Luis Adrin Jimnez

Ms. Melissa Arroyo

English 8
2/10/16

Perception of Women in Ancient Rome

The perception of women in Ancient Rome was cruel but they had some freedom
too. According to Mark Cartwright, the Romans had a more neutral idea within humanity
and they thought that the male was not specifically created by the gods from water and
earth. For example, the Ovids Metamorphoses did not say whether the first human was
a man or a women. An example of a first early episode in Roman mythology that refers
to the perception of women is the Rape of the Sabine Women. This story is about the
first settlers of Rome abducted women from neighbouring tribes and married them
because they wanted real blood ties so they can have a truce. The neighbouring tribes
who live near the city of Rome wanted to reclaim their women so they decided to declare
a state of war. Led by Hersilia, the wife of Romulus, the abducted women tried to
intervene the war to prevent deaths and bloodshed. This story shows us the important
role that women played in keeping together Roman families- their family of birth and then
their family of marriage.

Cartwright,Mark.WomenintheRomanWorld.AncientHistoryEncyclopedia.22February2014.
Web.February10,2016.