Roman Influence On Gender Roles

During the late Republic Period, the Roman empire had begun to reach the height of its powers. With the increasing wealth that they gained from conquering neighboring countries, the Romans launched a series of city beautification and engineering projects. They made many contributions to the modern world such as the model structure of the government that had become the basis for modern U.S. and European law. The intention of their law had been based on a foundation that stated that one eternal and unchangeable law will be valid for all nations and all time…” (3). Roman engineering technology was also advanced well beyond its times. As most of its other contemporary cultures still built dirt roads and basic irrigation, the Romans had developed paved roads, aqueducts, central heating, and plumbing that lead to the main sewage system. Advanced architecture such as the Coliseum and Pantheon were among the greatest construction projects in the world; visitors from all around …show more content…
The first of a collection of three poems is aimed to equip men with the skills to effectively find and court a woman. This reading gives me insight into the course theme of “how do historically ‘great’ cultures affect gender roles. I believe that “great”, advanced cultures affects gender roles since women have the luxury to not work and can devote their time so fight for their social, political, and financial rights instead. Just like other elements of Roman projects that emphasize the aesthetics as much as function, marriage in Roman culture is viewed less as a business transaction and more as a relationship in which the husband and the wife work as a team for the benefit of the family. There is a clear shift from previous regime of viewing women as property to one of love and romance. Just like roman architecture and law, the principles that Ovid highlights in The Art of Love are applicable