The Order of Chaeronea was a

secret society A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...

for the cultivation of a

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...

moral, ethical, cultural, and spiritual ethos. Founded by

George Cecil Ives George Cecil Ives (1 October 1867 – 4 June 1950) was an English poet, writer, penal reformer and early homosexual law reform campaigner. Life and career Ives was born at Frankfurt, Kingdom of Prussia, in 1867, the illegitimate son of Gor ...

in 1897, based on his belief that homosexuals would not be accepted openly in society, the Order offered a network for underground communication. The secret Order was named for the 338 BCE battle where the

Sacred Band of Thebes The Sacred Band of Thebes (Ancient Greek: , ) was an elite heavy infantry of select soldiers, allegedly consisting of 150 pairs of Homosexuality in ancient Greece, male couples which formed the elite force of the Ancient Thebes (Boeotia), Theba ...

was ultimately defeated.

Establishment and organization

In the 1860s, the German lawyer

Karl Heinrich Ulrichs Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (28 August 1825 – 14 July 1895) was a German lawyer, jurist, journalist, and writer. He is today regarded as a pioneer of sexology and the modern LGBT rights movement, gay rights movement. Ulrichs has been described as ...

may have been the first modern European to publicly declare his homosexuality. Ulrichs wrote dozens of books and pamphlets which argued that the preference for same-sex love is hereditary; therefore it should not be a crime. He introduced the word " Uranian" as a synonym for homosexual relations, and even demanded that homosexuals be granted the right to marry. Less radical thinkers in Germany, Austria and France began to argue that same-sex attraction and relations between men were a psychological disturbance to be treated by physicians, rather than a crime to be punished by the courts. As a result, by 1876 "psychological" had become a term that

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

and his peers used to describe anything pertaining to gay sex. At the same time, McKenna writes, "aestheticism seemed to spring to life, fully formed, towards the end of the 1870s." It was "a heady mix of art, idealism and politics, which sought to propagate a new gospel of Beauty." In 1893, shortly after meeting Wilde,

, a friend of Wilde's whose diaries contain many new details of the writer's life, founded a secret society called the Order of Chaeronea, aimed at promoting 'the Cause'.Neil McKenna, ''The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde'', Arrow Books, 2004 The society was named "after the battle where the male lovers of the Theban Band were slaughtered in 338 BC." Ives and other members dated letters and other materials from the year of the battle, so that 1900 would be written as C.2238. The 'Rules of Purpose' stated that the Order was to be 'A Religion, A Theory of Life, and Ideal of Duty', although its purpose was primarily political. Members of the Order were 'Brothers of the Faith', and were required to swear under the 'Service of Initiation', that "you will never vex or persecute lovers" and "That all real love shall be to you as sanctuary." The group was male dominated, but did include a few

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

members. At its peak 'the Elect' numbered perhaps two or three hundred, but no membership lists survive. Oscar Wilde was, however, probably an early recruit, along with

Lord Alfred Douglas Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas (22 October 1870 – 20 March 1945), also known as Bosie Douglas, was an English poet and journalist, and a lover of Oscar Wilde. At Oxford University he edited an undergraduate journal, ''The Spirit Lamp'', that carr ...

"Bosie". Other members may have included

Charles Kains Jackson Charles Philip Castle Kains Jackson (1857–1933) was an English poet closely associated with the Uranian school. Biography Beginning in 1888, in addition to a career as a lawyer, he served as editor for the periodical ''The Artist and Jour ...

Samuel Elsworth Cottam Samuel Elsworth Cottam (7 August 1863 – 30 March 1943) was an English poet and Anglican priest. Biography Cottam was born in Upper Broughton, Salford, in 1863. He graduated from Exeter College, Oxford, in 1885, where he was a friend of Edwin ...

Montague Summers Augustus Montague Summers (10 April 1880 – 10 August 1948) was an English author, clergyman, and teacher. As an independent scholar, he published many works on the English drama of the Stuart Restoration (1660–1688) and helped to organise ...

, and

John Gambril Nicholson John Gambril (Francis) Nicholson (1866–1931) was an English school teacher, poet, and amateur photographer. He was one of the Uranians, a clandestine group of British men who wrote poetry idealizing the beauty and love of adolescent boys. As a ...

. An elaborate system of rituals, ceremonies, a service of initiation, seals, codes, and passwords were established. The Order, according to Ives' notebooks, had a specific purpose, distinct prescriptions and philosophy, and its particular symbolism: the "sign-word" AMRRHAO and "the seal of the double wreath." The prerequisites of membership were indicated to be "Zeal, Learning and Discipline." The principle of secrecy was conveyed by the metaphor of "The Chain" underlining that one should never reveal any information about the order or its members. The writings of

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman Jr. (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist; he also wrote two novels. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature and world literature. Whitman incor ...

were particularly revered.Keth Stern, ''Queers in History: The comprehensive encyclopaedia'', BenBella Books, 2009 Ives was keen to stress that the Order was to be an ascetic movement, not to be used as a forum for men to meet men for sex, although he accepted a degree of 'passionate sensuality' could take place. He also believed that love and sex between men was a way to undermine the rigid class system, as a true form of

democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

. The Secret Society became a worldwide organisation, and Ives took advantage of every opportunity to spread the word about the "Cause." In Ives' words:

We believe in the glory of passion. We believe in the inspiration of emotion. We believe in the holiness of love. Now some in the world without have been asking as to our faith, and mostly we find that we have no answer for them. Scoffers there be, to whom we need not reply, and foolish ones to whom our words would convey no meaning. For what are words? Symbols of kindred comprehended conceptions, and like makes appeal to like.

References

{{Reflist 1897 establishments in the United Kingdom 19th century in LGBTQ history Defunct LGBTQ organisations in the United Kingdom Gay history LGBTQ history in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1897 Secret societies in the United Kingdom

Establishment and organization

See also

References