The ancient Theban Sacred Band — an elite military unit allegedly composed of 150 pairs of male lovers — was an innovation of the fourth century BCE likely spurred by the Theban city-state’s desire to find a way to defeat the then-dominant Spartan hoplite phalanx. But in addition to tactical advantage, the Sacred Band could also be seen as a response to the reputation of Spartan soldiers, and in particular their sexual mores.
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Eric W. Robinson is Professor of History and Adjunct Professor of Classical Studies at Indiana University. He has published extensively on ancient Greek politics, including Democracy Beyond Athens: Popular Government in the Greek Classical Age (Cambridge, 2011). He is currently writing a monograph on Sparta’s military reputation.