Male Concubines in the Roman Empire

[PeterRS]

I recently came across a youtube video titled "The Tragic Life of Male Concubines in Roman Empire". It goes into detail about how keeping boys as male concubines was a much more common practice on an horrific scale than most will have realised, with boys around 12 being especially desired. Greek boys were more expensive due to their perceived sophistication, refinement and education. The vdo is much too long as there is too much endless repetition. But it made me want to learn more.

Youtube does not permit uploading of the vdo - this is the link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rimSgImcd-w

One of the commentators mentions that some of detail in the video is contained in a 2005 book titled "Rubicon" by the author Tom Holland. Looking up the book on amazon, I note that it gets a slew of excellent reviews from professional reviewers, as this from the Los Angeles Times -

“A fascinating picture of Roman city life. . . . In every aspect of this story, Holland expertly makes the Romans, so alien and yet so familiar, relevant to us.”

Inevitably the issue of concubines forms only a small part of the book. One amazon reviewer more neatly sums it up -  

"you invariably tend to sketch the potraits of several events that have been magisterially described by the author, as if he is describing contemporary events."

Amazon's Kindle edition is available for US$4.99.

Another professional reviewer draws parallels with 21st century life. Certainly and very sadly the trafficking of young girls and boys continues to this day.

[forrestreid]

There seems to be a whole slew of videos on Youtube recently on the topic of "male concubines" at various times in history.

From a brief perusal of some, they seem to be sort of crappy, AI-generated generic drivel.

Obviously it is clickbait for the gays with a fondness for history.

 

On the other hand, Tom Holland has a very good podcast series with another historian, Dominic Sandbrook, which is on Youtube. It is called "The Rest is History" and is well worth a listen.

 

If you want o hear a good academic series of Youtube talks on gay history, google "Noel Malcolm" and "Pharos Foundation". That will bring up a series of lectures by Sir Noel Malcolm for the Pharos Foundation on the history of homosexuality in early modern Europe. 

The Pharos Foundation has a whole series of lectures on various themes on their Youtube channel. They tend to focus on speakers with a conservative viewpoint, but Sir Noel Malcolm's lectures had no particular conservative bias.

 

 

[PeterRS]

4 hours ago, forrestreid said:

On the other hand, Tom Holland has a very good podcast series with another historian, Dominic Sandbrook, which is on Youtube. It is called "The Rest is History" and is well worth a listen.

Very many thanks for the recommendation. I am listening to my first one now and find it fascinating. Lots of enjoyable listening ahead.