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Straight Dope must be smoking dope, which would explain the crazy material found there. Oh and regarding Achilles and Patroclus which one of those articles mentions believe or not the movie Troy, GOT the cousin story between Achilles and Patroclus RIGHT! LoL!! According to Greek mythology the two were FIRST COUSINS related on their paternal sides, making any such idiotic claims of a "sexual" relationship an incestuous one. Here, Greek Mythology lesson to 101:

Greek Mythology Family Tree line of Achilles and Patroclus:

Aegina: daughter of the River God Asopus; mother of Menoetius by Actor and mother of Aeacus by Zeus.

Menoetius mortal King of Opus, son of Actor & Aegina; father of Patroclus.

Aeacus immortal King of Aegina, son of Zeus & Aegina; father Peleus who was in turn the father of Achilles.

So based on our Greek Mythology Family Tree, Patroclus was 1st cousins with Achilles' father, Peleus, making Achilles and Patroclus either 2nd cousins, 1st cousins once removed or uncle(Patroclus) and nephew(Achilles). In other words Achilles and Patroclus have the same grandmother(Patroclus) and great-grandmother(Achilles), hence the reason why ancient Greeks made Patroclus older of the two and since as it was pointed out not even that idiot Dover who is credited as the "all know how" on ancient Greek sexuality, NOT, does not state anything about male on male incestuous relationships in his book. ;)