Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/298

 long-heard counsel. The Uranian has obeyed it with clarity and courage. His page has mirrored his soul. But he has not always been allowed such liberty. Not only does prejudice in society and religion obstruct his press. Exasperating are the comments of critics, editors, translators and so on, to conceal or to ignore altogether, the personal homosexuality of such or such a writer and of his literary intentions. The conventional modern biographer avoids recognizing the homosexual nature, in his subject. The editor is equally timid. The publisher not less so.



Happy or unhappy, idealistic or sensual, with his muse either of first-rank or inferior accents, the uranianistic Greek wrote himself into letters with all the ardent, pagan candour of his passion. The question of homosexual love in Homer has already, been noted, in connection with general aspects of the sentiment in antiquity. We have also indicated relations, both literary and personal, to hellenic homosexualism, of Socrates, Plato and the philosophic schools radiating from Platonism or of other colouring. Their almost incomparable aspects in the light of belles-lettres need no comment here.

According to the late John Addington Symonds, who his life through was extremely interested in the subject of homosexualism in letters and art, and made minute studies of the topic, the homosexual influence in the Greek "lyrist-age" was Dorian. It was largely pederastic, like the Platonic references to homosexualism. We have Theognis, Ibycus, Theocritus, Anacreon, Pindar, Meleager, Alkman, the fairest singers of Greek lyrics, all pederastic to a greater or less degree. Ibycus has been called "the male Sappho," in fact. Theocritus is passionally homosexual. Pindar, whose feeling for beauty in a youth is profound, has made the