# Ancient Greek and Roman racial slurs?



## ninja_master (Mar 14, 2018)

I am trying to write a story involving ancient creatures from different civilizations, including Greece and Rome. I am pitting the two from these nations against eachother, and am trying to find good racial slurs a Greek would use for a Roman (man) in Ancient times. Anyone have anything? I am also looking for Norse, Egyptian, and Native American slurs and insults.
Thanks.


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## Jack of all trades (Mar 16, 2018)

Well, I don't think anyone here is old enough to know ancient insults, first hand. I think you've got your work cut out for you. Maybe there's info on ancient insults somewhere, but I'm not sure where.


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## ppsage (Mar 16, 2018)

Well, if you're talking about men insulting men, they would probably call them something which implies they're women.


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## moderan (Mar 16, 2018)

Feckin Britons.


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## CyberWar (Mar 18, 2018)

Romans and Greeks were more into scatology and sexual deviance than racial stereotyping where it came to insults, seeing how anyone who did not share their language and culture was deemed an unwashed barbarian regardless of skin colour or ethnicity.

For Romans and Greeks, the nastiest insults generally revolved around assuming a passive role in sexual intercourse, which implied effeminacy and sexual deviance. These cultures are wrongly touted these days as being tolerant of homosexuality, when in fact they had no concept of sexual orientation whatsoever, one's sexuality being defined by preference for active (penetrating) or passive (receptive) roles. Things were further complicated by different treatment for different ages and social status. Long story short, a free adult male with a preference for receptive roles in sex was considered a deviant and despised, much of the worst insults in Greco-Roman societies revolving around implications of passive homosexuality.

Similar attitudes existed in Norse society, where the worst insult for a man was to be likened to a woman, thereby implying a receptive homosexual role. There even existed a special class of "death words", insults that warranted immediate violent retaliation and would absolve one of wrongdoing afterwards. These words were direct accusations of passive homosexuality (_ergi, argr_) and accusations that one practiced witchcraft (_seidmadr_), traditionally an occupation of women, hence implying that one was effete and too cowardly to take the world on a battlefield without the aid of magic spells like a proper Norseman.


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## Ralph Rotten (Mar 18, 2018)

CyberWar said:


> Romans and Greeks were more into scatology and sexual deviance than racial stereotyping where it came to insults, seeing how anyone who did not share their language and culture was deemed an unwashed barbarian regardless of skin colour or ethnicity.
> 
> For Romans and Greeks, the nastiest insults generally revolved around assuming a passive role in sexual intercourse, which implied effeminacy and sexual deviance. These cultures are wrongly touted these days as being tolerant of homosexuality, when in fact they had no concept of sexual orientation whatsoever, one's sexuality being defined by preference for active (penetrating) or passive (receptive) roles. Things were further complicated by different treatment for different ages and social status. Long story short, a free adult male with a preference for receptive roles in sex was considered a deviant and despised, much of the worst insults in Greco-Roman societies revolving around implications of passive homosexuality.
> 
> Similar attitudes existed in Norse society, where the worst insult for a man was to be likened to a woman, thereby implying a receptive homosexual role. There even existed a special class of "death words", insults that warranted immediate violent retaliation and would absolve one of wrongdoing afterwards. These words were direct accusations of passive homosexuality (_ergi, argr_) and accusations that one practiced witchcraft (_seidmadr_), traditionally an occupation of women, hence implying that one was effete and too cowardly to take the world on a battlefield without the aid of magic spells like a proper Norseman.





Now there's a guy who should be on your short list for research questions!
Awesome reply!


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## ppsage (Mar 18, 2018)

CyberWar said:


> Romans and Greeks were more into scatology and sexual deviance than racial stereotyping where it came to insults, seeing how anyone who did not share their language and culture was deemed an unwashed barbarian regardless of skin colour or ethnicity.
> 
> For Romans and Greeks, the nastiest insults generally revolved around assuming a passive role in sexual intercourse, which implied effeminacy and sexual deviance. These cultures are wrongly touted these days as being tolerant of homosexuality, when in fact they had no concept of sexual orientation whatsoever, one's sexuality being defined by preference for active (penetrating) or passive (receptive) roles. Things were further complicated by different treatment for different ages and social status. Long story short, a free adult male with a preference for receptive roles in sex was considered a deviant and despised, much of the worst insults in Greco-Roman societies revolving around implications of passive homosexuality.
> 
> Similar attitudes existed in Norse society, where the worst insult for a man was to be likened to a woman, thereby implying a receptive homosexual role. There even existed a special class of "death words", insults that warranted immediate violent retaliation and would absolve one of wrongdoing afterwards. These words were direct accusations of passive homosexuality (_ergi, argr_) and accusations that one practiced witchcraft (_seidmadr_), traditionally an occupation of women, hence implying that one was effete and too cowardly to take the world on a battlefield without the aid of magic spells like a proper Norseman.


Like I said.


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## ninja_master (Mar 18, 2018)

Wow, thanks for all the info. I really appreciate it!!!


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## j.w.olson (Mar 19, 2018)

I don't feel comfortable posting a translation of a particular Catullus poem here, but... search "Catullus 16" on google and read several translations--some modernize more than others.


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## Jack of all trades (Mar 19, 2018)

CyberWar said:


> Romans and Greeks were more into scatology and sexual deviance than racial stereotyping where it came to insults, seeing how anyone who did not share their language and culture was deemed an unwashed barbarian regardless of skin colour or ethnicity.
> 
> For Romans and Greeks, the nastiest insults generally revolved around assuming a passive role in sexual intercourse, which implied effeminacy and sexual deviance. These cultures are wrongly touted these days as being tolerant of homosexuality, when in fact they had no concept of sexual orientation whatsoever, one's sexuality being defined by preference for active (penetrating) or passive (receptive) roles. Things were further complicated by different treatment for different ages and social status. Long story short, a free adult male with a preference for receptive roles in sex was considered a deviant and despised, much of the worst insults in Greco-Roman societies revolving around implications of passive homosexuality.
> 
> Similar attitudes existed in Norse society, where the worst insult for a man was to be likened to a woman, thereby implying a receptive homosexual role. There even existed a special class of "death words", insults that warranted immediate violent retaliation and would absolve one of wrongdoing afterwards. These words were direct accusations of passive homosexuality (_ergi, argr_) and accusations that one practiced witchcraft (_seidmadr_), traditionally an occupation of women, hence implying that one was effete and too cowardly to take the world on a battlefield without the aid of magic spells like a proper Norseman.



This all sounds impressive. Can you provide info as to where you got this knowledge so the OP can do further research as needed?


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## Pallandozi (Sep 8, 2020)

https://best-insults.com/ancient-greek-insults/

https://www.ou.edu/ludilatini/insultshandoutFall2003.htm

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/05/-em-futuo-em-how-the-romans-swore/276397/


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## Phil Istine (Sep 8, 2020)

Pallandozi said:


> https://best-insults.com/ancient-greek-insults/
> 
> https://www.ou.edu/ludilatini/insultshandoutFall2003.htm
> 
> https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/05/-em-futuo-em-how-the-romans-swore/276397/



Are you aware that you have replied to a post that is two and a half years old and that the poster hasn't posted anything to the forum in a year and a half?  That seems to be relatively recent when compared to some of the eight year old posts to which you have replied.  It could be a lot of wasted effort on your part.


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## Triffids (Saturday at 3:11 PM)

My Knowledge is actually useful!
From study an excerpt of Cierco being called a Bithynian king is most definitely a slur
They were stereotyped as lazy decadant and not very manly this translates to views such as 'Litters' (a sort of bed slaves would carry the rich upon ) to not be as manly as horse Riding


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