From government to literature to architecture, few fields in western culture are untouched by the influence of Ancient Greece and Rome. Even mores that may seem exclusively modern often have roots in the classical past. This book takes an in-depth look at the ancient roots of homophobia, including its Pythagorean origins and its eventual spread throughout the Roman Empire and, consequently, the rest of the world.
Originally, male homosexuality occupied something of an honorable position in ancient Greece. By the end of the Roman period several centuries later, this attitude had changed so radically that to be found guilty of homosexual actions was punishable by death. This work investigates how such a shift occurred and traces the various cultural forces that brought about almost universal homophobia throughout western societies. Beginning with the earliest documented instance of homophobia in the teachings of Pythagoras (who was surrounded by mystery even in ancient times), the author examines its proliferation through various disciplines, citing sources from political history, anthropology, religion, and psychology as well as the analysis of ancient texts. Through extensive historical research, he follows the concept from Greece to Macedonia and finally to Rome, examining relevant religious attitudes including those of Christianity and Judaism. Finally, he discusses the ways in which homophobia was solidified in the legal legacy of the Roman Empire. An extensive bibliography provides additional resources regarding classical influence on modern culture.

Robert H. Allen is an associate professor of English at Hiwassee College in the Unicoi Mountains of East Tennessee. He lives in Madisonville, Tennessee.

从政府到文学到建筑，西方文化中很少有领域不受古希腊和罗马的影响。即使是那些看起来完全是现代的风俗习惯，也往往植根于古典的过去。本书深入探讨了古代同性恋恐惧症的根源，包括其毕达哥拉斯式的起源及其最终在罗马帝国以及世界其他地区的传播。

最初，男性同性恋在古希腊占据了某种光荣的地位。到几个世纪后的罗马时期结束时，这种态度发生了根本性的变化，以至于被认定犯有同性恋行为的人可被处以死刑。这部作品研究了这种转变是如何发生的，并追踪了导致整个西方社会几乎普遍存在同性恋恐惧症的各种文化力量。从毕达哥拉斯的教义中最早记载的同性恋恐惧症的例子开始（即使在古代，他也被神秘所包围），作者研究了它在各个学科中的扩散，引用了政治史、人类学、宗教和心理学的资料，以及对古代文本的分析。通过广泛的历史研究，他跟随这一概念从希腊到马其顿，最后到罗马，研究了相关的宗教态度，包括基督教和犹太教的态度。最后，他讨论了恐同症在罗马帝国的法律遗产中被固化的方式。一个广泛的参考书目提供了有关古典文化对现代文化影响的额外资源。

罗伯特-H-艾伦是位于东田纳西州尤尼科伊山的希瓦西学院的英语副教授。他住在田纳西州的麦迪逊维尔。