Page:Lovers Legends - The Gay Greek Myths.pdf/91

LOVERS’ LEGENDS Furthermore, in ancient times did men not cloak themselves in the pelts of flayed animals? Did they not seek refuge from cold in mountain caves, or in the hollows of old stumps, or in the trunks of dead trees? But leaving behind little by little these primitive ways, they wove wool, built houses, and, imperceptibly, the art of these various crafts, with time for teacher, produced beautiful lace in place of simple cloth and lofty roofs instead of simple cabins. Magnificent stonework was erected and the sad nakedness of the walls was painted in flowery colors. Thus these arts and sciences, once mute and sunk in oblivion, shone bright after their sleep. Each artist handed down his invention to his successor, and each descendant added his own to this heritage, filling out what was lacking.

Let us not expect male love from these ancient times; men had to conjoin with women so that the race would not die out for lack of seed. Manifold wisdom and the virtuous desires, fueled by love of the beautiful, could only come to light in a century that has left nothing unexplored; thus love of youths has blossomed together with divine philosophy. Therefore, Charicles, do not condemn as evil everything not invented long ago, and do not disdain the love of boys just because dealings with women have an older pedigree. Let's remember that the very first discoveries were prompted by need, but those arising from progress are only the better for it, and worthier of our esteem.

I could barely stifle my laughter when I heard Charicles praise the beasts and the barren wastes of the Scythians—in the heat of the argument he seemed almost sorry to be Greek. Unconcerned about undermining his own argument, he did not hide his thoughts by speaking in low tones. Quite the contrary, he raised his voice and fairly roared: "Neither lions, nor bears, nor boars love another male, but their desires drive them solely towards their females." What's so amazing about that? What man chooses by dint of reason, animals cannot, for they are too stupid to think. If Prometheus or some other god had endowed them with human reason, they would not be living in the desert or the forest and they would not be devouring each other, but, like us, they would build temples, gather around the hearth in houses, and subject themselves to common laws. Animals are condemned by their own nature to miss out on the providential 77