foucault-and-the-iranian-revolution-janet-afary

Foucault. Gender. and Male Homosexualities 149
was therefore a powerful political weapon that was used regularly in Athenian
society, not just in marriage and heterosexual relations, but also in same-sex
relatio.ns where the political stakes were high. And yet the uses of eros in the
game of politics hardly appeared in Foucault's text.
Foucault suggested that the relationship between the erastes and the
paidika was regulated by a self-imposed moderation rather than by law. But
in fact, Greek society had developed a detailed juridical structure through
which proper and improper same-sex relations (as well as heterosexual re­
lations) were examined, tried, and punished. A legal distinction was made
between legitimate and illegitimate eros. Slaves often endured nonconsen­
sual sexual relationships. They also were barred from using the gymnasium
and were prohibited from "being in love with a boy of free status or fol­
lowing him" (Dover 1989, 46). Rape of a paidika incurred severe penalties.
In addition, a paidika who had received money in return for sexual favors
could not address the public assembly or hold office as an adult citizen. If
he did, and if a jury proved charges of "prostitution" against him, he could
be executed. The unethical father or guardian of a boy of free status who
hired him out for sexual services was also punishable by law (27). In legal
disputes, juries discussed the extent of such transgression and explored the
circumstances when reaching a verdict (36). Greek society also had its own
version of congressional impeachment. Timarkhes, the Athenian politician
who had opposed the peace treaties with Philip II of Macedonia, was tried in
346 BeE on charges of havin prostituted himself as a boy. The accusations
almost certainly stemmed from efforts by his political enemies to remove
him and his friends from office (Dover 1989).
There was also an economic dimension to the relation of the erastes to the
paidika. Foucault correctly pointed out that it was customary to give gifts to
the young boy. But at what point did a "gift" become a "monetary compen­
sation, " relegating the boy to the status of a "prostitute "? The cost of winning
over a desired person by expensive gifts was high. One also needed a great deal
of leisure time to watch the boy in the gymnasium and fo llow him around.
Furthermore, "many conversations about art and war and life were needed
in order to make oneself admirable and interesting in the eyes of a boy."
Virtually all the personages we meet in Plato's dialogues belong to a leisure
class, some of them from the high aristocracy (Dover 1989, 150) . Greek co­
medians were aware of this class distinction and used it as material fo r their
satire. In contrast to Foucault, who called the relationship between the erastes
and the paidika "true love" and the relationship between husband and wife
"reciprocal " though "not symmetrical, " Dover pointed out that in Greek so­
ciety neither heterosexual nor same-sex relations involved the "reciprocated