There are many sources of evidence: lyrical poetry, vases, statues, myths, philosophical treatises, speeches, inscriptions, medical texts, tragedies, comedies, curses ( example), and anecdotes in which homosexual practices are mentioned, lauded, ignored, and sometimes discouraged. In the present article, we will use the second approach, although we won't ignore the first one. The synchronistic approach: scholars concentrate upon homosexuality in fifth and fourth-century Athens, where it was integral part of social life.Usually, a lot of fantasy is required, because our sources do not often refer to these ancient rites.
The historical approach: scholars are looking for the (hypothetical) roots of pederasty in very ancient initiation rites and try to reconstruct a development.Dover published his influential book Greek Homosexuality in 1978, an avalanche of new studies has appeared. Violent debate, enthusiastic writings, shamefaced silence, flights of fantasy: few aspects of ancient society are so hotly contested as Greek pederasty, or - as we shall see below - homosexuality. In ancient Greece, this was a normal practice. Homosexuality: sexual attraction to persons of the same sex.
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