Power Of Women In Clodia Analysis

Cicero not only highlights how immoral women behave, but also how morals are used to punish and diminish women with power. Clodia comes from a prominent family with abundant political connections. She could potential hold a lot of power in the structure of the family. Yet, right away, Cicero calls her out, not as a person, but almost as an object. In this morality, women are returned to being objects to store prestige, wealth and power. He addresses her as “a woman not only of noble birth, but also of notoriety” but also that they are “behaving disgracefully in using a matron’s name otherwise than as a matron’s virtue demands” (Cicero 2005: 445). He sees her involvement as a mere lover’s quarrel, rather than take her charges as serious legal …show more content…
Because familial power was such a driving force within the Roman government, in accordance with mos maiorum, the humiliation and shame brought on by a woman had an impact not only on them, but their entire families. Once a reputation was tarnished and the family lost honor, there were few ways for the scandal to go away other than to wait for the next piece of drama from the elite families. Women who incurred societal wrath for improper behavior were often removed from public society. They had to cut connections, were forced to marry or, in some cases, exiled or assassinated. They served as a warning to others. Not only was breaking with sexual morality potentially detrimental to a women’s chance at power, but conforming to sexual morality also had its consequences on female power. Moral women can be written about and revered, but rarely hold power. By simply conforming to the sexual morality of Ancient Rome, women limited their ability to gain power because it limited their ability to make connections. Chaste women could not make informal connections with men. They could gain status within society, but it also made them untouchable. Sexual morality made them subservient to the