Posted on 2014.06.29
Have you ever come across a sexual ad that says “no Greek” or “no Greek Love” and wondered what it meant?
Is the escort trying to say she doesn’t like Greece? That seems pretty narrow-minded, doesn’t it. But that’s not what the term “Greek” or “Greek Love” is referring to. Those terms are actually slang used to describe anal sex.
Butt why? (Pardon the pun.)
Well, in Ancient Greece it was normal to have both male and female lovers. It was considered part of a balanced love life if a man had a woman at home and a male lover on the side. In Greek society there was a common relationship known as “paiderastia”. This was an erotic relationship between a man (known as the erastes) and a teenage boy (referred to as the eromenos.) These types of relationships varied widely by region and in some places it was frowned upon for the older of the two to have penetrative sex with his younger companion.
Either way there was a sensual element to these friendships, whether they were mentors or initiates, it was based on sexual attraction.
In Ancient Rome there were certain traditions that were viewed as being specifically Greek – one of them was anal sex. The Romans believed having anal sex with a young man was shameful for both partners. To get around this taboo they’d have sex with their slaves because immodesty couldn’t be attributed to someone who wasn’t a free man. In Greece the paiderastia relationship (whether it included anal sex or not) had to be consensual. At the time, Roman plays depicted anal sex in Greek settings as something humorous, which drew a line between their sexual practices and the Greeks.
The paiderastia tradition in Greece, as well as the Romans views on anal sex are why this form of intercourse is sometimes referred to as “Greek Love” today.
How much do you love getting down like the Greeks?
