This dramatic text really shows the importance of virtue in ancient Roman society. No matter of the gender, honor was very important to all the Romans. Men were definitely in charge, and the women were looked at as objects in this time. It is very obvious that gender roles played a huge part in ancient Roman society. Beauty and honor was evidently very important to the Romans during this time. In Roman society people definitely lived by traditional gender roles. The men were fighters who went out and worked while the women stayed in the home and did house work. Women were supposed to be pure. They were seen as object to men and were definitely the second-class citizens compared to men. Beauty in women was desired by men. The men were looked
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However, the text makes it evident that upper class women were expected to be doing something extravagant. The men were surprised when they saw Lucrecia spinning with her servants, as if she was supposed to be doing something else (57). With that being said, I take it that the men were pleased to the surprise of seeing her work with her servants in her home. The government had a lot of control in Roman society. The kings were in charge. Honor was very important to the Romans. This is portrayed when Lucrecia killed herself (58). Women were looked at as being pure. Once Lucrecia was raped, she felt as though her body was soiled, and that her honor was taken (58). It is apparent that women did not have much control over their sexual desires. A women’s reputation would be ruined if she was caught sleeping with a man other than her husband. This is represented when Sextus Tarquinius threatened Lucrecia by saying if she did not sleep with him, then he would kill her and lay a nude servant next to her to make her seem dishonorable (58). A large amount of this text is still reflected in today’s society. Today, women still feel like they are in the wrong for being raped just like Lucrecia did, and a man will still attempt to hide from his wrong behavior after raping a woman. The traditional gender roles that were shown in Roman society are still looked at similarly to a lot of people today. You do not hear about honor as much
However, the text makes it evident that upper class women were expected to be doing something extravagant. The men were surprised when they saw Lucrecia spinning with her servants, as if she was supposed to be doing something else (57). With that being said, I take it that the men were pleased to the surprise of seeing her work with her servants in her home. The government had a lot of control in Roman society. The kings were in charge. Honor was very important to the Romans. This is portrayed when Lucrecia killed herself (58). Women were looked at as being pure. Once Lucrecia was raped, she felt as though her body was soiled, and that her honor was taken (58). It is apparent that women did not have much control over their sexual desires. A women’s reputation would be ruined if she was caught sleeping with a man other than her husband. This is represented when Sextus Tarquinius threatened Lucrecia by saying if she did not sleep with him, then he would kill her and lay a nude servant next to her to make her seem dishonorable (58). A large amount of this text is still reflected in today’s society. Today, women still feel like they are in the wrong for being raped just like Lucrecia did, and a man will still attempt to hide from his wrong behavior after raping a woman. The traditional gender roles that were shown in Roman society are still looked at similarly to a lot of people today. You do not hear about honor as much