ābut the age of consent in other countries isā¦ā
As a history major I also want add to the beautiful comments on this post that things werenāt ādifferent back thenā either.
The average medieval woman was married in her early or mid twenties.
Arranged marriages might have rarely been performed at a younger age, but it was absolutely not normal for them to be consummated, and the punishment for pedophilia when it could be proved was usually far worse than it is today.
Stop using medieval inspired fantasy as an escape for your sick bullshit.
Medievalist piping in to add yes heās right. Child marriages were looked on with disdain and disgust in the Middle Ages. Arranged marriages might be performed as a rite and to secure land but it was kind of obvious to everyone involved that it was a legality thing and that the pair of children or child involved would not actually be involved in anything until they were an adult. Because thatās never been acceptable.
And before anyone says ābut Ancient Greece!āā¦. no.
It is true that pedastery was practiced in Ancient Athens, modelling themselves on Minoan Crete, and that the younger partner in such a relationship could be as young as 15.
What they donāt tell you is that the age of majority in Ancient Athens wasā¦ also 15. These young men were old enough to vote, marry, and own land. You know, what weād call in the modern era āa legal adult.ā And even then, the sexual aspects of pedastery were frowned upon until the younger partner could grow out a full beard. These relationships were mainly used as a gateway into Athenian elite circles and to teach all the complex social customs practices therein, not as an excuse to bone underage boys (though Iām sure some unscrupulous individuals used it that way. It wasnāt the norm, though).
And many of the older partners werent that much older, usually in their early to late 20ās.
So yeah, the Athenians would look at you leering at that 14-year-old and also want to vom. An adult thirsting after someone below the age of majority has (surprise!) always been considered super taboo!
Itās almost like we created the age of majority to decide the age at which most people are mature enough to make important, adult decisions like marriage. And sure, in our modern era, that age is no longer 15 (and for good reason!), but when we analyse these sorts of practices, they require more historical context than just āthe Greeks were paedophiles.ā
historyblr is absolutely tearing apart MAP apologists in this thread and Iām all for it
