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Sophocles


Sophocles
Sophocles

Sophocles (497 - 406 BCE) was one of three great Greek tragic poets. He came from wealth, and moved easily in society. Over his productive life of over sixty years he wrote over 123 plays, of which only seven remain.

“The young Sophocles was beautiful, and a man named Lampros had taught him dancing and music when he was a boy. After the sea fight at Salamis (480 
BCE) Sophocles danced around the victory monument playing the lyre, nude and rubbed with olive oil – though according to others he was clad. When he produced his Thamyris he played himself the cythara, and when he staged Nausicaa he excelled in the ball game.” (1)

The historian Athenaios reported that Sophocles loved boys like Euripides loved women. The poet Ion of Chios relates:
“I met Sophocles in Chios when he was as a strategist on his way to Lesbos. He was an adroit man who liked to make merry at the symposium. Hermesilaos was his friend and the official host of the Athenians. The boy who poured the wine stood at the fireplace, beautiful and blushing. Sophocles, visibly touched, asked him: ‘Do you want me to drink with delight?’ He nodded. ‘So take your time when you give me the bowl and take it away.’ The boy blushed more strongly. Sophocles remarked to the guest who lay beside him: “How beautiful is the line of Phrynichos: ‘Shining on purple cheeks the light of love.’ ”
His neighbour, who was a schoolmaster of Eretria answered him: You are doubtless a sage poet, Sophocles, but Phrynichos did not express himself well in calling the cheeks of a beautiful boy purple, because, if a Persian had painted them with purple colour, the boy would appear no longer beautiful. Therefore one must not compare the beautiful to the obviously not beautiful.
Sophocles laughed and said: So you also wont like the verse of Simonides that the Greeks appreciate so much: From purple lips the girl let flow her voice, and what the poet says of Apollos golden hair, because, if a painter had painted the gods hair golden instead of black, the painting would be worse. Likewise the poetic rose-fingered, since, if anyone should dip their fingers into rose-red paint, they would get hands like a dyer but not like a beautiful woman.
The other guests laughed, and the man from Eretria was struck dumb with the rebuke, while Sophocles turned towards the boy again. This one was just trying to remove a speck from the bowl with his little finger. Sophocles asked him whether he could see the straw distinctly. He affirmed it, and Sophocles continued: So blow it away, lest your finger should become wet. While the boy approached his lips to the vessel, Sophocles brought it nearer to his mouth, so that their heads approached each other. When the boy was near him, Sophocles put his arm around him, drew him even closer and kissed him. All applauded and cheered him for having outfoxed the boy so nicely. Sophocles replied: Gentlemen, Im practising strategy, because Pericles said that I understood poetry but not strategy. Now, don,t you think my stratagem turned out quite well?'’ ”(2)

Of course, Sophocles's strategies did not always turn out to his advantage. He was reputed to have had amorous trysts with pretty boys all life long; Plato swore to it. His pederasty is similarly reported by Euripides, and by Athenaios. The latter, who liked gathering anecdotes about the lives of the great men of antiquity, relates one of Sophocles's misadventures: One day, Sophocles (who was around 65 years of age at the time) led beyond the walls of the city a beautiful youth in order to enjoy him. The lad spread his rough himation (a cheap coat) on the grass and the two covered themselves with the elegant chlanis of the poet. When the thing was done, the boy snatched the chlanis, leaving the himation for Sophocles. Naturally word of this got around, and as soon as Euripides found out he made great fun of it. (3)

After Athenaios and Ion of Chios, Deipnosophistai I, 20, and XIII, 603-604

CITATION: If you cite this Web page, please use the following form of citation:
Editorial Board, World History of Male Love, "Famous Homosexuals", Sophocles, 2000 <http://www.gay-art-history.org/gay-history/gay-literature/famous-homosexuals/sophocles-gay/sophocles-gay.html>

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