The eromenos, although he was being dominated by another man, was earning respect and admiration by being taken under the wing of a respected member of Greek society. The older, more experienced erastes was the dominant male in the relationship and was in constant control of his eromenos, ensuring his position in society as powerful and masculine. While this practice was accepted despite its taboo nature, there were delicate parameters surrounding the relationship to ensure the dignity of both males. The Warren Cup, a Greek drinking cup depicting multiple scenes of boys with older men, British Museum Part of the pederastic relationship was indeed sexual, but at its core it was a mentorship. Being an eromenos was seen as a benefit and path to maturity, while being an erastes seen as a civic duty. These relationships were often complicated and involved a lot more than just sex. The eromenos, or “beloved,” was usually in his mid to late teens, and was actively pursued by the erastes. The older man, or the erastes, was usually in his mid to late twenties, and was the pursuer in the relationship. Pederasty is defined as the sexual relationship between an adult man and a pubescent or adolescent boy.
