Athens - In ancient Greece, homosexuals were frowned upon, paedophiles were punished and masturbation was seen as fit only for slaves, according to a slim 88-page volume which has become a best seller in Greece.
The book, Love, Sex and Marriage: A Guide to the Private Life of the Ancient Greeks, "takes a very different point of view to the traditional one that is held around certain sexual practices in ancient Greece", said its author, Nikos Vrissimtzis. "Contrary to popular opinion, that world was not a paradise for homosexuals. Pederasty was held in such contempt that it was very heavily punished."