It's the Ancients on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes your host and in today's

podcast well it is a big topic because we're going to be talking all about

homosexuality and ancient Greece. In particular we're going to be focusing in on

this idea of Greek love. We're going to be looking at figures such as Plato

and how he describes it and the reception of Greek love by other cultures

down through the centuries. We're going to be looking at the reception of Greek

love in ancient Rome in the medieval period in the Renaissance in the Enlightenment

and even down to the Victorian period with figures such as Oscar Wilde. And what's

really striking as you listen to this episode is how closely entwined ancient

Greece has been with homosexuality and thoughts on homosexuality down through

the centuries almost up to the present day and the late 20th century. Now to talk

through all of this I was delighted to get back on the podcast Professor

Alistair Blanchard from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.

Alistair the name Mike Ringabel he was on the podcast recently to talk all

about sexual fantasies about the Greco-Roman world. He sorted the fact from the

fiction about the Roman orgy about naked statues in ancient Greece and also

about why there are so many fallous symbols everywhere in Pompeii. Alistair

always a pleasure to have him on the podcast and without further ado here he is to

talk about homosexuality and ancient Greece. Alistair welcome back for another

podcast on the ancient since it's always great to see you. Thank you very much.

Now Greek love ancient Greece and as senior mentions in your book as well it seems

to have this central place in the creation of modern homosexuality. Yes you

...