Roman Women by Augusto Fraschetti
This collection of essays features important Roman women who were active in politics, theatre, cultural life and religion from the 1st through the 4th centuries. The contributors draw on rare documents in an attempt to reconstruct the lives and accomplishments of these exceptional women, a difficult task considering that the Romans recorded very little about women. They thought it improper for a woman's virtues to be praised outside the home. Moreover, they believed that a feeble intellect, a weakness in character and a general incompetence prevented a woman from participating in public life. This investigation encounters a number of idiosyncratic personalities. They include the vestal virgin Claudia; Cornelia, a matron; the passionate Fulvia; a mime known as "Lycoris"; the politician Livia; the martyr and writer Vibia Perpetua; a hostess named Helena Augusta; the intellectual Hypatia; and the saint Melania the Younger. Unlike their silent female counterparts, these women stood out in a culture where it was terribly difficult and odd to do so.Augusto Fraschetti is Professor of Roman History at La Sapienza University in Rome and an associate director of studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780226260945 |
| ISBN 10 | 0226260941 |
| Title | Roman Women |
| Author | Augusto Fraschetti |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | University Of Chicago Press |
| Year published | 1999-04-01 |
| Number of pages | 248 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |