Greek Sex

An old euphemism for anal sex is "Greek sex."

The ancient Greeks accepted male-to-male romantic or sexual interactions. However, outside of Greece, homosexuality and anal intercourse—especially between consenting men—were not widely tolerated, and as a result, they were the subject of jokes in Roman plays and comedies.

The Romans may have believed that anal sex was unique to Greek culture since they frequently employed Greek characters and settings as the background for explicit anal intercourse.

Due to the lengthy history of homophobia, the term is frequently used as a joke or something to be mocked. However, in the LGBT community, it was used as a code to "hide" and keep a certain level of safety, especially during periods and locations where homophobia was/is widespread or anal sex was illegal.

More About Greek Sex

In retrospect, the idea of trying to link a sexual practice that is so common to a single culture seems somewhat absurd. A better understanding of our history has long since eclipsed anachronisms like Greek sex and French kisses. Although male-identified people have been touching and loving throughout human history, the Greeks have long been cited as the model for male gay behavior. Furthermore, not every Greek was engaging in anal intercourse! They weren't the first, and they won't be the last, for sure.

The practice of anal intercourse predates the ancient Greeks by a great deal, and it was most definitely not unique to man-on-man sex. Across cultures, people have engaged in anal intercourse for both recreational and utilitarian purposes. The fact that the anus and, for those who have them, the prostate, have seductive, tingly nerve endings that feel wonderful when stroked was undoubtedly discovered quickly due to people's natural curiosity. However, many societies also concluded that anal intercourse did not produce children, in contrast to vaginal intercourse. One could argue that anal intercourse was the first method of birth control ever used.

It was both a coding and a judgment to associate the term Greek with anal sex, whether it was a reference to the practice or homosexual desire when restrictive European cultures started employing the phrase, the two acts were "othered" to differentiate them as inferior and sullied.

But people who may face persecution for engaging in either or both of these activities were likewise shielded by this codified wording. The term "Greek sex" has essentially lost favor in widespread usage, with the exception of a few cases in sex work. With less reliance on code or euphemisms, many societies feel far more at ease discussing anal sex and men loving men in appropriate terms.