“The relationship was between an adult male over the age of 20 (the erastes) and a younger male (the eromenos). “But ‘pederasty’ ( paiderastia) refers specifically to boys. “In ancient Greece it could be of either sex – the word pais is unisex – it could involve an underage sub-adult, either male or female,” says Cartledge. An illegal and totally unacceptable practice today, the subject of pederasty is a highly sensitive one, he adds. “Pederasty literally means lust for, or love of, in a strong sexual sense, children,” says Professor Cartledge.
