The Women of Pliny's Letters

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Ancient & Classical, Nonfiction, History, Ancient History
Cover of the book The Women of Pliny's Letters by Jo-Ann Shelton, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jo-Ann Shelton ISBN: 9781136225673
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: November 27, 2012
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Jo-Ann Shelton
ISBN: 9781136225673
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: November 27, 2012
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Pliny's letters offer a significant source of information about the lives of Roman women (predominantly, though not exclusively, upper-class women) during the late first and early second centuries CE. In the 368 letters included in his ten published books of epistles, Pliny mentions over 30 women by name, addresses letters to seven, and refers to well over 40 anonymous women. Many of the references are brief comments in letters whose topics are the activities of Pliny's male acquaintances. Nonetheless his letters inform us about the roles of women in Roman families, marriages, and households, and also record the involvement of women in such matters as court cases, property ownership, religious orders, social networks, and political activities.  

This book has two aims. The first is to bring these women to the foreground, to explore their kinships, relationships, and activities, and to illuminate their lives by viewing them in the social, cultural, and political environments of the period in which they lived. This book utilizes historical, literary, legal, and epigraphical sources to examine the events, circumstances, and attitudes that were the contexts for the lives of these women. The first aim, then, is to gain insight into the reality of their lives.

The second aim of this book is to investigate how Pliny defines the ideal behavior for women. In his accounts of the actions of both women and men, Pliny frequently shapes his narratives to promote moral lessons. In several of his letters about women, he elevates his subject to the status of a role model. The second aim of this book is to use the descriptions provided by Pliny to acquire a better understanding of what behavior was admired in Roman women of this period, and to consider how the concept of the model Roman woman is constructed in Pliny.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Pliny's letters offer a significant source of information about the lives of Roman women (predominantly, though not exclusively, upper-class women) during the late first and early second centuries CE. In the 368 letters included in his ten published books of epistles, Pliny mentions over 30 women by name, addresses letters to seven, and refers to well over 40 anonymous women. Many of the references are brief comments in letters whose topics are the activities of Pliny's male acquaintances. Nonetheless his letters inform us about the roles of women in Roman families, marriages, and households, and also record the involvement of women in such matters as court cases, property ownership, religious orders, social networks, and political activities.  

This book has two aims. The first is to bring these women to the foreground, to explore their kinships, relationships, and activities, and to illuminate their lives by viewing them in the social, cultural, and political environments of the period in which they lived. This book utilizes historical, literary, legal, and epigraphical sources to examine the events, circumstances, and attitudes that were the contexts for the lives of these women. The first aim, then, is to gain insight into the reality of their lives.

The second aim of this book is to investigate how Pliny defines the ideal behavior for women. In his accounts of the actions of both women and men, Pliny frequently shapes his narratives to promote moral lessons. In several of his letters about women, he elevates his subject to the status of a role model. The second aim of this book is to use the descriptions provided by Pliny to acquire a better understanding of what behavior was admired in Roman women of this period, and to consider how the concept of the model Roman woman is constructed in Pliny.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book The Reform of Housing in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Argue with Me by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Judaism, Jewish Identities and the Gospel Tradition by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Young Muslim Women in India by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Latins and Greeks in the Eastern Mediterranean After 1204 by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Archaeology and Religion in Early Northwest India by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book The International Simulation & Gaming Research Yearbook by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Sino-Japanese Relations After the Cold War by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Human Sexuality in Medical Social Work by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Dinner Talk by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book George Sand and Frederick Chopin in Majorca by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Policing Cities by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Biography in Early Modern France, 1540-1630 by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book Understanding the Workplace: A Research Framework for Industrial Archaeology in Britain: 2005 by Jo-Ann Shelton
Cover of the book A Region in Transition by Jo-Ann Shelton
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy