Lin series Alexander the Great: how a legend is born, available on Netflixhe brought down the far right is on the field in Greece. Thatcompact, toaccuses the product of being “unhistorical” due to a kiss between Alexander and Hephaestiondescribed as homosexuals.
Alexander the Great is gay, controversy breaks out in Greece
The controversy it even reached Parliament in Athenswith the Minister of Culture Lina MendonI was interviewed by the president of the Orthodox Christian party of far right Niki, Dimitris Natsiou.
Mendoni, who has always sided with the Pasok socialists, responded to criticism from the right. But while she also criticizes the representation of Alexander the Great as lacking historical fidelity, recognized the artistic freedom of the series. And as for the homosexual depiction of Alexander’s relationship with Hephaestion, he insisted that historical sources offer no evidence of a dimension that goes beyond close friendship. But it didn’t go any further.
Criticism of the right-wing series
For the leader of Niki: «the subliminal goal of the series is to give an idea of homosexuality as a completely acceptable thing in ancient times».
As he says Lloyd Llewellyn-Jonesprofessor of ancient history at Cardiff University, who in the first episode of the docudrama states that «same-sex relationships were very much the norm throughout the Greek world. Of course, the Greeks didn’t have a word for homosexuality, because it didn’t exist in their vocabulary. It was all part of sexuality». Llewellyn-Jones also specifies how Alexander and Hephaestion had «a very strong bond, like two spirits in the same body.”
No request for suspension
The minister therefore rejected the request to take action against Netflix: «It is not the government’s job to censor, everyone can have different opinions on art» he said also because, he added, «the concept of love in ancient times was multidimensional». Having said this, you underlined that in any case «we cannot interpret relationships and people existing 2300 years ago based on today’s criteria».
The debate over Alexander the Great’s sexual orientation
Alexander the Great’s sexual orientation has always been the subject of heated debate by historians. The 1st century Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus, he wrote that his mother was worried about Alessandro’s little interest in women, so much so that he made him known a courtesan named Callixena, begging him to go to bed with her.
But Alexander refused, leading modern historians such as James Davidson to consider that the ruler was gay. At the time, however, the distinction we have today between homosexuality and heterosexuality did not exist – and in Ancient Greece homosexuality was widespread at all levels of society.
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