The Order of Chaeronea

The Order of Chaeronea

Poet, radical freethinker, and early gay rights activist George Cecil Ives founded a secret society called the Order of Chaeronea, which was established to end the oppression of homosexuals and offer a safe space for gay men to communicate. It was named after the Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC), where hundreds of men from the Sacred Band of Thebes, all of them lovers, were killed. “An elaborate system of rituals, ceremonies, a service of initiation, seals, codes, and passwords were used by the members. The Secret Society became a worldwide organization and Ives took advantage of every opportunity to spread the word about the “Cause.” Ives unsuccessfully tried to recruit Oscar Wilde after they met at the Author’s Club in 1892. Just a few years later, Wilde’s sexuality would land him on trial for gross indecency, after which he was imprisoned.