Eromenos

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In the pederastic tradition of Classical Athens, the eromenos (Greek ἐρώμενος, pl. ἐρώμενοι, "eromenoi") was an adolescent boy who was in a love relationship with an adult man, known as the erastes (ἐραστής).

The term for the role often varied from one polis to another. In Athens, the eromenos was also known as the paidika; in Sparta they used aites (hearer), a term also used in Thessaly; in Crete the boys were known as kleinos (glorious) and if they had fought in battle with their lover, as parastathenes (one who stands beside).

The ideal eromenos - as well as his erastes - was expected to be ruled by the principles of enkrateia, or "self-mastery," which presumed an attitude of moderation and self-restraint in all matters.

Characteristics of the role

The youth was expected to put up resistance to the entreaties of the various erastai seeking to win his affection, in order to test their seriousness of purpose, and to choose the most deserving. As a result, in Attica, eromenoi were assiduously courted, and were the object of street fights and arguments among the young men vying for their affection. Some of the eromenoi moved in with their lovers, with whom they lived for some period of time.

The Greeks recognized and valued that time in the life of a boy when he was considered to be ripe for loving, which they referred to as hôraios, "in season," often translated as "the bloom of boyhood. Though the eromenos was valued for his beauty, he was valued even more for his modesty, industriousness and courage. In Plato's Symposium, eromenoi are described as the "best" boys and their characteristic was that "they love men and enjoy living with men and being embraced by men."

The eromenos was typically portrayed as undergoing pedagogical training and while he typically was also the object of affection and passion, he was not necessarily sexually engaged. When present, sexual expression is depicted in the iconography as having consisted primarily of fondling and intercrural sex. Anal sex appears to have been less common, yet frequent enough to be a topic of comedy, and of criticism based on the opinion that it was a practice which was shameful and risked feminizing the boys who grew to like it.

Upon reaching the age of maturity (ca. eighteen years), the eromenos would cut his long hair and become eligible for taking on the role of erastes and courting and winning an eromenos of his own.

"Eromenos" is traditionally translated into English as "beloved", although this is not a perfect match for the concept.

Eromenos

Characteristics of the role

Notes

See also