King's Claudiocester: Unity And Harmony

Great Essays
“to commemorate such great nuptial ceremonies, [Claudius] built the city which he called Claudiocester”: Unity and Harmony

The roll-maker used women to prove a political point that peace, harmony and greatness could be expected from a king if he had a loving and supportive wife. Women were carefully selected by the roll-maker to exhibit this idea in a variety of differing scenarios. If women inspired their husbands to do great things, created successful lineages, had a useful heritage, or were just generally wives to successful kings, select examples were included. This suggests that the roll-maker wished to demonstrate how a Queen should both be and act in order to support the peace and harmony of the nation, and to demonstrate that a woman’s
…show more content…
Marital ties in the Middle Ages were often used to create links to lineages, gain assets such as land, or to help foster alliances. A noble woman was therefore a desired match as she had the potential to expand territories and power for the husband. Through a short, separate line of women, and accompanying text, the roll-maker shows that Matilda, Queen of Henry I, was the daughter of Saint Margaret, the Queen of Scotland. Margaret was a descendent of the Anglo-Saxon line of kings through Edgar the Aetheling. Malcom, the King of Scotland, was a descendent of the Scottish line of kings. Therefore, by marrying Matilda, Henry I strategically integrated himself into two illustrious lines of kings. Through the Matilda-Henry marriage, the Anglo-Saxon line became part of the ruler’s lineage, reinstated after its break following the Norman conquest. The accompanying text states that ‘Henry the First … held the kingdom in peace, marrying Matilda daughter of Margaret Queen of Scotland granddaughter of Edward’, reaffirming the strategic nature of the marriage. Another example of a strategic marriage is that of Cenica, the wife of Maximian the Great. She features in the mythical section of the roll. The roll recounts that ‘Octonius … gave in marriage his daughter Cenica to Maximianus son of Leoninus the brother of Elena, together with the kingdom’. In other words, Maximian only became King due to the fact that he married Cenica, who gained the crown from her father. This is in keeping with medieval societies view that a woman was physically, rationally, and morally weaker than a man. As stated by Helen Jewell, ‘any daughter’s role was likely at best to be to carry the crown to her husband or son, thus restoring ‘normal’ conditions.’ Isabella of France connected the succession of English Kings to the French line of kings, through her marriage to Edward II. The daughter of Philip

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    Women's Suffrage In Canada

    • 2017 Words
    • 9 Pages

    “It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals. ”- Emma Watson (Ferguson, 238). In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, women did not have the right to vote. The dominion act of Canada stated that “no woman, idiot, lunatic, or criminal shall vote”.…

    • 2017 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Elizabeth I Dbq

    • 1020 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Throughout the world, as well as history, there have been cases of gender oppression and gender equality conflicts. Despite the opposing opinions on Queen Elizabeth I's reign in England, she managed to endure the negativity by responding with affection and sacrifice for the Kingdom of England because she was a politique. People believed Elizabeth I couldn't rule because religion caused them to have bias towards male rulers only. Some people were supportive of her because she didn't have absolute power. Others believed she was a strong ruler due to her willingness to sacrifice and care for her people.…

    • 1020 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout history women have often played a significant role, and although women haven’t usually been in a position of power, they have, none-the-less, often contributed in significant ways. For example, like Theodora and Elizabeth, they wanted to help people bring peace and have no war because they did everything they could like build aqueducts,and build houses for homeless. Empress Theodora impacted her society by Elizabeth looking at the laws carefully and many of the changes were changed. They protected women and children. Theodora’s husband, Justinian, passed the women laws higher than it had ever in the empire.…

    • 244 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Change in the role of Women during revolutionary war // Women 's Lives in the American Revolutionary Era (before, during and after)------change this theme Examples of women role b4 RW Before the Revolutionary war, women’s role and rights were strongly inferior to men. Men hold all the power to make decisions, however married women lack of legal rights. The law strongly disagreed to recognize that the women’s rights in every aspects, such as political and economics in the eighteenth century. Women cannot officially vote in the congress until 1920.…

    • 1301 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Charlotte Perkins Gilman wanted to spend her life actively “living” (xv). She was devoted to work and public service, especially that of the women’s suffrage movement, and she viewed her life as an ongoing verb, in which she needed to be constantly moving forward and working. She was an exceptionally prolific writer, publishing “nearly 500 poems, several dramas, roughly 675 fictional works, and over 2,000 works of nonfiction” in her lifetime (xii). Because of her abundance of literary work, Gilman was “hailed as the brains of the woman’s movement” of her time (202). The most notable of her works are Herland, Women and Economics, and The Yellow Wallpaper.…

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a great American novel shadowing the lives of several mysterious, but stereotypical characters. Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Myrtle Wilson all play a significant role in The Great Gatsby, specifically because they are women whose characteristics set a sense of change for other women in society. The Great Gatsby takes place during the summer of 1922, which was two years after women gain the right to vote. This promoted the idea that society should move away from traditional gender roles; which is exactly what Fitzgerald portrayed in his book. Throughout history, women have been under the influence of men having the upper hand in society.…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Eleanor had two daughters by Louis VII, which in 1152, became separate from their mother. Possession of her two daughters ended in the custody of the king after declaring her marriage void from the fact that they relate in blood. Eleanor later on had three daughters and five sons by her next husband, Henry II. Two of their sons, Richard I, and John, survived and later on continued to rule after Henry. Eleanor resisted marrying other French noblemen and chose to move away from France.…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    King Henry Viii Influence

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The significant happening here is when Henry severely split off the papal authority in England. The church forebode that Henry should marry someone other than royal blood. Henry VIII obviously inherited the throne from his father Henry VII. Henry happened to be a ladies man,…

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Assignment 2: Project Paper Comparative Essay Vanity Talbert Professor Lilia Fontana HUM 111- World Cultures I Semptember 23, 2015 Comparing Ancient Female Rulers Compare the Tang Empress Wu Zetian (also known as Empress Wu or as Wu Zhao; ruled China througout 690-705 AD) with the Pharaoh Cleopatra (ruled Egypt around 51-31BC). For this task, we will contrast two of the most famous wonan Emperors in world history; Empress Wu and Pharaoh Cleopatra. Both empresses ascended to power undercompletely different situaton and there is a marked contrast…

    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Enheduanna Research Paper

    • 1983 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Strong women have been a mystery throughout the history of our known world. Each woman has her own power inside herself; how she uses her power defines the influence on her culture and the rest of the world. As we look back through ancient times, women have been treated equal to men as well as being treated as though they had no use to society. In each culture studied, at least one woman has risen up against all odds to become an inspiration for ages after her death. Webster’s Dictionary defines strong as “not easy to break or damage.”…

    • 1983 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Outstanding Political Women Women in history changed the lives of today’s women by freeing them of many stereotypes (Barlow 3). However, that did not hold them back. Women were determined to have a say in politics and speak their thoughts.…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Queen Elizabeth I of England made a speech to the troops and England’s people in 1588 before the war between Spain and England. Queen Elizabeth’s purpose was to assure her army and people that she is in charge and that yes, she is a women but with the heart of a king that can lead them to victory. The subject of the speech is the war between Spain and England. The tone in this speech is hopeful and empowering.…

    • 338 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    American Noblewomen

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The renaissance saw the rise of patriarchal institutions, and thus the fall of the power held by noble women who no longer fit within this male-dominated world. Therefore, it is easy to assume that they exercised no power at all, forced to bow to the will of their male counterparts. By using countless examples from the lives of French noblewomen during this time, Kettering displays a detailed historiography to provide evidence for her argument: that French noblewomen during this time utilised a considerable amount of power in the form of patronage. Though often indirect, this cannot be underestimated.…

    • 699 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Treasure of the City of Ladies showed the importance of having a strong female with a male who has power and it was a guide for women to lead virtuous lives. Christine de Pizan states “the princess many be the best means to placate the man” (35). The princess would have access and easier time calming down the prince rather than an advisor or man of power. The woman can also be the go-between for the people and her husband which gives her great power if she chooses to use it. It is also brought up that the princess can help moderate the behavior of the leader to protect the people if need be (70).…

    • 448 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926 in London, United Kingdom. She was born to George VI, which later died in 1952. Elizabeth then immediately ascended the throne in 1952, which starts her reign of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. She married the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, and had Prince Charles, heir to the throne, in 1948. She is known for her longest serving monarchy in the history of Great Britain and for her service in World War II.…

    • 1983 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays