Redraft Sexuality & History
Sexuality & History
Sexuality has dominated human history, It has caused wars, regime changes, Feuds, jelousy inspired art , poetry, books, It may be the single biggest dominating theme from any age.We will take a look at examples..
David & Bathsheba
A well known story by most people, King David, blinded by lust, sees the beautiful wife of Uriah the Hittite bathing from his palace balcony & is determined
to posess her at all cost, inc sending Uriah to the front of his armies, so he will be killed..Murder by proxy really, David forgot from whom his power actually came..He made the mistake of Nebuchadnezzar
in believing in his own omnipotence..By taking Bathshba to him, in this manner..He brought ruin on his country , army & people, by incurring the wrath of God..
Ultimately he did repent, But by then it was too late, The damage had been done..
Adam & Eve
The "Apple" (Sex) The Serpent (Temptation) The "Tree" Of Life (Procreation) The aftermath, loss of innocence..The "punishment" Child Labour Hard work to "provide" for the "issue" of their "leasion" all adds up to histories fundamental lesson from biblical history..There are numerous examples from pre- Christianity of sexuality & its reprecussions, all of which (For the good & bad) add up to one basic fact..Development of humanity..From then till now..& we only have to look at modern media stories, to see that there is, & seemingly always will be, a facination with the ethos & at times its implications
The role played by sexuality has sometimes been covered up or disguised as "Theological" or political powerplay, in an attempt to "Sanitize" the more obvious underlying fact
Examples:
The "Reformation" really got started ,because Martin Luther became so disgusted by the corruption & sexual practices of the Papacy of those times..who by their promiscious ways, practically turned the Sistine Chapel, into a brothel..while denying even basic access to the common people, to the word of God, & its moral implications
Henry VIII Of England
History recorded this as the Kings "Grave Matter" (The line of succession) But Henry became besotted by Anne Boleyn sexually & was determined to make her his Queen, So divorcing his wife Queen Catherine Of Aragon became an obcession leading to the English Reformation & all that followed inc wars faith & much bloodshed..Sexuality played the biggest part of these eventual events..Human frailty again..
Suleiman The Magnificent & Roxanne
Suleiman had many wives, each took it in turn came to him..But one day in his harem he met a young Circassian girl called Roxelana .& from that day, he never looked at another woman..Roxelana became his wife, friend, confident..This mighty Warlord & Lawgiver used to send her love poetry from the battlefield..Her ancestry was probably Ruthenian.. After marrage
to Suleiman she became "Hurrem
Sultan" meaning laughing & joyful one, bearing the Sultan his first born son..A bright & intelligent boy called Mehmet.
Catherine The Great
Born a minor German noblewoman , Sophie of Anhalt-Beresk her family & genetic connections made her prominent as a suitable bride for Tzar Peter 3rd whom she married.The acended to the Romanov throne after the overthrow of her husband, Which she was complicit in.Catherine later took many lovers, for political purposes, The most notable being Gregory Potemkin although the sterile Leo Voronsky was also one of her lovers early on & helped with the coup, overthrow & subsequent murder of Tzar Paul .
Catherine proved herself an able diplomat & intriguer of the highest order, using powerful lovers like Potemkin to help her expand the Russian Empire & waging war, mainly with Turkey.One of historys great examples of using sexuality as a weapon of state She faced down & crushed more than one dozen rebellions during her reign, inc one from the serfs,who lived in wretched conditions & were little more than slaves for the autocratic nobility on their estates.
The true Romanov bloodline may well have ended at this time, as Catherines children were fathered by some of her lovers..
Lucrezia Borgia
Some historians are divided on Lucrezia Borgia , arguing that she was used as a political "pawn" by her father Pope Alexander the third (Rodrigo Borgia) Either way she was an arch intriguer who conspired with her father,& Brother Cesare to increase the Borgia power, both political & financial by her marrages.Allegations that she "poisioned" some of her husbands, when they became politically expedient..have travelled down through the centuries, yet there is no real evidence of this..just speculation, Many rumors that continue to fly include incest, (Its alleged she had a child by her father) But it must also be remembered, that in these times, spite, slander & lies dominated high italian society & politics, & making enemies in the high position of the Borgias, was part of that price..The truth probably lies somewhere in between, Many died from both trying to acheive & cling to power.A dangerous time.
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