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Roman Festivals

Roman women frequently participated in religious festivals and were patrons of various religious institutions, often supporting multiple religions simultaneously to "hedge their bets". They were highly involved in mystery religions, including early Christianity, which was initially considered an illegal mystery religion. Women did not perform animal sacrifices but held important religious roles like the Vestal Virgins, who had high social and political status as the only women not under male guardianship. While generally passive in religion, some faiths provided avenues for women to reject motherhood, marriage, or divorce. Early Christian figures like Vibia Perpetua rejected their families and acted rationally compared to emotional fathers. Sappho and Erinna's poetry depicted women's relationships and loss from early marriage

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69 views1 page

Roman Festivals

Roman women frequently participated in religious festivals and were patrons of various religious institutions, often supporting multiple religions simultaneously to "hedge their bets". They were highly involved in mystery religions, including early Christianity, which was initially considered an illegal mystery religion. Women did not perform animal sacrifices but held important religious roles like the Vestal Virgins, who had high social and political status as the only women not under male guardianship. While generally passive in religion, some faiths provided avenues for women to reject motherhood, marriage, or divorce. Early Christian figures like Vibia Perpetua rejected their families and acted rationally compared to emotional fathers. Sappho and Erinna's poetry depicted women's relationships and loss from early marriage

Uploaded by

Joe Chen
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Women were present at most Roman festivals and cult observances.

Women were frequent patrons of religious institutions, probably because


they were “hedging their bets”. They didn’t usually patronage just one
religion. The followers of Bacchus were women. Severus of Minorca’s letter
describes that the women of the jewish community there rejected
conversion. Women were involved highly in mystery religions, which had
secret meetings. Early Christianity was considered a mystery religion, it was
illegal, and was also patronized by women. Women did not perform animal
sacrifice. The Vestals had public status and privileges, and political
influence. A Vestal was emancipated from her father's authority. These
priestesses were the only women not required to be under the legal
guardianship of a man. A Vestal breaking her vow was given food, water,
and buried alive. In addition to conducting certain religious rites, the Vestals
participated in every official sacrifice, as they were responsible for preparing
the required ritual substance mola salsa. Women could find it easier to
convert because they did not have a fixed ethnicity. Women were still
required to be passive in religion. However religions often had devices for
women to reject having children/ marriage, and for divorce. Vibia perpetua is
a martyr, masculinized. Rejects her family, is rational, father +is
irrational/emotion. Paul/ Thecla, Thecla baptizes herself and produces
miracles.
Sappho’s poetry from Lesbos, around 600 bce. Women at their time had to
leave and get married, loss that Sappho mourns. Depicts a world men didn’t
see. Talks about not wanting to part with younger women. Erinna poetry is
similar, relcalls her life with Baucis and Sappho, presents similar
relationship. Mourns friend’s marriage and death. Seperation from friends at
an early age can be seen as a death in itself. Paul says marriage is better
than falling into temptation but singleness is ideal. Ascetic streak in early
christianist attracts virgins and widows. Allowed women to travel for church,
missionary or pilgrim, and work for church community. Philo argues for
equality of men and women in utopia. hypatia of Alexandria was an
educated woman who knew literature and sciences, Philo’s utopia has
women older and not physically desirable, men chaste.

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