Georgia Gwinnett College Roles and Portrayals of Roman Women Paper

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Roman women, just like women in much of the ancient world, had an ambiguous status. While not citizens, they gave birth to citizens. Women from aristocratic families, furthermore, exercised significant power behind the scenes in such capacities as benefactors of cities and individuals (see, for example, the information on the Building of Eumachia at Pompeii below). Your task in this paper is to consider the many possible roles and portrayals of Roman women based on any THREE of the primary sources below (please note that while some of these primary sources are literary, others are artistic or archaeological):

1. The Building of Eumachia: https://sites.google.com/site/ad79eruption/pompeii/public-buildings/building-of-eumachia

2. Epitaph (tombstone inscription) in memory of a Roman wife:

“Stranger, my message is short. Stop and read it. This is the unlovely tomb of a lovely woman. Her parents gave her the name Claudia. She loved her husband with all her heart. She bore two children, one of whom she left on earth, the other beneath it. She had a pleasing way of talking and walking. She tended the house and worked wool. I have said my piece. Go your way.” (Corpus of Latin Inscriptions, CIL 6.15346)

3. Juvenal, Satire 6: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/juvenal6.asp

4. Martyrdom of the Saints Perpetua and Felicity: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/perpetua.asp

5. The love poems of Sulpicia: http://www.stoa.org/diotima/anthology/sulpicia-anth.shtml

Respond to all the following questions in the paper:

How do your selected sources portray Roman women? Do your selected sources seem to contradict each other, and/or in which areas do they agree? How would you explain any contradictions or agreements? Finally, what are your conclusions, based on your selected sources, on the place of women in Roman society?

Writing Guidelines:

  • Your completed assignment should be 2-3 pages in length (500-750 words)
  • You must write in complete sentences and paragraphs. Bullet points or lists will not be accepted.
  • Your essay should have a clear introduction and thesis statement that provides your proposed answer to the question prompt; body paragraphs; and a conclusion.
  • Please cite your sources internally using parenthetical citations or footnotes, and include a complete bibliography at the end of your paper.
  • Formatting MLA
  • Be original – All papers submitted in this class are reviewed via Turnitin.com, a proprietary software database that identifies unoriginal material in papers.
  • Submit your citations and bibliography within your paper. Everything should be saved and submitted in one document.