender Menace
In [Homosexuality and Civilization], impressive for its breadth and readability, an early pioneer of gay and lesbian studies attempts the Herculean task of chronicling the history of homosexuality in Europe and parts of Asia from Homer to the 18th century. In a series of short vignettes, Crompton...relates the 'rich and terrible' stories of men and women who have been immortalized, celebrated, shunned or executed for the special attention they paid to members of their own sex. Two chapters on China and Japan are a welcome addition to the usual Eurocentric focus. * Publishers Weekly *
Brilliantly researched... Crompton, drawing on his immense erudition, contrasts Christianity and its barbaric cruelty toward same-sex love with more benign traditions in Moorish Spain... [He] also discusses the cult of romantic homosexuality in traditional Japan, where relationships of intense loyalty and idealism sprang up between the samurai and their pages. -- Edmund White * Los Angeles Times *
In Louis Crompton's sober, searching and somber new history, Homosexuality and Civilization, homosexuality is associated with the inner workings of civilization itself... It begins in the gladness of early Greece, where homosexuality had an 'honored place' for more than a millennium, and concludes with the madness of 19th-century Europe. In between is what Mr. Crompton calls a 'kaleidoscope of horrors' lasting more than 1,500 years... This is a restrained, careful, clear book of scholarly exposition. -- Edward Rothstein * New York Times *
Beginning where one would suspect-the ancient Greeks-Crompton puts a particular emphasis on Eastern social history in pursuing his narrative of the evolving place of homosexuality all the way to the Enlightenment. A key Crompton theme is that while much of Western civilization officially persecuted homosexuals throughout the ages, whatever the hypocrisy involved, in many Eastern cultures-including pre-modern China and samurai Japan-'the celebration of same-sex love rivaled that of ancient Greece.' * Toronto Star *
Even after the explosion of literature on gay issues since the 1970s, comprehensive examinations of homosexuality in history have been few. An exception is Louis Crompton's new Homosexuality and Civilization, a sweeping account that was 18 years in the making. Crompton, a professor emeritus of English at the University of Nebraska, presents both a catalog of horrific abuse and persecution in the West and a surprising history of tolerance in some Eastern cultures, such as Japan, where homosexuality was 'an honored way of life among the country's religious and military leaders.' -- Julian Sanchez * Reason *
Based on the best recent scholarship and providing an overview of homosexuality from the Greeks to the end of the 18th century, this levelheaded, easy-to-read volume confirms the fact that homosexuality has had a long history (with periods of greater or less tolerance)... The result is the best historical overview of the topic that this reviewer has read. -- V. L. Bullough * Choice *
When Europeans first arrived in the Americas they found men engaged in erotic entanglements virtually on the quayside. They responded with the horror their religion had implanted in them, holding out their bibles and shouting 'Abomination! Devilry! Witchcraft!' The problem was they found the same thing almost everywhere they set foot in East Asia. China and Japan both looked on this kind of activity with a cool shrug of the shoulders. But as the Europeans' colonizing push gathered force, the hangings, disembowelment by mastiffs and burnings alive (especially popular) began to appear in these regions as well... This is a major work... It will be the first book future researchers in the topic turn to, and what they will find is a magisterial survey that delivers the fruits of a lifetime's study. Everything in the field is touched on and weighed in the balance. -- Bradley Winterton * Taipei Times *
Crompton's book is truly the culmination of a lifetime's commitment... Writing a history of homosexuality is therefore a mission to remind the reader of millennia of oppression and resistance. For Crompton, the commonalities of that disparate history of homosexuality lie in two elements: the fact of common sexual practices, and the possibilities of human love and devotion that survived and contested all that history ('their' history) could throw at it. His history is, in part at least, a history of celebration. -- Jeffrey Weeks * Times Higher Education Supplement *
At last, a comprehensive, scholarly investigation into homosexuality through the ages. In Homosexuality and Civilization, Louis Crompton discusses in elevated but readable fashion how gays and lesbians have affected the civilized world from ancient Greece to modern America, and been affected by it. * Louisville Letter *

Recent landmark decisions in the U.S. and Canadian Supreme Courts on same-sex relationships have engendered passionate public debate about homosexuality in society and revealed the depth of homophobia in 21st-century North America. In this ambitious work, Crompton (English, emeritus, Univ. of Nebraska; Byron and Greek Love) strikes at the roots of these attitudes by examining homosexuals throughout 24 centuries of history. Drawing chiefly on primary sources, the author presents a comprehensive, richly detailed study of Western civilization from ancient Greece, where same-sex relationships were celebrated, through the rise of the three "Abrahamic" religions (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) and the resulting vilification of homosexuality. He then covers the Enlightenment and the Age of Reason in Europe, with side trips to the surprisingly tolerant and open cultures of China and Japan, tracing attitudes through the mid-19th century. Crompton superbly chronicles a subculture that has survived, and at times even flourished, in the face of unsparingly depicted persecution, while subtly emphasizing the vital contributions in all fields that homosexuals of both sexes have made to history. This impressive work is an essential purchase for all gay and lesbian studies and history collections.-Richard J. Violette, Special Libs. Cataloguing, Victoria, B.C. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.