1. Dildos were common
in Greece. They were made of wood or stone. Men frequently gave them as gifts
to their wives when they had to be gone for wars or other extended trips. This
was viewed as a way to keep her from straying.
2. Pederasty, or the
practice of mentoring, was at the core of the Greek homosocial culture. An
older aristocrat took a younger man of the same social class under his wing.
Most such relationships had a sexual aspect to them; although, the extend of
this varied with the social expectations of the polis and the inclination of
the partners.
The Greeks did not
have a word for homosexual. Men had sex. The gender of their partner did not
matter. What did matter was their relative status and penetration. Penetration
was for social inferiors (ie women and slaves). Equals were expected to refrain
from penetration. Thus intercrural sex was the norm for pederastic
relationships.
This was by no means
true for lovers; although, the stigma attached to penetration still applied.
Men could be lovers, but were still expected to conform to the prevalent
cultural expectations of what a man was.
3. The Theban or
Sacred Band was made up entirely of men and their male lovers. It was commonly
thought that men who were lovers would fight more fiercely in the defense of
their home and lovers. For what man could stand to have his lover think him a
coward?
4. The Olympian Games
were held in honor of Zeus every four years. A PanHellenic truce was declared
so all the Greek city-states could compete.
Athletes competed in
the nude. One ancient source attributes this to a woman successfully winning
the foot race. In an effort to see that women wouldn't be able to impersonate a
man and thus compete, all future Olympian Games were held in the nude.
Only
uncircumcised/uncut men could compete, as it was considered rude to go
uncovered.
5. Beards were
considered a sign of virility in ancient Greece. Just look at how much time the
men spent on them, preening. They kept their beards carefully trimmed and would
oil them and tease them into ringlets for special occasions.
_____
Blurb
The mature King Lykos has a sexy
confidence that turns Alexios' head. Seduced by Lykos, Prince Alexios discovers
a world of men he's never known before.
Meanwhile his slave Galen has gotten tired
of waiting in the wings. He sets out to woo Alexios and win his heart.
Even Apollo can't leave Alexios alone.
The young prince finds himself pursued by a god and in danger of a perilous
love.
How will Alexios follow his heart when
he unwittingly wins the favor of a god? Can Alexios escape the fate of Apollo's
past lovers and have the man he wants?
Excerpt
Alexios' father, still red-faced
and with fists clenched, followed him into his room and glared at his slave
Galen until the young man left. Demetrios twitched the mantle covering Alexios
with contempt, almost as if touching the offending garment sullied his hand.
"Explain to me why my son
comes back to me in Lykos' care, wearing another man's mantle? I'm sure the
other kings want to know as well!" His voice took on a dangerous quality,
"Don't play the wanton and act like you're already his."
Alexios jerked his head up,
thrumming with restrained anger. "I am a prince of Dicaea! I belong to no
one!"
"See that you keep yourself
that way. I intend for you to make a marriage alliance. Whichever of those men
becomes your father-in-law will have the mentoring of you." His father
stalked to the door before turning. "I expect you to compete with the
other youths at the games for your coming-of-age."
Feeling like a prize bull being
offered to the highest bidder, Alexios tore the mantle from his body. He stood
in no more than he would be wearing when he competed. Alexios realized his
father not only wanted him to show his prowess, his father also wanted him on
exhibit for the other kings.
"The alliance means so much
you don't care if you have to put me on display to get what you want?"
"This alliance is more
important than your wounded sensibilities. A betrothal will offer us the
support we need to expand. A prince's loyalty is to his father. You will obey
me in this!"
In spite of his father, his cock
filled as he envisioned being on parade before Lykos and the other men. The
fantasy of their eyes watching every move his body made gave rise to a shivery
feeling at his core. Would they only have eyes for him or would they compare
him to the other oiled bodies competing with him for the laurel? Would the
victor also become the prize in some fashion?
The blood left Demetrios' face.
"That...that man...excites you, doesn't he? Keep away from Lykos!"
his father stuttered with a burgeoning air of alarm.
The dismayed man staggered
through the doorway. He shoved past the slave standing in the hall, without
thought or seeming awareness of his surroundings. Galen bowed to the king and
kept an eye on Alexios' father as he stormed down the corridor.
Alexios still stood in
openmouthed shock when Galen reentered the room, trying to fathom what his
father's outburst had been all about. Bemused, Alexios wondered why his father
wanted to keep him away from Lykos. For a moment, he had thought his father was
jealous.
"Master..."
"Never mind him. He's not
angry at you."
The air cooled his heated skin
as he searched for a tunic to cover his nakedness. Galen reached past him to
pick up the garment first. His arm brushed against Alexios' sensitive skin and
a shudder ran down Alexios' frame.
Alexios turned and caught the
look of surprise on his slave's face. Galen's carefully schooled his features
to exhibited polite interest, nothing more.
Alexios gazed at the slave with
speculation, contemplating what he knew of the man. Galen saw to all his needs,
often before he realized he wanted something. The young man served him with
such devotion Alexios had never been forced to rebuke him. In fact, Galen went
to greater lengths than necessary, certainly more than duty required. He never
wondered about the depth of Galen's dedication before. Why was Galen so diligent?
Taking the chiton from Galen's
hands, Alexios replaced the garment on the chest at the foot of his bed. He
feasted his eyes on the hale and comely slave. He had intended to slake his
lust in one of the slave girls, but his own slave stood before him. Maybe he
didn't need to go in search of someone else.
"Do you know what to do
with this?" He gestured at his engorged cock.
An enigmatic mix of emotions
washed across the young man's face. Distaste, hope, and despair jumbled
together to distort the handsome features. Without a word, Galen slid to his
knees and his hand stretched out to Alexios' cock.
Available via Breathless Press
About Kayla
A knight
and a former princess, Kayla Jameth now spends her time writing m/m romance. A
true Renaissance woman, she has done everything from cross stitch like a proper
lady to welding with the best of them. An eclectic life has left her with a
unique understanding of the world inhabited by men and an appreciation for the
difficulties faced by men in m/m relationships. It is her devout wish that her
experiences translate into a richer telling of such tales. A minor in classical
history left her with a special love of ancient history, especially during the
classical period.
Hello Louisa!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hang out with you again, especially as you've said such nice things about me.
I hope you enjoyed the excerpt and the naughty facts about Greece.
I love Greek culture. What fascinating info! I'd heard about the nude Olympics, not the reason, though I guess it doesn't surprise me, LOL. I've seen Alexios' Fate around, now I need to go pick it up :)
ReplyDeleteI love ancient cultures in general, but I minored in Classical History so the Greco-Roman world is more familiar to me. I'm flattered that you've heard of Alexios. I hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI've got my copy waiting on Kindle ... for when I'm a good girl and finish writing my book -- hopefully this week!
ReplyDeleteHistory has always fascinated me and I've learned some interesting fact while doing research. Thanks for sharing more.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to share.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know that my story rates as a reward!
Yes, thanks for sharing that. I love history but know very little about Bronze Age Greece. I did know the Olympic athletes were nude, but not the reason why! Very interesting post.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm glad to see so many people interested in history geek juicy tidbits.
ReplyDelete