Relevance of Herais/Diophantos

Fawkes' edition translates the word “shame” multiple times, indicating the Greeks looked down upon intersexed people. Culturally speaking, the ancient Greeks would tolerate a certain degree of homosexuality. They were intolerant of men who acted feminine or identified as a woman. They would not have condoned a marriage between two men. The homosexual relations of Greek philosophers and their students is often held up as an example of their tolerance. However, teenage males were usually the students and were not seen as fully grown men. Simply put, these relationships were tolerated as long as it was not two grown men, but by today's standards we would definitely label it as molestation. It is a misconception that homosexuality, male or female, was acceptable in Greek society.