Work in Progress

I mentioned a while back that I was designing a leaflet on lgbt flags for LGBT History Month next February. Of the 100 or more flags I have identified and collected I had to decide which ones were likely to be seen in the UK (what’s the chances of seeing the Bisexual Mexican flag?). So I came up with the idea of a “spotter’s guide”. Combining this with providing information in an entertaining manner led me to decide to use 2 formats. For most of the flags I decided to use a “trading card” style presentation. For a few selected flags I decided on a less formal, hand-drawn cartoon style.

Here is an early draft of the front page which I’m still working on. I hope it looks good so far. Hopefully the leaflet will be completed by LGBT History Month next February.

The Gayest Games in Ancient Greece - Day 9

This week I’ve been describing the events of the Greater Panathenaean Games, the 4-yearly festival held in honour of the patron goddess of Athens, Athena. The exact timetable of events I’ve taken you through varied over the centuries. Sometimes the games lasted shorter. If you’ve been following you’ll agree with me that there was so much male-male love going on that they can be called the Gayest Games in Ancient Greece. Very few other Greek sport festivals owed so much to the influence of specific same sex relationships and the convention for erotic attachments between athletes.

The Gayest Games ended with a day of prize giving and celebration. The religious aspect was over and everyone could enjoy themselves. No doubt this would have included men and their boyfriends kissing and cuddling (they didn’t do that in public with their wives – that would be unnatural). And this reminds me of another contests the Ancient Greeks had in honour of an Athenian soldier called Diocles.

Diocles was a soldier from Athens. He may have even competed in the Greater Panathenaean Games. In the gyms of the city of Megara he fell in love with a young athlete and they became partners.

During a battle Diocles saw his young boyfriend was in danger and used his own shield to protect him. But that left him unprotected and Diocles was killed. The Megarans took this as a noble act and began a cult in his honour. Every year at the beginning of spring young athletes would gather at his tomb and compete in many games and contests.

One contest would have been perfect for me to judge. It was a kissing contest! Each young athlete would kiss a male judge (whether it was just a peck of the cheek or full sloppy kiss no-one knows) and the one who gave the “sweetest” kiss, as it is recorded, won a prize. I expect you can imagine what the prize for a decent kiss might be, but the judge only awarded a garland of flowers.

Perhaps I should start up a petition to introduce this kissing contest to the London Olympics. I’ll even volunteer to be the judge.

If you’d like to know more about the Greater Panathenaean Games – the Gayest Games in Ancient Greece – go to www.athens-greece.us/panathenaea.

I’ll have a break for a few days and be back after the Bank Holiday.

The Gayest Games in Ancient Greece - Day 8

Day 8 of the Greater Panathenaean Games was devoted to the sea. Athens had a close association with the sea, but we know very little about the boat races which were held today. So rather than waffle about very little I’ll take you back a day to the great procession of Day 7.

After the excitement of the night-time torch relay people were gathering at the Sacred Gate in the city walls to prepare for the procession rather than go to bed. The procession itself has been seen by millions of people, perhaps even you! Because it was preserved in marble by the greatest sculptor in Ancient Greece, Phidias, whose boyfriend he immortalised on the statue of Zeus at Olympia. The sculpted procession is known today as the Elgin Marbles.

As dawn broke over Athens the procession set off for the Acropolis. In front of the official religious part of the precession were girls carrying offerings. Like other participants, this was great honour for the girls and their families. But one year things didn’t go as planned.

Hipparchus ruled Athens with his brother Hippias. They were sons of Peisistratus, the main founder of the games and had a complicated family set up. Peisistratus and Hippias had the same boyfriend Charmus (not at the same time!) whose daughter married Hipparchus. But Hipparchus kept flirting with a young man called Harmodius, who wasn’t remotely interested because he was happy with a man called Aristogeiton. Their relationship had lasted beyond the usual intimate length. Neither married, and Harmodius didn’t seem interested in looking for a younger boyfriend as expected of his age. As such it was much like a gay relationship today.

Hipparchus was jealous. One year he chose Harmodius’s kid sister to be one of the girls in the procession. But as they were forming up before dawn he rounded on her and humiliated her in public, thereby insulting the whole family. For Harmodius and Aristogeiton this was the last straw. Plans had already been made with others to get rid of the tyrant brothers during the hustle and bustle of the procession. These plans were brought ahead and Harmodius and Aristogeiton decided to do it immediately. They found Hipparchus in the agora, the market place, and stabbed him. Harmodius was killed by the guards and Aristogeiton was captured and tortured. Hippias, brother of the assassinated Hipparchus, ordered the procession to go ahead regardless.

In later years the procession would pass a statue of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, perhaps the first ever statue to commemorate a gay couple, on the spot of the assassination. They became heroes by killing Hipparchus because it started a chain reaction which led to the establishment of the first democracy in Athens.

The procession itself contained winners of all the contests (except for the boat races), cavalry, priestesses, city elders, and also 100 bulls for sacrifice on the Acropolis. Something no-one would miss was a full-scale ship on wheels. Instead of a sail it had a huge embroidered dress which was to be draped around the enormous statue of Athena in the Parthenon. This was another mega-sculpture by Phidias out of ivory and gold plated bronze.

Non-Athenians weren’t allowed to follow up the steps of the Acropolis, but how they got all those bulls up the hundred or so steps is a marvel.

Once the people had assembled and presented their offerings, several sacrificial fires were lit, including one lit from the torch that won the relay. Then the bulls were sacrificed. The meat was handed out to the Athenians, and there was plenty of bread, cake and wine on supply. All in all, a great communal meal for the whole city, like a big barbecue.

With the procession over people could go home and rest up before the boat races that took place today. But tomorrow, Day 9, was a day they could let their hair down and party, party, party.

In a way I’m a bit disappointed, because the Panathenaean Games didn’t include a contest that was created in honour of an Athenian hero.  I’ll tell you what it was tomorrow, so prepare to pucker up.

If you’d like to know more about the Greater Panathenaean Games – the Gayest Games in Ancient Greece – go to www.athens-greece.us/panathenaea.

The Gayest Games in Ancient Greece - Day 7

Today’s the BIG day for Athens. If fact, there’s so much going on that I’m going to spread it over 2 days. It started at dusk at the end of Day 6 with thousands of people gathering in the streets along the route stretching from the city gate to the Acropolis that is still called the Panathenaean Way.

Being the main religious event in the Athenian calendar, the route needed to be ritually purified before the procession in the morning. This was done with fire. No, they didn’t  set fire to the streets. They turned the ritual into a contest which is the most iconic part of the modern Olympics, which would be fine except for one thing – it didn’t have anything to with the ancient Olympics. I’m talking about the torch relay.

From its beginnings in ancient times to well into the modern revival there was no Olympic torch relay until Hitler stole the idea from the Greater Panathenaean Games and hijacked the Olympics for political means.

Once again, each of the 10 demes (tribes or boroughs) of the Athenian city-state chose 4 athletes as their team. The winning team is the one who gets their flaming torch to the Acropolis without it going out or dropping it. Because the winning torch would be used to light the main sacrificial fire the pride of the demes was at stale.

Luckily, the importance of this race means that it is represented on lots of pottery, so we have a good idea of what it might have looked like.

The race begins at the entrance to the sacred olive grove of Academia outside the city wall. It was here that Charums, the lover of father and son Peisistratus and Hippias, built an altar dedicated to Eros (see Tuesday’s entry for their complex relationships). Eros was a patron god of love among male athletes, and as mentioned on Day 2 was important in training.

As soon as the sun had set, the first runners of each team lit their torches from the altar of Eros. The other runners were at their places along the route at half-mile intervals. As with all athletic events the runners were naked. The only way spectators would tell which team they represented was by a sort of crown or head-dress each runner wore. Presumably all 10 teams ran at the same time rather than heats, and pottery shows that the whole torch was passed on rather than the flame lighting the next one.

Through the streets crowds would cheer the runners as they saw the torches approaching, and the priestesses of Athena could follow the progress of the race from high on top of the Acropolis.

The climax of the race was at the top of the steps leading into the Acropolis. I imagine this would have been a popular spectator spot like all finishing lines. To cheers and jubilation all round the winning torch was taken into the sacred precincts ready to light the sacrificial altar later that day.

But if you think the Athenians could relax before dawn you’d be wrong. The big procession was to take place as the sun rose on Day 7, with hundreds gathering back at the city gate to prepare all the various offerings. It was another spectacular event, too big to mention today, so I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. It will be a memorable sight – the world’s biggest dress, a ship on wheels, an assassination, and the biggest barbecue for 4 years.

If you’d like to know more about the Greater Panathenaean Games – the Gayest Games in Ancient Greece – go to www.athens-greece.us/panathenaea.

The Gayest Games in Ancient Greece - Day 6

I must admit I was looking forward to Day 6 of the Great Panathenaean Games. Compared to the previous days not much happened today, but its what happened that makes it more gayer, even camp, in comparison.

Unlike the games so far, Day 6 begins the Athenian-only games that last for the rest of the festival, and it switches from individual to team events. Competitors were now representing their local area, and the competition between the 10 demes of Athens (areas like town boroughs) was intense. Day 6’s events were at the core of their Greater Panathenaean festival, and everything was done as an act of devotion to Athena. Because of this there was an extra incentive to win, especially the first contest where the winners of the 3 age groups (12-15, 16-20, and over 20s) were to lead the big religious procession the next day.

It was a beauty contest. Not so much Miss World as Mr. Athens. Each deme chose up to 24 men in each age group who were the tallest, most graceful, well-proportioned and most drop-dead gorgeous. As well as overall beauty and physique the contestants were judged on their performance of graceful movements and agility based on combat techniques. Sounds a bit like t’ai chi. The winner of the 12-16 age group appears to have been decided on looks alone, as at that age the boys wouldn’t have done as much training as the older men and not have acquired the necessary muscle structure. One change from previous events was that contestants weren’t naked – which I would have thought defeated the object. Anyway, records say that they were dressed in the best festive garments – all dragged up, you could say.

The next contest also involved combat techniques. Teams of up to 24 men, again, from each deme, this time with helmet and shield, performed synchronised moves to music, but it was far from a military march. Just like a row of Tiller Girls the soldiers would hop and skip in unison, wave spears and shields, and posture as if about to attack the enemy. I wouldn’t say that its as camp as the rows of the high-kicking Canadian Mounties at the closing ceremony of last year’s Vancouver Winter Olympics, but it’s pretty close I imagine.

Interestingly enough, as well as male beauty contests still being held today, they still have “dancing soldier” displays today in the Balkans, especially Albania.

The first prize for both contests was a bull to be sacrificed the next day. Money was also awarded, to be shared around the deme.

During the rest of Day 6 people would be gathering at the city gate and along a specific route through the city. Athens is going to provide its citizens and visitors perhaps the most magical spectacle to be seen in the ancient Greek world, and it wouldn’t give them much time to sleep.

Even if the Athenians didn’t get much sleep, I will. I’ll tell you about the special night-time contest tomorrow.

If you’d like to know more about the Greater Panathenaean Games – the Gayest Games in Ancient Greece – go to www.athens-greece.us/panathenaea.

The Gayest Games in Ancient Greece - Day 5

Clare Balding would have loved Day 5 of the Greater Panathenaean Games, but being a woman she wouldn’t have been allowed to watch. Day 5 was all about equestrian events, complete with chariot races.

Chariot racing is first recorded by Homer in the “Iliad”, the story of the Trojan War. In that poem, recited as part of the poetry contest on Day 1, hero Achilles decided to hold games at the funeral of his boyfriend Patroclus.

Funeral games were common in Ancient Greece. Herodes Atticus, a great benefactor and descendent of the founder of Athens, rebuilt several stadiums where the Greater Panathenaean Games were held in the 2^nd century AD. His boyfriend, the athlete Polydeukes, died young, and Herodes held massive funeral games in his honour in the stadiums he rebuilt. He also had the marble carving made of Polydeukes which shows him to be extremely young (right), which may be partly artistic license though it’s probable he was less than 20 when he died. Herodes was so upset that he died of a broken heart not long afterwards and his own funeral was held in the very same stadium.

The equestrian events were divided into the usual age groups, even the 12 year olds competed. And it wasn’t only the humans who were divided into age groups – there were races for young and mature horses. During the day there was also a procession of chariots and horses in honour of the city’s patron goddess Athena.

There were several different types of race, and for them athletes were allowed to wear protection rather than compete named as normal. But that probably only meant a helmet and shield. The chariot races were much like the more familiar Roman ones, with 2-horse and 4-horse chariot races. One contest gradually disappeared from the games. It was horse-ridden race with soldiers throwing javelins, presumably at speed.

The most prestigious equestrian event had the name of apobates. A picture of one contestant in the race appears on a vase in the Getty Villa (photo by Brian McMorrow). The chariot, which could have 2 or 4 horses, as here, had 2 occupants – a driver in a flowing robe, and a soldier. As the chariot charged around the course the soldier had to jump off the moving chariot at a given point. After running alongside for a distance the soldier had to jump back onto the moving chariot at another given point.

The winner of this race was given the biggest prize of sacred olive oil in the whole games – 140 vases. Given that one vase contained 10 gallons (45.46 litres) of sacred oil worth the equivalent of £1,000 a vase, you can see how important this race was.

And so Day 5 draws to a close, and we head towards another change tomorrow. Until now all the contests have been open to anyone (male-only, of course), and have been held as entertainment. But as soon as the sun has set the religious element comes to the fore and the games are restricted to citizens of Athens alone. Others can watch but not compete. And if you want to hear about the gayest of these gayest games, then come back tomorrow. Ooh, I can’t wait! You’re in for a treat!

If you’d like to know more about the Greater Panathenaean Games – the Gayest Games in Ancient Greece – go to www.athens-greece.us/panathenaea.

The Gayest Games in Ancient Greece - Day 4

Yesterday at the Gayest Games in Ancient Greece we looked at all those naked, bronzed, oiled-up male athletes running their races and throwing their javelins. Today we’ll see them get close and personal in the boxing, wrestling and pankration.

The rules for these fighting sports were a lot different to today’s. All 3 age groups were expected to compete – 12-15 years, 16-20 years and the over 20s. There were no weight categories in any group, so the smallest fighter had to fight the biggest if their names were pulled “out of the hat” together.

Boxing was said to have been invented by Apollo, the god of sport. He had several young boyfriends with sporting connections. The most famous was Prince Hyakinthos of Sparta who was killed by a flying discus. The Spartans founded the Hyankinthia festival in his honour and held many sporting contests, as well as naming a flower after him.

Wrestling was more like the current Olympic sport rather than the American version. Again, there were no weight categories. Tripping was allowed by biting and gouging weren’t. One Athenian athlete who became an Olympic wrestling champion was Pantarkes. Born in about 450 BC he became a trainee sculptor at the age of 12 to Phidias of Athens. It wasn’t long before they became a couple. Phidias was a bout 40 at the time. There was no thought of paedophilia as a crime in those ancient days. The boys expected it and it was always consensual.

Phidias is the man who redesigned the Parthenon so it could be used as the grand highlight of the Greater Panathenaean Games on Day 7 and he built HUUUUUUGE statues. One of them became one of the 7 Wonders of the World – the statue of Zeus at Olympia (right). This was almost 40 feet tall (12 metres) and made of ivory and gold plated bronze. Phidias was clearly  smitten with young Pantarkes when he was building it. Pantarkes, who must have started his wrestling training when they met, had a well-toned body and Phidias used him as a model for one of the figures decorating Zeus’s statue. Phidias even carved “Pantarkes is wonderful” onto one of Zeus’s little fingers. Pantarkes would have watched the Greater Panathenaean Games, maybe even competed in a couple of them.

The third contact sport was pankration. This was very brutal and a no-holds-barred version of ultimate cage fighting (without the cage). As such it was the best training for soldiers in the gym and one of the most popular. Plato once wrote that one pankration contests attracted thousands of competitors! Again, the origins of the sport go back to mythology. Hercules (left) is one named originator. Both the Disney cartoon and the TV series of a few years back always forgot to mention that Hercules was the hero who had more boyfriends than any other – at least 4.

Pankration fighters were often the butchest athletes around, mainly because it involved developing more muscles, strength and agility than any other. One famous fighter attracted the attention of bisexual Alexander the Great. He was Dioxippus, a soldier in Alexander’s army who had been the Olympic pankration champion in 336 BC. As an Athenian native he would have seen and even participated in the Gayest Games.

Even though non-Athenians took part in other events, one group was excluded from the pankration because they were too good – the Spartans. Their reputation as the ultimate fighting warriors would not have produced much of a competition.

With Day 4 coming to a close we look forward to a change of sport tomorrow and a whole day of equestrian events.

If you’d like to know more about the Greater Panathenaean Games – the Gayest Games in Ancient Greece – go to www.athens-greece.us/panathenaea.