Jan N. Bremmer (born 18 December 1944 in Groningen, the Netherlands) is a Dutch historian and scholar of religion known for his work on ancient Greek religion, mythology, early Christianity, and the history of religious ideas. He studied at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and later taught at Utrecht University before becoming Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Groningen, where he also served as dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies.
He is known for his work on history of sexuality, including his publications on pederasty. He was the editor of and a contributor to From Sappho to De Sade: Moments in the History of Sexuality (1989). The volume moves across antiquity, the Middle Ages, early modern Europe, and modern sexology, treating homosexuality, intergenerational sexuality, incest, prostitution, sexual education, and other topics as historically variable formations.
Selected publications
Jan N. Bremmer (2021) Becoming a Man in Ancient Greece and Rome. Essays on Myths and Rituals of Initiation.
The volume contain historical data on rituals of initiation and pederasty, contains chapters with the following titles: "Initiation and Greek Pederasty", "Adolescents, Symposion and Pederasty"
Jan N. Bremmer (1989) Greek Pederasty and Modern Homosexuality. in: Jan N. Bremmer (ed.) (1989) From Sappho to De Sade: Moments in the History of Sexuality.
Bremmer's article summarizing data on Antique pederasty and rituals of initiation for boys, with evidence of pederastic practices among Papuans, Germans, and Albanians.
Jan N. Bremmer (1980) An Enigmatic Indo-European Rite: Paederasty.
