Book Introduction: As you may infer from the title the theme of the show—which constitutes an homage to the oldest art tradition in the Western World—is, of course, Greek Art.Although homosexual love and eroticism was not only integral to, but indeed rife in ancient Greek mythology, visual arts, and civil society,—it was for centuries thereafter ruthlessly suppressed and hidden (the work of “pagans”) until the Italian Renaissance rediscovered our shared classical and humanist past.But even then, the homosexual nexus had to be carefully finessed, somehow disguised by the artists of the day...Think of the innumerable images of Ganymede giving drink to an eagle.In ancient times everyone understood that Zeus kid-napped the beautiful prince—not because he wanted him to pour wine for him on Mount Olympus, but because he fell in love with him and wanted to f—- him and keep him with him forever...For all the paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures of a beautiful young man (usually nude to be sure) giving an injured eagle a bowl of milk, there are very few of a virile mature man, muscled and bearded, carnally embracing the younger man—which is the heart and soul of the story.In the following pages you will find short sketches of some of the great homosexually themed myths (and some of real people and actual events) of the ancient world, as well as lesser known legends, and a necessarily limited selection of surviving epigrams, poems and fragment. "These brief recapitulations of homosexual Greek myths were originally sent to artists in the form of a letter to provide them with subject matter on which to base work produced for the exhibition--And Lo! The old gods!--which took place at Leslie-Lohman Gallery in New York City from April 3-June 2, 2001"--Page 1 The Cushing Library/Women and Gender Studies copy was acquired as part of The Don Kelly Research Collection of Gay Literature and Culture