Translation and the homosexual canon: Thomas Cannon’s 1749 ‘Ancient and Modern Pederasty Investigated and Exemplify’d’

Abstract

Abstract This paper analyses the fragmentary apologia for pederasty by Thomas Cannon. Published in pamphlet form in 1749, it was suppressed and prosecuted, and lost to history until its recent recovery. The recovery of the text is only partial, as it was preserved in quoted excerpts in the wording of the indictment against it. Despite its fragmentary state, it is one of the earliest defences of same-sex love, and classical texts and examples naturally form a major part of its argument. Although Cannon’s treatise is important for the history of sexuality and translation studies, it has received limited attention from classicists, despite containing multiple translations from classical authors, together with Cannon’s editorial comments. This paper explores the contribution of the pamphlet to the history of sexuality, through a focus on Cannon’s translations.