(no subject)

[apocalypsos]

Angry Greeks deny Alexander the Great was Gay -- See, that's the link that brings all the classical history geeks to the yard. Mmm-hmm. *nods solemnly*

Okay, who wants a Mrs. Doubtfire sequel? -- 'Cause, well, I don't, and somebody needs to explain why there's one coming to me. And also, why Robin Williams is getting the Cecil B. Demille Award. I mean, he's had a good career, but ... uh, yeah.

Comments

[laughingrat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and all those homoerotic paintings on amphorae are just grafitti, old-skool style. The Greeks had no obsession with the butt-sex whatsoever, no sir.

wow

[prettyveela.livejournal.com]

Are they serious? Alexander was about as straight as the letter "W" :\

[shinga.livejournal.com]

What the hell? Of COURSE Alexander was gay... he was Greek. :P

[ashenmote.livejournal.com]

Hmmmmm, angry greeks.
So Alexander was a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team and John F. Kennedy was gay, is it then?

And Robin Williams should please retire asap.

[dawning-star.livejournal.com]

Of course he wasn't gay, he just liked fucking guys. All straight guys do that.

[etoilepb.livejournal.com]

The angry Greeks need Professor Barton and her lectures on Homosexuality in Ancient Cultures. (Anyone who thinks a BA in history is boring has absolutely no sense of anything.)

[apillarofsalt.livejournal.com]

I do notice that the Greek lawyers don't have a problem with the implied incest between Alexander and his mother, just going from the previews. It's always good to know what's acceptable in Greece and what isn't. Incest, yay! Homosexuality, boo! Got ya.

(We'll just ignore the whole documents going into Alexander and his enjoyment of Greek "higher love". *cough*)

[badficwriter.livejournal.com]

::cough:: Speaking as someone of Greek ancestry, it does get annoying when everyone constantly insists, from grade school on, that all Greeks are gay...Denial is common.

It's worse when you find out they were mostly all right...

[bald-stoic.livejournal.com]

You're right about it bringing all the Classical geeks in. Aren't there better things for these people to do with their time? I can only laugh.

[minisinoo.livejournal.com]

There's a BIG difference between the "classical history geeks" and Greek nationalists. ;>

Peter Green has a great little article/chapter in his collection of essays, Classical Bearings: Interpreting Ancient History and Culture, titled "The Macedonian Connection," page 151ff. Fun stuff, and Green is a great (entertaining) essay writer. This chapter is a delightful and amusing expose on the often fractious conflict between serious (non-Greek) ancient historians (and specialists on Alexander and Macedonia) and the Greeks who have a set of nationalist 'truths' that must be followed, which often have more to do with modern Greek myths about their own past than with actual ancient evidence. ;>

I love the Greeks, but they're funny people, and there are three things you NEVER bring up in conversation with a Greek (unless you know him her VERY well and/or are prepared to agree with the official Greek position): the matter of Cyprus, the REAL name of Istanbul (there are signs today in Greece that stubbornly say, "Constantinople, XX km"), and the infamous Macedonian Question + who's buried in 'Philip's Tomb.' LOL! There are then a sub-set of hot topics, the homoeroticism of the ancient Greeks being one of them. Working in the history of the early church, I frequently had to buck the latter, so reading stuff like this (they're really going to SUE Stone?!), I just laugh. These guys are nuts.

[harmonyfb.livejournal.com]

Angry Greeks deny Alexander the Great was Gay

Riiiight. Totally his cousin.

Denial is not just a river in Egypt, you Greek homophobes.

[midnightbex.livejournal.com]

I think maybe those greeks need to brush up on their ancient history. Alexander is one of the best documented of ancient figures. His affairs with men were no secret and in that time it was thought that men were for love and women for breeding. Men thought it completely acceptable to have relationships and sex with each other. I find it amusing that as a past civilization the Greeks were much more forward thinking and open minded in that regard than in modern times.

[saturnalia.livejournal.com]

Totally his cousin.

*snerk*

[vivian-shaw.livejournal.com]

Oh sweet squeezy Jesus, that's funny. "No, he wasn't gay! Hephaistion and Bagoas were his drinkin' buddies--uh--and no one else in antiquity, specifically Greek antiquity, EVER encountered the love that dare not speak its name!"

Twerps.

And Robin Williams--I was unaware that the DeMille award was given out for Most Impressive Body Hair.

[thebitterguy]

Shouldn't the Macedonians be the ones upset about this?

[doqz.livejournal.com]

Dude, don't even start this. Trust me. The only worse quagmire than Greek/Macedonian Alex is the black Cleopatra one.

Just back away slowly and don't make any sudden moves.

[acetal.livejournal.com]

Oh, they are. They absolutely hate being referred to as Greek. Don't call them Albanian either.

The Greeks claim Macedonia on the basis that the Greek states were once part of Macedonia and therefore Macedonia is a part of Greece. By the same logic, everyone right out to India has a claim on Macedonia.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

is there somewhere online I could get at those? sounds interesting.

[kutsuwamushi.livejournal.com]

SO TRUE.

I'm not a history major, so I can't comment on nationalistic myths about Greek history, but the SAME problems come up with linguistics. Greeks like to think that modern and ancient Greek are as close together as possible, evidence and logic be damned!

It's kind of funny, actually ... but it makes me glad I'm not studying Greek.

[rowanberries.livejournal.com]

Yes! The ancient Greeks were all about the mansex! I have had several Theatre lessons to that effect this term alone!

*Breathes*

Hey, wouldn't it be nice if a gay-rights group of some description filed a lawsuit against them for daring to suggest Alexander being gay was a bad thing?

[rowanberries.livejournal.com]

Better things? Like what? It's twenty to midnight here, why waste internet time sleeping?!

[etoilepb.livejournal.com]

I doubt it. But they were certainly among her best-attended lectures during any semester on Ancient Greek or Ancient Roman history. She was one of my favorite professors at UMass. :)

[minisinoo.livejournal.com]

Ain't that the truth!

(It's one of those Three Things You Never Discuss With a Greek I mentioned above. LOL!)

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

darn.

*snaps, is dissapointed at the internet*

[vampychick.livejournal.com]

That logic has always seemed backwards to me. I mean, shouldn't Macedonia have a claim to Greece (and everyone right out to India) rather than the other way around?

But then, logic has little to do with nationalistic myths.