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Homosexuality was a characteristic part of society in classical Athens, as elsewhere. In Plato's Symposium homosexuality is lauded as “a pure form of Celestial Love.” What Plato called the only true love, the love between two males, was really between an adult male and a young boy. It was the norm for an adult male to take a young boy as his lover until the boy was old enough to grow a beard. The relationship between the adult and his lover was considered an educational one. The adult guided his young lover on his way to adulthood.

Intercourse between male and female, husband and wife, was necessary for procreation. “Women for children; boys for pleasure” is an apt description of sexual activity in classical Athens. It is evident from images on vases and art objects, that love was public as well as private. There are vases with pictures portraying intercourse between two individuals while others look on.

Figure 2.3 The Erchtheion was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena on the north side of the Acropolis in Athens, 421–406 BC.

Source: Photo courtesy of Brent Kooi, private collection.

Both Plato and Xenophon, another of Socrates' students, speak of Socrates' well‐known fascination with young boys. Both speak of measures taken by Socrates to avoid relationships with the boys from becoming physical, though Plato admits that Socrates did occasionally give in to temptation. Both agreed with their master that the relationship between the adult and the boy could be aimed at both sexual love and “also at obtaining moral wisdom and strength” (Van Dolen 2018).