Homosexuality in the militaries of ancient Greece was a significant aspect across the ancient Greek city-states, ranging from
being a core part of military life to being an accepted practice of some individual soldiers. It was regarded as contributing to
morale. Although the primary example is the
Sacred Band of Thebes, a unit said to have been formed of same-sex couples, the
Spartan tradition of military heroism has also been explained in light of strong emotional bonds resulting from homosexual relationships. Various ancient Greek sources record incidents of courage in battle and interpret them as motivated by homoerotic bonds.
Who were the gay warriors in history?
The Sacred Band of Thebes, a troop of soldiers that consisted of 150 gay male couples, formed the elite force of the Theban army in the 4th century BC. The rationale behind the Band's composition was that lovers would fight more fiercely and cohesively than strangers with no ardent bonds.