orites of
kings and nobles, as mistresses of men in high positions, and often
playing the part of vampires in all classes of society.

On the other hand, women of high position or wealth have also their
favorites, whom we may call male hetairas. Certain female members of
royal families have at all times furnished examples of this kind.

At all periods in the history of civilized races, pathology has also
led to extra-conjugal sexual intercourse. Here, homosexual love in
general, and love of boys or pediastry, has always played the
principal part. We shall speak of this in Chapter VIII. Among the
Hebrews, Persians, Etruscans, and especially the Greeks, it was held
in high esteem. The Greek philosophers regarded it as based on an
ideal homosexual love, and not as a vile form of prostitution. Solon,
Aristides, Sophocles, Phidias, and Socrates were strongly suspected of
homosexual practices, and they regarded this form of love as superior
to the normal love of woman. Lesbian love, and other sexual
aberrations, such as sadism, have also played a historical role, as we
shall see.

CONCLUSIONS

Primitive human marriage was probably of short duration; when man
later on became carnivorous, and had to obtain food for his children
by hunting, sexual unions assumed a more constant character. It is not
the class or the tribe, but the family which constituted the primitive
social condition of man, a condition in which marriage was a heritage
from "pithecomorphous" ancestors, _i.e._, related to monkeys.

Free sexual intercourse before marriage and frequent changes in the
latter were then no doubt very common, but true promiscuity has never
been the rule in primitive man.

Patriarchism with its disastrous consequences has been the result of
the preponderance of male power. In a higher degree of civilization
this preponderance has produced marriage by purchase and polygamy. The
barbarous form of the latter is now decreasing.

A true higher culture leads gradually to durable love based on
altruism and ethics, _i.e._, a relative and free monogamy.

The development of marriage in civilization has gradually increased
the rights of woman, and marriage contracts tend more and more in
their modern forms to stipulate for complete equality of rights for
both sexes. As Westermark says: "The history of human marriage is the
history of a union in which women have gradually triumphed over the
passions, prejudices and egoism of men." The