homosexuality, marriage, historyThere has been much talk the last many years about homosexual marriage, and more so as the US Supreme Court recently upheld the concept as a legal right in the US.
And much has also been said of ancient cultures which practiced various forms of homosexuality.
I’m curious, specifically, about identifying the first known civilization to recognize homosexual marriage, or a legal/social union which was substantially similar.
Various types of same-sex unions have existed, ranging from informal temporary relationships to ritualized unions that has included marriage.
A same-sex union was known in Ancient Greece (800 BCE) and Rome (760 BCE), ancient Mesopotamia (4000 BCE) and various others.
Same-sex marital practices were recognized in Mesopotamia more than in ancient Egypt (3150 BCE). The Almanac of Incantations contained prayers, saying the love of a man for a woman and of a man for man are equal.
The oldest, is probably ancient Mesopotamia, however the presence of a ceremony is unclear. I'd suggest that the Greeks were first to have this.
Mankind’s oldest preserved story is the Epic of Gilgamesh. It was written 4500 years ago. This story was about 2000 years old when Homer wrote Iliad and the Odyssey. The hero of this story is Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, and he lived together with a man named Enkidu. The beautiful female god of love (Ištar) wanted to marry Gilgamesh, but he refused her. He preferred to share his bed with Enkidu.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu did not “officially” marry, but they lived together openly as a gay couple, and since Gilgamesh was the King of Uruk, this partnership was legal at last in Uruk (just because the King made the laws).
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