A trans soldier in the ancient Roman army?
By Tom Sapsford
Abstract: In this article, Sapsford explores the relationship between ancient military cultures and gender through instances of boundary-breaking behaviour. He examines the Graeco-Roman cinaedus, a figure referred to in classical texts who is characterised by ‘his brazen effeminacy, untoward sexual behavior (most often a “shocking” desire to be anally penetrated by other men), and the ambiguous status of his genitalia’. Focusing on a fable written by Phaedrus, a freedman of Augustus, in which a cinaedus proves his worth to Pompey in battle but is otherwise an underhanded, sly figure, Sapsford posits that ancient authors often associated a refusal to conform with gender norms, such as those surrounding masculinity/femininity and violence, with a parallel deviance from conventional morality.
Online Journal Article in: The Conversation (online). 2 August, 2017.
View on: The Conversation