Homosexuality in ancient Greece

In classical antiquity, writers such as Herodotus, Plato, Xenophon, Athenaeus and many others explored aspects of homosexuality in Greek society. Among some elite circles this often took the form of pederasty, involving an adult man with an adolescent boy (marriages in Ancient Greece between men and women were also age structured, with men in their thirties commonly taking wives in their early teens). Certain city-states allowed it while others were ambiguous or prohibited it. Sexual relationships between adult men did exist, though it is possible at least one member of each of these relationships flouted social conventions by assuming a passive sexual role. It is unclear how such relations between same-sex partners were regarded in the general society, especially for women, but examples do exist as far back as the time of Sappho.