Pederasty is the relationship between an older and a younger man of not only a sexual nature but also where the older man is expected to nurture the upbringing of the young man (Lear, (2014). It was practiced in ancient Greece where a well- established older man held a romantic relationship with a boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen. The relationship between pederasty and education is that the relationship was not only romantic, but the older man was responsible for the young boy’s education and skill training.
The most important reason for the age difference was that the older had to teach the younger male about Greek politics, military, and social skills. He was meant to be more of a teacher than a lover to the more youthful male whereas in exchange for his training roles he would enjoy sexual favors. It is also believed that the younger man was not supposed to enjoy the sexual actions but rather gain from the teachings.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
This relationship has an element of discomfort to modern men, but many scholars say that the younger partner had to consent to this relationship rather than being forced. The age difference was a way of striking power from the older man to allow him to instill knowledge in the younger male.Some scholars and historians debated the level of intimacy from a pederastic relationship and discovered that it comes from the root word ‘erastes’ which means love or lover (McEwan,2011). This link had to be romantic and also nurturing.
In conclusion, pederasty originated from ancient Greece and was directly connected to education. For this type of union to be successful, the elder male was purely expected to educate the young boy, equip him with military skills and instill knowledge on Greek history and customs to the lover. It was more than a romantic affection but rather a way of nurturing young boys and above all instilling social skills.
References
Lear, A. (2014). Ancient Pederasty. Hubbard, ed , 102-27.
McEwan, H. (2011). Narrative reflection in the philosophy of teaching: Genealogies and portraits. Journal of Philosophy of Education , 45 (1), 125-140.
