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Originally Posted by Hamlet53
I known that the ancient Greeks were very open to the idea of men being sexually attracted to and engaging sex with both men and women. So, at least according to the Iliad, was Achilleus always considered bisexual?
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The ancient authors thought not. Eg, if you read Xenophon's "Symposium" (not to be confused with the better-known "Symposium" written by Plato), you'll find a strong argument against their relationship being a sexual one. Alexander the Great, though, modelled his own relationship with Hephaestion on that between Achilles and Patroclus, and that certainly was a sexual relationship.
In Greek culture it was widely considered that the only true love that could exist was between men - especially warriors. Wives were for having children with, and mistresses were for fun, but true love could only exist between men. That's the kind of love that Achilles and Patroclus had, and it had nothing to do with sex. Read Plato's symposium for some excellent discussions on the subject.