Explanation For Those Wondering: Depicted up top as the three childless gay guys are Nerva, Trajan, and Hadrian.
Nerva was a temperate and even-keeled man elected by the Senate after Domitian was overthrown, and was a lifelong bachelor with rumors that he had love affairs with men (male affairs were not all that exceptional for Roman men, just something that was noted by the notoriously gossipy Roman histories). He adopted Trajan, who was an adult already and a popular military man.
Trajan was married and had a cordial relationship with his wife, but was quite openly and famously attracted to men. He was, as mentioned, a military man, and one who brought the Roman Empire to its greatest extent, but was noted for having a spirit of cooperation, civility, and due process rather than the dictatorial military mien one might expect from a career soldier. For this reason, the Senate adored him and called him ‘Optimus Princeps’ - ‘The Best Emperor’, a title later historians would keep for him.
Hadrian, Trajan’s adopted son, was also militaristic and quite openly gay. Unlike Trajan, Hadrian had a bit of a temper and a contentious relationship with the Senate - and his wife! Hadrian, however, was also a cultured and dutiful Emperor who attempted extensive legal reforms to establish the rule of law over the pre-eminence of the Emperor. Mostly it didn’t outlast him, but it was a nice thought! He, quite famously, deified his (male) lover Antinous, and Antinous would remain a symbol of male-male sexual attraction for the next ~1800 years.
Hadrian adopted Antoninus Pius, who was straight - in fact, Pius is one of a very small number of Roman Emperors we have no rumors of same-sex activity about. He was noted for his mildness, his justice, and love of peace.
Pius adopted Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus - Lucius Verus died fairly young in his Emperorship.
Marcus Aurelius had a biological son, Commodus, who was… not a good Emperor. At all.
Sounds like bi erasure to me, they were happily married to their wives and had relationships with men
Nerva was never married, and Hadrian was distinctly nothappily married.
Trajan was married, but is often considered to have been in a ‘lavender marriage’, so to speak, despite getting along well with his wife.
Hadrian and Trajan could be considered to be bisexual depending on how you read the sources, but are generally considered to be homosexual, or so close to it that the modern label is broadly applicable.
There are a large number of bisexual Emperors in Roman history - Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, Titus, Domitian… that there are a handful that can probably be considered homosexual by modern standards is in no way erasing bisexual representation.
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Explanation For Those Wondering: Depicted up top as the three childless gay guys are Nerva, Trajan, and Hadrian.
Nerva was a temperate and even-keeled man elected by the Senate after Domitian was overthrown, and was a lifelong bachelor with rumors that he had love affairs with men (male affairs were not all that exceptional for Roman men, just something that was noted by the notoriously gossipy Roman histories). He adopted Trajan, who was an adult already and a popular military man.
Trajan was married and had a cordial relationship with his wife, but was quite openly and famously attracted to men. He was, as mentioned, a military man, and one who brought the Roman Empire to its greatest extent, but was noted for having a spirit of cooperation, civility, and due process rather than the dictatorial military mien one might expect from a career soldier. For this reason, the Senate adored him and called him ‘Optimus Princeps’ - ‘The Best Emperor’, a title later historians would keep for him.
Hadrian, Trajan’s adopted son, was also militaristic and quite openly gay. Unlike Trajan, Hadrian had a bit of a temper and a contentious relationship with the Senate - and his wife! Hadrian, however, was also a cultured and dutiful Emperor who attempted extensive legal reforms to establish the rule of law over the pre-eminence of the Emperor. Mostly it didn’t outlast him, but it was a nice thought! He, quite famously, deified his (male) lover Antinous, and Antinous would remain a symbol of male-male sexual attraction for the next ~1800 years.
Hadrian adopted Antoninus Pius, who was straight - in fact, Pius is one of a very small number of Roman Emperors we have no rumors of same-sex activity about. He was noted for his mildness, his justice, and love of peace.
Pius adopted Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus - Lucius Verus died fairly young in his Emperorship.
Marcus Aurelius had a biological son, Commodus, who was… not a good Emperor. At all.
Sounds like bi erasure to me, they were happily married to their wives and had relationships with men
Also did these “great” emperors own slaves? 👀
Nerva was never married, and Hadrian was distinctly not happily married.
Trajan was married, but is often considered to have been in a ‘lavender marriage’, so to speak, despite getting along well with his wife.
Hadrian and Trajan could be considered to be bisexual depending on how you read the sources, but are generally considered to be homosexual, or so close to it that the modern label is broadly applicable.
There are a large number of bisexual Emperors in Roman history - Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, Titus, Domitian… that there are a handful that can probably be considered homosexual by modern standards is in no way erasing bisexual representation.
Yes, as was the norm of the time.
“Trajan’s beard” is going to be my new favorite interjection whenever something major and unexpected happens.
Yes, I know he appears to be clean shaven in the picture, that changes nothing.
If anything, it enhances it
Commodus killed the empire, CMV
But why would I want to change an objectively correct view?