Roger-Luc Chayer (Image: Eromenos ‘the beloved’ by Wikipedia)
Pederasty is often confused with pedophilia, although they only share the issue of the age of the person involved. However, these are two very different concepts that are important to distinguish. Pederasty has historical and cultural roots, whereas pedophilia is a criminal behavior.
Pedophilia
According to Wikipedia, pedophilia is a paraphilia characterized by persistent sexual attraction or romantic feelings of an adult or adolescent towards children, both girls and boys, generally prepubescent or in the early stages of puberty. This attraction must also be associated with clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning to meet the diagnostic criteria for pedophilic disorder. A person with this attraction is described as « pedophile. »
In modern society, this type of attraction is recognized as a sexual perversion, and in the case of adults, activities related to it are condemned by law, primarily because a person below the age of consent cannot give informed consent.
Contrary to some misconceptions, pedophilia was never practiced in ancient Greece or Rome, nor in other major ancient civilizations. In rare cases, royal marriages or other arranged alliances might involve young people, but sexual relations were not consummated before an appropriate age.
In Canada, a movement attempted to associate pedophilia with a sexual orientation, similar to LGBTQ+ communities. This idea was invoked by a defendant (A.F. Social Club for Pedophiles) in a pedophilia trial, but it was rejected by the courts and provoked strong reactions within LGBTQ+ communities.
Pederasty
Pederasty in ancient Greece was part of the educational and social relationships between adult men and young boys, often within the framework of intellectual and military mentorship. This type of relationship, while controversial today, existed within a very different social and cultural context, where these interactions played a specific role in the education and development of the Greek male elite.
The concept of pederasty varied among the Greek city-states, with distinct approaches and norms in Athens, Sparta, and Crete, for example. Generally, the adult, called « erastes » (the lover), guided the young boy, called « eromenos » (the beloved), in his ethical, intellectual, and sometimes military training, teaching him values such as bravery, wisdom, and discipline. This relationship was not solely physical but also moral and educational, although certain physical aspects were present and socially tolerated.
Pederasty was not exclusive to ancient Greece. According to Wikipedia, in a broader sense, pederasty has been present in many cultures over the centuries: in ancient Greece and Rome, among the Celts, in Japan, China, Oceania, and Italy during the Renaissance. National laws set an age of sexual majority, which varies by state but is generally lower than the age of civil majority, at which sexual relationships between adults and adolescents are permitted under certain conditions.
The Question of Age
The significant difference between the two concepts, in terms of age, is that pedophilia generally involves prepubescent children, while pederasty pertains more to adolescents. In the culture of ancient Greece, many illustrations of pederastic relationships show that this practice was part of a cultural norm. Erotes accompanied adult men on the battlefield to care for them and give them courage. They were also present at the Olympic Games of the time to support the athletes, prepare them, and care for them.
Why Is Pedophilia Still Associated with Homosexuality?
Unfortunately, over the centuries, pedophilia and pederasty have been associated with homosexuality. Despite advances in the rights of homosexual individuals, homosexuality is still sometimes linked to pedophilia, which is a grave error. In fact, love between two people should never be confused with a crime. This obviously refers to consensual relationships between adults or between adolescents of an appropriate age to love one another.
According to a study conducted in the United States by Dr. Carole Jenny and her colleagues, who reviewed 269 cases of child sexual abuse, the perpetrator was a gay or lesbian adult in only 2 cases. Canadian researchers measured sexual arousal in a group of homosexual men and a group of heterosexual men while showing photos. The researchers found that homosexual men did not exhibit more attraction to photos of young boys than heterosexual men did to photos of young girls.
The study concluded that the deliberate association of homosexuality with pedophilia constitutes a homophobic behavior aimed at damaging the reputation of one person for the benefit of another who may feel vulnerable. This type of behavior should be reported to the authorities when it occurs.