The Timeless Presence of Transgender Identity: Celebrating Ancient History's Notable Figures

Transgender individuals have been present throughout history, but their experiences have varied depending on the culture and time period in which they lived. Despite facing persecution in some eras, many transgender individuals were able to live their lives in peace and continue to be celebrated today. In this article, we will explore the rich legacy of gender non-conformity, from the ancient world to modern times. We will examine the stories of renowned figures like Joan of Arc and Alexander the Great, as well as lesser-known individuals who defied societal norms and embraced their true selves.

Early Records of Transgender Individuals

The concept of transgenderism may be a relatively modern term, but the history of gender non-conformity dates back to the first recorded instances of transgender individuals in ancient civilizations. In Neolithic and Bronze Age drawings and figurines from the Mediterranean, there are depictions of a "third sex" human figure having female breasts and male genitals or without distinguishing sex characteristics. In Ancient Greece and Cyprus, figures are often dual-sexed or without identifying sexual characteristics. Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician, wrote of the enarei, a class of androgynous Scythian priests and healers. He wrote, "there are many eunuchs among the Scythians, who perform female work, and speak like women".

*Neolithic and Bronze Age drawings and figurines*

In Prague, Czech Republic, a male was buried in the outfit usually reserved for women. Archaeologists speculate that the burial corresponds to a transgender person or someone of the third sex. These are just a few examples of the presence of transgender individuals in the ancient world.

Transgender Saints and Monks

Many Catholic monks and saints were gender-fluid, with some only discovered as such after death. From the fifth to the ninth century, a number of saints’ lives composed across the Greek-speaking Mediterranean detail the lives of individuals assigned female at birth who for a host of different reasons chose to live out their adult lives as men in monasteries. Some of these saints include Saint Perpetua, Hilarion, Marinos, and Smaragdus.

Marinos or Marina the Monk has been called a patron saint of transgender parenting or a cross-dressing saint. Assigned female at birth, Marina adopted the name Marinos and entered a monastery as a man in fifth-century Lebanon. Marinos embraced a male identity from that point onward, even after being falsely accused of fathering a child. He adopted the boy and raised him as his own son. This queer saint was added to the Episcopal calendar of saints in 2022 with a feast day on June 17. The saint is celebrated on June 18 in the Roman Catholic Church and on other dates in other traditions.

Alexander the Great: The Cross-Dressing Conqueror

Alexander the Great, son of King Philip II of Macedonia, often enjoyed cross-dressing as Artemis, the Greek archer-goddess of the hunt. Three theories remain regarding Alexander’s love of dressing up as Artemis. He merely saw himself as a god and did not care to discern between male and female deities, or that Alexander felt himself to be what is contemporarily called transgender. Lastly, he may have dressed as Artemis as an early form of what is now referred to as a drag performance.

Alexander was known for his military conquests and for spreading Greek culture throughout the known world. He was also known for his relationship with his lover, the eunuch Bagoas (Bagoe). Bagoas’s gender was changed from male to female in a version of the story written in Latin in the first century CE and translated into French in the late fifteenth century.

Nero and Elagabalus: Duo Romani reges utriusque generis fuerunt

In 54 AD, Emperor Nero of Rome conducted legal marriage ceremonies with two men, Pythagoras and Sporus. During these ceremonies, Sporus, who identified as male, was given the regalia typically worn by the wives of the Caesars.

*Fifth Emperor of Rome, Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus*

From 218 to 222 AD, the Roman emperor Elagabalus exhibited behaviors that included wearing makeup and wigs. Additionally, the emperor preferred to be addressed as a lady rather than a lord. It is also documented that Elagabalus offered substantial sums of money to any physician who could provide a vagina through surgical means. These actions have led some writers to view the emperor as an early transgender figure and one of the first historical figures to express a desire for sex reassignment surgery.

Joan of Arc: A Transvestite Martyr

Joan of Arc was burned at the stake by the Inquisition of the Catholic church because she refused to stop dressing as a man. "She was a transvestite – an expression of her identity she was willing to die for rather than renounce." Joan of Arc is one of the most famous transgender or gender-nonconforming figures in history. Though she is often remembered as a brave warrior and a national hero in France, her story is much more complex.

Joan of Arc was formally canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on 16 May 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. She is the patron saint of France, soldiers, prisoners, those in need of courage, those ridiculed for their faith, and youth, among other things.

Joan began hearing voices when she was just a teenager, telling her that she was destined to save France from English domination. She dressed in men's clothing and cut her hair short, which was unheard of for a woman at the time. She convinced the French king to let her lead an army, and she helped win several key battles. However, she was eventually captured by the English and put on trial for heresy. The court found her guilty and sentenced her to death by burning at the stake. She was just 19 years old.

*May 30 1431 , Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy*

Chevalier d'Éon : L'espion transgenre du XVIIIe siècle

Charles-Geneviève-Louis-Auguste-André-Timothée d'Éon de Beaumont, also known as Chevalier d'Éon or Chevalière d'Éon, was a prominent French diplomat, soldier, and spy born in 1728. During the Seven Years' War, d'Éon fought and spied for France while stationed in Russia and England. Possessing both androgynous physical features and natural talents as a spy and mimic, d'Éon presented publicly as a man and pursued masculine roles for 49 years. However, d'Éon successfully infiltrated the court of Empress Elizabeth of Russia by assuming a female persona. In 1777, d'Éon officially began living as a woman and was recognized as such by King Louis XVI.

The Modern Era of Transgenderism

The word transgenderism did not exist until 1965 when coined by psychiatrist John F. Oliven of Columbia University in his 1965 reference work Sexual Hygiene and Pathology. However, people who don’t fit neatly into the binary sexes, don’t identify with their gender assigned at birth, have fluid gender and identity, or are otherwise genderqueer have always existed. These people have been identified in many ways throughout history, such as ‘eunuch,’ ‘hermaphrodite,’ ‘third gender,’ or ‘two spirit,’ with some terms seen as offensive nowadays, and others still in use in various cultures around the world.

*“Sexual Hygiene and Pathology” by John F. Oliven, M.D. 1965*

Transgender Rights and Discrimination

Transgender individuals continue to face discrimination and violence in many parts of the world. In the United States, transgender people are often denied basic rights such as access to healthcare, housing, and employment. They are also at a higher risk of violence, with a disproportionate number of transgender individuals experiencing hate crimes and murder.

Conclusion

Transgender individuals have been present throughout history, and their stories are a testament to the human spirit's resilience. From the gender-fluid saints of the Catholic Church to Joan of Arc and Alexander the Great, transgender individuals have defied societal norms and embraced their true selves. While discrimination and violence against transgender individuals continue to be a problem, there have been recent victories for transgender rights. The fight for equality and acceptance is ongoing, but the rich legacy of gender non-conformity continues to inspire hope and resilience.

The Timeless Presence of Transgender Identity: Celebrating Ancient History's Notable Figures