Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus or Pliny the Younger was a roman aristocrat at the height of the Pax Romana. The Pax Romana was a time of stability and peace throughout the roman empire. There was very minimal military activity. His letters give us a view into the perspective of the roman aristocrat as well as an insight into roman society. The letters also give a perspective of the lives of roman women during this time. Roman society was a very patriarchal during the Pax Romana and women were considered much less important than men. This is apparent in his letters. There are very few accounts in Pliny 's letters that go into detail about the women of these times. The letters that do include female characters are about aristocrats dominantly and give us only a biased snapshot of how they interact within roman society. The character that we have the most to go on is Culpurnia. Calpurnia is the granddaughter of Calpurnius Fabitus and wife of Pliny the Younger. In his letters he describes Calpurnia as becoming well adjusted to her role as Pliny 's wife.”You are a model of family devotion, and you loved your brother, matching his deep regard for you with equal affection. You love his daughter as if she was your own, and to her you re-enact the fondness not only of an aunt, but also that of the father she lost”(4,19). Calpurnia was everything Pliny could ask for in a wife. He extolled her intelligence, her devotion, and her expertise at looking after their home. “She is
Women had very different rights in Republican Rome to their male counterparts, and although they could be classified as citizens and could play certain roles in Roman religion, they were unable to participate in many of the activities that clearly defined a Roman, such as military service, voting on legislation and candidates for office, and holding and elective position either locally or at Rome. It was also considered anomalous for women to be in learned professions, so female teachers and poets were ignored, which means that the only evidence that we have for women in this period comes from what men have written about them, either in poetry, histories or where they are concerned in laws. This means that when studying women of this time it must be considered that the sole perspective that has survived is male, and that the thoughts of the women themselves are not represented at all, therefore it could be argued that women, in general, played a very small role in the world of Roman politics and intellectual culture.
Politically women were not seen as equal to men though there seems to be a slight change in that as time passes in Rome. Documents four and six both look into women politically which connects to them educationally. In document four Juvenal of Roman in the 1st century feels that women should not be political. He sees it as a strictly male thing. The image on document six is of a woman who seems to be educated by the writing utensil and paper in her hand. With the image of education one would think that it would show a progression of women politically because their thoughts and ideas are now recognized.
On March 15, 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was attacked by a group of conspirators and died within minutes due to multiple stab wounds. Before he was murdered, he was an adored consul of Rome, though some people believed he was gaining too much control and had to be stopped. While there were many conspirators and it is difficult to pin the blame on any specific person, the Casca brothers delivered the fatal blow. Therefore, they are responsible for the death of Julius Caesar.
Over the course of time, the roles of men and women have changed dramatically. As women have increasingly gained more social recognition, they have also earned more significant roles in society. This change is clearly reflected in many works of literature, one of the most representative of which is Plautus's 191 B.C. drama Pseudolus, in which we meet the prostitute Phoenicium. Although the motivation behind nearly every action in the play, she is glimpsed only briefly, never speaks directly, and earns little respect from the male characters surrounding her, a situation that roughly parallels a woman's role in Roman society of that
Plutarch presented history through biographical stories of the people that were important and influential during the time period he wished to address. However, after having read some of his work, one realizes that Plutarch inserts his own personal opinion and views of the people at hand into the factual documentation of their lives. For example, in The Life of Crassus, Plutarch expresses a general dislike and negative view of the man, but in The Life of Caesar he portrays the life through a lens of praise. It also seems that he uses his opinions of the people that he writes about to subtly extend moral lessons to the reader. What follows is a further isolation of Plutarch's opinions and
When Pliny was first challenged with the issue of Christianity in his region, he was extremely confused and worried. He had never dealt with the issue before and so had no prior experience to dwell upon. However, he ended up dealing with them like any other threat to the Roman Empire he had dispensed with. He viewed these individuals as a contagion and threat to the Empire that needed to be distinguished. However, he knew that he did not have the resources or manpower to adequately confront the issue as it had spread not just in the cities, but also to the towns and farms across his region. This leads to the start of multiple letters to Emperor Trajan, so that he could be informed and order what needed to occur.
Circe and Calypso, while very tricky and sly, are still very strong feminine characters. Circe takes Odysseus' crew and turns them into swine; when Odysseus is able to resist her spell, due to the Moly he had been given by Hermes, she is dismayed and takes him as her lover. She is mysterious and seductive and is strong even up against Odysseus. Calypso is a sea nymph who keeps Odysseus captive for nine years, hoping to make him her husband. She is a strong-willed temptress whose sultry ways are able to reel in even the most determined man.
Women in Ancient Rome enjoyed a slightly better life than those in Ancient Greece. Roman men "placed a very high value on marriage, home and the family and this made quite a difference to society's treatment of women" (Thompson, 2005). Women still were passed from their father's supervision to their husbands, but enjoyed a more important role. While women could not hold
This investigation strives to compare and contrast of the role of women during the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages. The inquiry is significant because in order to understand the culture and ethics of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages it is crucial to understand the importance of women. The issues that will be addressed include: the role of women in the Roman Empire, the role of women in the Middle Ages, and the similarities as well as the differences of the two major time periods. This investigation will focus on the time period of 27 BC to 1485 BC and the places investigated will include Europe, more specifically Rome. This will be accomplished through a detailed examination of the role of women in the
The female stock characters in Roman comedy tend to be traditional or stock characters. The primary role of these women is to be subject to the lust and desires of men. The protagonist tends to be a young man who wants to continue his relationship with a young woman for marriage or sex. This
“Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come” - Julius Caesar (Shakespeare 2. 2. 32-37). This is a quote from Julius Caesar on the day he was assassinated. Julius Caesar was a dictator of Rome and a friend to a Roman politician Brutus. He is betrayed and killed by his friend Brutus and other Senators. Jesus Christ is a religious leader with 12 Apostles whom he considers his friends. One night he’s betrayed by Judas Iscariot, and later Jesus dies from being crucified. This research paper will explain the backgrounds of Julius Caesar,
Ancient Rome was known for its rich history and vast influence that is still attributed into modern day society. When speaking about Rome itself and the reason of influences it has made over the course of years, many people only seem to recognize the male figure. But looking at the course of history at a closer glance, women have made their marks not only within the Roman Empire but within the history itself. Before going further, one must first understand what goes into an average day and the lifestyles and customs the Roman Woman took. One must also understand that what may seem abnormal in today’s society, would fit a perfectly normal life for the ancient Roman citizen, most especially of the Roman women.
During the time period of the early Roman Empire, and through the early times of Octavian, it is important to note the roles that each sex played. Unlike current western culture, men and women were not equal. Each sex was thought of differently, with women being less than men. According to Severy, the Romans thought of the Roman women as “weakness, instability, and irrationality” (Severy 23). These viewpoints of women lead to women being treated in way that was subservient to men. According to Severy, in contrast, the Romans thought of men as “strength, integrity, and self-control” (Severy 23). This thought process lead to men being in positions of power and control and ultimately the decision makers. This was so much the case that women had to have a male guardian to go out with them during major purchases to verify that was what was supposed to be bought at points (Severy 23). This thought process bled into the
Ancient Rome was one of the biggest and most influential civilizations in history. The world we know would not be the same without its involvement. Romans practically shaped the Western history, which influenced the whole world as the result. They affected the modern government’s systems, laws, arts, literature, languages and even religions. The importance of it is great and undeniable. Unfortunately, most of the works and sources we have today are written by men and lack sources about women in the ancient Rome. Most of the time in history books, women’s roles and achievements are hardly even mentioned. Even though the Roman Empire was very progressive and
Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus was the son of a Roman aristocrat whose family had regularly held the highest offices of state for the past century. Tiberius achieved much in his life and was a man of high distinction in political circles. He was a man with a prominent background- coming from very powerful families. It seemed also, that many had high expectations of him, and his potential was not seen to its full extent. To a few of us here today, this is a solemn and most momentous occasion. Today I will be critically analysing and assessing the significance of three key areas which have been the crux of historical debate for centuries. Today I will be touching on Tiberius' family background, education, and early career to 134BC, the aims