BUMMMBAAAAA —> The name comes from the Ancient Greek term gymnós meaning “naked”. Athletes competed nude, a practice said to encourage aesthetic appreciation of the male body and a tribute to the gods. The word gymnasium is the latinisation of the Greek noun γυμνάσιον (gymnasion), “gymnastic school”
The gymnasium is where elder male Greek pederasts gathered naked, to pursue young boys (also naked) and vie for their affections. Once they set their sights on a boy, then they had to woo the boy’s parents with gifts and money to prove that out of all their son’s male suitors, they were the most financially stable lover, teacher, and mentor for the youth. Once the boy became a certain age, then he could begin dating women and seeking a wife. That is, if he still wanted to deal with women by then.
