By Pruthvi Khilosia
Photography: Pruthvi Khilosia
The RAH! 2018 programme continued this week with A Shropshire Lad in Ancient Rome: A. E. Housman and Ancient ‘Homosexuality’.
Led by Professor Jennifer Ingleheart, the talk examined the importance of Roman sexualities to modern LGBT and queer identities.
Co-hosted with the Manchester Classical Association, the event focused on Professor Ingleheart’s research of the reception and translation of Latin poetry in its political and social contexts, and in the history of how later cultures have responded to ‘Roman homosexuality’.
Professor Ingleheart opened up ancient Rome to the audience as she expressed her views on the Latin language as a “private, masculine and homoerotic language” that isn’t explored much today. Audience members were also presented with a handout featuring erotic and ‘taboo’ text passages in Latin from the work of A. E. Housman.
In ancient Rome, Latin was considered a liberating language for homosexuals, especially for the ‘queer’ subculture at the time. Ingleheart’s exploration of the 19th century Latin literature showed ambiguous vocabulary, expressing sexual knowledge.
Ingleheart revealed that it was important not to doubt that homosexuality wasn’t fully accepted in ancient Rome, as it still is today. The terms contra-naturam and naturam (not by nature and natural) were atributed to aspects of homosexuality, being considered against nature and an unaccepted male (masculine) code.
Research presented revealed that sex was a punishment for young boys for small acts including stealing an apple from a garden. Sex was even exchanged for knowledge among young boys and elder ones.
This concept of sexuality and homosexuality then becomes a binary to the ‘norm’ when kept in secret. It is either frowned upon in the open, or becomes the ‘norm’ in secrecy. A conflict of decision whether to be a homosexuality and fantasies or not.
Ingleheart said, “I’ve always talked about erotic poetry to students. I think young people are naturally, interestingly erotic and especially useful for young people to see that the attitudes of today are attitudes that have always existed.” She added, “I talked about how Rome was liberating for people and it’s useful to think that about our own practices.”
Not only did the Romans find their language to be elite, the people who were in secrecy and yet to explore from the far lands around Rome used it to liberate themselves.
As the event drew to a close, it became clear that the audience had been introduced to a new history of Rome.
As assured by Ingleheart herself, there really isn’t a reason to hide away in the darkness, especially today. There is more than one human in the world, so why not more than one sexuality?
For more information about Manchester Met’s RAH! programme, visit the RAH! events page.
Featured image: Evie Peattie Often overshadowed in popular narratives by the heritage houses of Paris or Milan, London’s fashion ecosystem has long traded on creative freedom. As London Fashion Week prepares for its 42nd year, running from the 19 to 23 February, the British capital is poised to reaffirm its reputation not simply as a…
Featured image: Sebastian Garraway Beats vibrate through a polished floor. Bodies move with a swinging grace, surrendering to the rhythm without hesitation. An instinctual sliding jig sways wide-legged jeans cut just above the ankle. Sweat drips from sharp scissor-cut hairstyles onto porous Fred Perry polos. You’ve guessed it: Northern Soul. The late 1960s phenomenon is…
Featured image: Evangeline Causton Local lad Harry Styles will take to the stage at Manchester’s Co-op Live for the city’s first-ever Brit Awards, before returning for his one-night-only show on March 6 to celebrate the arrival of his fourth album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. When cryptic billboards bearing the words “WE BELONG TOGETHER” appeared across Manchester city…
Featured image: Molly Goble and Anna Comerford aAh! Magazine fashion editor Imogen Burgess meets the Manchester fashion creatives rewriting the rules of the industry. Fashion has long been defined by its connection to exclusivity and elitism – an industry where “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” rings true. This phrase, also a…
Leave a reply