Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/274

 the complete, "unbowdlerized" editions of Plato, to be convinced. Nothing can explain away homosexualism, pederastic love, in Platonism. Sensitive-minded and dishonest "schools" of Platonists have tried to do this, ever since the beginnings of our Hebraic Christianity. Socrates himself was unquestionably homosexual. He idealized the physical as well as the intellectual, in social relationships to a young man. We realize as we study his personality and teaching, how justifiably Socrates himself could be called "a corruptor of youth." There is constant evidence of his practical homosexualism. It meets us off-hand in dialogue between Socrates and beautiful youths; such as that occurring in the "Phædrus". Or, one can cite what we find Plato setting forth in the way of Socratic concepts, in the "Lysis", the "Charmides" and the highly suggestive "Banquet". The first questions of the "Protagoras" are not merely ironical or idealizing ones—"Whence come you, Socrates? Can there be any doubt that you come from the chase after Alcibiades? And indeed when I saw him lately, he appeared still beautiful; though, between ourselves, Socrates, he is now a man, he is growing a pretty strong beard … Surely, though, you have not met with any one more beautiful in this city, at least?" In the "Lysis", we have approving reference to the homosexual love between young Hippothales and the lad Lysis, as to the one-sided passion of Hippothales for Lysis, inasmuch as a young Athenian, Menexenos, is beloved by Lysis. Hippothales declares himself "delirious", and "mad" with his passion. In the first third of the "Phædrus," we meet with a considerable analysis of homosexual sentiment. In "The Banquet" we find carefully stated the Platonic statement as to the "two Venuses", the nobler or man-to-man love, a product of the Uranian Venus; and the commoner, grosser sort—love for woman. Here occurs the beautiful theory that the German Grillparzer has woven into verse; the creation of a protosex, a bisexual human type which