Man to Man

Description

"This book discusses same-sex desire among elite, educated Roman men in late antiquity, when same-sex desire could operate as a distinct vehicle for expressing friendship, patronage, solidarity, and other important relationships. Indeed, a man's grandeur or reputation could be portrayed metaphorically, and with some paradox, as sexual attractiveness. Knowledge of the actual mechanics of same-sex sexual behavior demonstrated that there was nothing the elite classes did not know, even of behaviors that were often frowned on and even criminalized. Since Plato's dialogues were widely read and influential among the educated classes, same-sex attraction/knowledge could also operate as a vehicle for rising to the transcendent"-- (Source: Google Books API)