Was homosexuality accepted in ancient Rome?

Although LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people owe a lot to the Romans, the importance of Rome in this respect has been largely overlooked by historians. read more

Homosexuality in ancient Rome often differs markedly from the contemporary West. The primary dichotomy of ancient Roman sexuality was active/dominant/masculine and passive/submissive/feminine. Roman society was patriarchal, and the freeborn male citizen possessed political liberty (libertas) and the right to rule both himself and his household . read more

Since it was technically illegal for freeborn men to be the passive one of the two, the passive one would be a slave, Non-Roman Citizen, or a prisoner of war. For females, there is little literature about the subject, but what we know about would suggest that female-female sex was allowed and accepted as long as one was being dominant. read more

The truth about sexuality in ancient Greece and Rome. GSN takes a look into homosexuality in the ancient Greco-Roman world. The truth about sexuality in ancient Greece and Rome. read more