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Classical studies during the time of the Victorian era rapidly changed with the exploration of what ancient Greece had to offer, quickly garnering admiration by those in study and capturing the attention of Victorian writers. Holding esteem of the Greeks, the Victorians began to model and apply Greek concepts and more onto their modern life. This application of Greek philosophy manifested with the Victorians’ examination of Plato and subsequently the Greek concept of Pederasty which had them evaluating and applying this conception of intimate Greek encounters to those found within the Victorian era. This fascination and admiration led to works of literature which commemorated Pederasty and same sex love by numerous individuals of this time such as John Addington Symonds with his essay “A Problem in Greek Ethics,” or Oscar Wilde with his novel, A Picture of Dorian Gray, amongst others.

While there was a celebration of same sex love to be found in Pederasty by some individuals during this time, there was also a moral repudiation of it as well that found pederasty to be a degradation of the youthful soul. This view was put into law with the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 under section 11, the Labouchere Amendment. It was this piece of legislation that cemented the discussion on pederasty and its reception by the public and mainstream media with the legal prosecution of Oscar Wilde whose novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was used as evidence to secure his imprisonment and conviction, labeling him as a “sodomite” under the eyes of the law.

Pederasty is also associated with the late-19-century Decadent movement which took place amidst the European literary and artistic community. The Greek practice was used by decadents to reinforce their own identity and non-conformance with heterosexuality.

Within this movement was the emergence of the coterie known as the Uranians, pederasty being a theme often written upon in their poetry. The group was one of intimacy and wrote their works for themselves and shared amongst themselves, the group meaning to be a safe space and a source of consolidation for those who admired pederasty, devising it as “erotically and aesthetically superior to heterosexuality.”