It’s kind of hard to wield a sword against your enemies if your head is somewhere else.īecause they were unable to have marital relations with women, many Spartan men would get their sexual needs met with fellow soldiers. Historians aren’t sure why this rule existed, but many believe ancient leaders didn’t want their fighters to be burdened with families. That’s because men were forbidden to marry until they turned 30. Researchers tell us once a man turned 20-years old, he was eligible to enlist in the Spartan army. Located in Southern Greece, directly along the Peloponnese peninsula, this ancient society was built on two important concepts: 1) loyalty to the state and 2) military service. Remember, this was well before Christianity was born and at a time when human sexuality wasn’t viewed through the lens of judgment it is today. In fact, man on man action among military members was commonplace – and encouraged. Perhaps the best part of this era was that homosexuality wasn’t considered a “sin”. Just so you know, the Spartans wielded power for nearly a thousand years, with their zenith happening between the sixth and fourth centuries, B.C.
