A New Roman Woman

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Recommended: Women in ancient literature

A New Roman Woman

When examining the works of Propertius and Tibullus as descriptions of a new Roman woman, a number of things must be examined. First, to what extent does each poet refer to the power of romantic or sexual love as that which restricts or hurts them in contrast to the power of women in general. Second, what is the contrast between women's sexual liberty and that of men. Third, how does the current-day reader determine whether the works of each poet are representative of reality.

The following passage by Propertius assures us that it is the power of women and not simply the power of sexual or romantic love that binds a man. Here he recommends the activities between a man a boy. He reasons that such a match will not bring the pain and heartache of romantic or sexual love with a woman.

"‘I offer to my enemies

such heterosexual joys

and to my friends some good advice:

find your delight in boys.

...

When boys are mad a single word

will often make them stop;

but she will have your very blood

to the last drop.'"

(Propertius, 57-58)

This very passage assures the reader that there is something unique about the love of a woman, or the quality that a woman brings to love that damages a man. Because such love and such sexual pleasures would certainly be available between a man and a boy, it is apparent that when Propertius speaks of his pain, he attributes it wholly to women and not solely to love itself.

However, it is misleading to suggest that Propertius equates women with pain. More specifically, he seems to equate a woman's unfaithfulness with pain. While he labours on and on about the joys of sexual love with a woman and his prowess at pleasing her, often no more than a line will pa...

... middle of paper ...

...stery, however, at the very least it is evident that their was inner strife among men when weighing the freedom of high-born ladies to engage in sexual romance with them, to their freedom to engage in it with other men.

Bibliography:

Fantham, Elaine. Women in the Classical World.

New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Peradotto, John; Sullivan, J. Women in the Ancient World: the arethusa papers.

Albany: State University of New York Press, 1984.

Pomeroy, Sarah. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: women in classical antiquity.

United States: Schoken Books, 1975.

Propertius. The Poems of Propertius.

Indianappolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company Inc, 1972.

Tibullus. Tibullus: the poems.

Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd, 1972.

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