9. Ancient Greece: When pederasty was the social convention
The most common form of same-s*x relationships between males in Greece was “paiderastia” meaning “boy love.” It was a relationship between an older male and an adolescent youth. A boy was considered a “boy” until he was able to grow a full beard. In Athens, the older man was called erastes, and he was to educate, protect, love, and provide a role model for his eromenos, whose reward for him lay in his beauty, youth, and promise.
To love a boy below the age of twelve was considered inappropriate, but no evidence exists of any legal penalties attached to this sort of practice.
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