Being a Jerk to His Lover Got This Tyrant Killed
Periander of Ambracia got drunk one day, and joked to his young lover: “aren’t you pregnant by me yet?” As seen above, ancient Greek attitudes towards homosexual acts were complicated. To do it was acceptable, but to talk about it, as in kiss and tell, was not. Especially when it came to other free Greek men, as there was a stigma of effeminacy attached to receptive partners, or bottoms who were penetrated. Ancient Greek culture was a macho one, in which masculinity and martial prowess were highly esteemed, and perceptions of effeminacy could greatly harm a man’s status.
Periander cracked his joke in the presence of others at his court. That transformed things from what could have been handled as a private lovers’ quarrel, and into a public humiliation. Periander thought the crack was hilarious, and so did many of those present. One person who did not think it was funny was the tyrant’s young lover, the butt of the joke. Shamed that his lover had accused him of effeminacy, and enraged that he had done so publicly, he grabbed a knife took Periander’s life then and there.
