Lex Scantinia - Background

Background

Latin has no words that are straightforwardly equivalent to "homosexual" and "heterosexual." The main dichotomy within Roman sexuality was active/dominant/masculine and passive/submissive/"feminized." The adult male citizen was defined by his libertas, "liberty," and allowing his body to be used for pleasure by others was considered servile or submissive and a threat to his integrity. A Roman's masculinity was not compromised by his having sex with males of lower status, such as male prostitutes or slaves, as long as he took the active, penetrating role. Same-sex relations among Roman men thus differed from the Greek ideal of homosexuality among freeborn men of equal social status, but usually with some difference in age (see "Homosexuality in ancient Greece" and "Pederasty in ancient Greece"). The adult Roman male who enjoyed receiving anal sex or performing oral sex was thought to lack virtus, the quality that distinguished a man (vir).

The protective amulet (bulla) worn by freeborn Roman boys was a visible sign that they were sexually off-limits. Puberty was considered a dangerous transitional stage in the formation of masculine identity. When a boy came of age, he removed his bulla, dedicated it to the household gods, and became sexually active under the patronage of Liber, the god of both political and sexual liberty. Pederasty among the Romans involved an adult male citizen and a youth who was typically a slave between the ages of 12 and 20.