In Titus Livius’ The History of Rome, Book 1, he tells the story of the rape of the Sabine women. Though he is a historian, I do not feel that he well represents the true emotion and feeling of the women, as is common for the time period. Throughout the telling, Livy fails to discuss the emotions of the women and does not give an accurate representation of what happened to the captured Sabine women once they were taken by the Roman men. His word choice is purposefully vague and nondescript to make the tale more appealing to men of the time. In chapter nine of The History of Rome, Book 1, Livy writes the beginning of the tale: how Romulus needed women to keep his new city alive and was rejected by all of the families he approached. This leads Romulus …show more content…
In the first chapter he writes his own version of the tale, showing the true emotions of the captured women:
As doves flee the eagle in a frightened crowd, as the new-born lamb runs from the hostile wolf: so they fled in panic from the lawless men, and not one showed the color she had before. (Ovid 1.117-20)
In this passage, Ovid displays the panic and fear that comes with being taken away from your family which is missing in Livy’s version of the story. Rather than using Livy’s style of minimal description, Ovid uses similes to show the emotion felt by the Sabines in their situation. From there, he continues to show the violence that is enacted upon the Sabines with the line “The captive girls were led away as plunder for the marriage bed” (Ovid 1.125). From that line, the reader instantly knows that each woman is being raped rather than slept with, as Livy’s version seems to say.
Although Rome in seventh century BC was a much different time than the present, I feel that Livy, as a historian, should have written the tale from a more realistic and accurate perspective. Because his telling was not detailed, the story is easy to
Although “The Odyssey” by the Greek poet Homer is very much an epic tale of a man’s heroic quest, women play an incredibly large role. Homer’s epic tale, “The Odyssey” revolves around Ulysses’ quest to return back to his wife, Penelope, so that he may be reunited with her and assume control over his palace, which has been overrun by suitors. Ulysses’ son, Telemachus attempts to regain authority in the presence of the many suitors but finds this difficult and embarks upon his own journey under the guidance of Athena and other deities. The main thrust of Homer’s “The Odyssey” centers upon the adventures of Homer as he endeavors to get back home, which he finally does. He overtakes the suitors through his cunning and the tale ends happily.
Pomeroy, S. B. (1995). Goddesses, whores, wives, and slaves: women in classical antiquity. New York: Schocken Books.
Livy’s The Rise of Rome serves as the ultimate catalogue of Roman history, elaborating on the accomplishments of each king and set of consuls through the ages of its vast empire. In the first five books, Livy lays the groundwork for the history of Rome and sets forth a model for all of Rome to follow. For him, the “special and salutary benefit of the study of history is to behold evidence of every sort of behaviour set forth as on a splendid memorial; from it you may select for yourself and for your country what to emulate, from it what to avoid, whether basely begun or basely concluded.” (Livy 4). Livy, however, denies the general populace the right to make the same sort of conclusions that he made in
Throughout the period of Roman emperors, there were many good emperors who brought wealth and prosperity, but there were bad emperors who brought terror and poverty. Emperor Titus Augustus was one of the emperors who brought wealth and prosperity. He had one of the most popular rules, even though he only ruled for about 3 years. He was, also, nicknamed the “darling of the human race” by Suetonius (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). Although Emperor Titus had a short rule, he brought wealth and prosperity, thus making his rule have a positive impact on the Roman Empire.
With the influence of classical writings in his education, it is easy to see the source of his inspiration for the painting. His influence for The Rape of the Sabine Women was likely from the writings of Titus Livius (Livy). In Livius’ texts in section nine, he tells of the account of the rape of the Sabine women. The Romans, under the leadership of Romulus, invited nearby communities to join in the festivities and games in honor of the god Neptune. The Sabines accepted the invitation and brought along their wives and children.
The roman republic came into existence at the termination of the Roman kingship in 507 B.C.E. The last king of Rome, Tarquin the Proud, was expelled by Collatinus and Brutus, as a result of his arrogance involving the matter of one of his relations raping the wholesome Roman matron Lucretia and her subsequent suicide. The rape of Lucretia was really a representation of the frustration that the roman citizens felt regarding the kingship. The later kings had little regard for roman values and the roman populus, which they used as something of a slave labor force. Brutus and Collatinus became the first Roman Consuls, elected by popular vote.
The later Roman Republic and early Roman Empire controlled most of modern day Europe through Northern Africa to Asia Minor. This time of complete dominance over much of the known world propelled Rome into a new era of wealth and prosperity that allowed Romans to look past military expansion. The Roman state now turned towards betterment of society and the “craving for a good education.” Education was seen not only as a tool for the furthering of personal careers, but as a way to improve Rome. Education passed along virtue and the skills necessary to run the Republic and early Empire. This knowledge began in the home, transferring from father to son through the role of fathers as paterfamilias or head of household. Fathers were in charge of ensuring the best possible education for their sons in hope that they would further the ideals and goals of a glorious Rome. Education, through the different steps of the informal Roman education structure and through the influence of the father, furthered the ideal of Roman virtue and ensured generations of virtuous leaders.
Titus' failings as a parent and extreme devotion to Rome become most apparent when, "In a bad quarrel," he, "[slays] a virtuous son" (Shakespeare, I.i, 341) for opposing his decision to allow Lavina, Titus' daughter, to become the wife of Rome's new emperor, Saturninus. Even in this decision he does not consult with his daughter to see if it is her desire to become "Rome's royal mistress." (Shakespeare, I.i, 241) It is clear that Titus is unable to separate his role as a father from his position as a General in Rome's army. Traub argues "that those character's left outside of the world of marriage tend to be masculine because of their
In a surprise ending, the female slave lightly debates everyone’s morals coherently: “(Stand off!) we help not in our loss! / We are too heavy for our cross, / And fall and crush you and your seed” (243-245). Notably, this is the one time in the narrative that we find the female slave easy to understand and sensible.
In examining the histories presented by Livy and Tacitus, it is crucial to take into account the agendas of the respective authors. While both set out to portray as accurate of a historical representation as possible, it is evident that both renowned historians and rhetoricians intended to deliver several significant messages regarding their thoughts on Rome. Both authors do, indeed, acknowledge the greatness of Rome and champion the core of Roman values; however, Livy and Tacitus tactfully elaborate on different troubles that face the Roman Empire. The histories put forth by these great men aim to present the past as an aid to promote
Rome became a powerful empire engulfing much of Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia and what seemed like this great entity called the Romans were always in the search of more territory and land to conquer and assimilate into their ever growing vast empire. However, this was not always the case, before Rome became one of the greatest empires in all of history, Rome was a republic. They were government consisted of a Senate who much like our country today represented certain classes of the citizens of the Republic. During the growth and rise of the Roman republic conquering neighboring territories and competing for land grabs was not Romans primary objectives. Romans
One of the oldest beverages known to man is wine, an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes. Wine has been enjoyed all around the world and Ancient Rome is no exception. Ancient Rome played an important role in its history. Wine carried religious, philosophical, and social implications for the Romans as it was a part of their daily life. The popularity of wine and drunkenness in Ancient Rome is clearly portrayed throughout poetry, art, literature and even laws. Although wine was eventually available to all, it’s implications for women were severe. An important connection between Ancient Rome and wine that is rarely discussed is the idea of denying women a right to drink. Today, it is not uncommon or distasteful for women to have a glass of wine but in Roman society, women’s overindulgence of wine was frowned upon. This paper will discuss women in Ancient Roman society and analyze sources from Valerius Maximus and Propertius to focus on how the role of wine reinforced the patriarchal system and oppression of women.
The view Ovid takes on women is not always clear. In some passages he has a violent perspective on women. Ovid writes about how he easily could have taken advantage of women, displaying a negative viewpoint of ownership towards females. Similarly he says “never a virgin there was free from the lust of a hand”, which shows that men desire women, and a virgin is held as a high prize, one that is worth committing the act of adultery for (Art 1. 89-126).
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
Suzanne Edwards states the tale “refuses the ambiguities of the medieval regulation of sexual violence” there was no difference in a violent attack where a woman was raped by a stranger or acquaintance and the forced sex of her marital partner (3). However, there was a legal difference since a woman was the property of her husband; he could do whatever he wished to her short of murdering her.