Pomeii the Women
The ancient city of Pompeii is best known for being covered by an erupting volcano and being almost forgotten. From the time the city was rediscovered in the 1700s scientists and archeologists have managed to piece together evidence to show not just how people died but how they lived. We now know that before the eruption of Mt Vesuvius on August 24 79 AD Pompeii was a resort town. From the remains of Pompeii scholars have deducted the socioeconomic, religious and political life of Pompeii's last inhabitants. Pompeii was a city where women declared themselves the equal of men. Women could own land, operate businesses, be priestesses and were often educated. Despite these equalities Pompeiian women were still mostly owned by men and from birth knew their position. New born boys were placed at the father's feet while newborn girls were given straight to the nurse. Most girls were bought up by their mothers at home learning weaving and other domestic skills. Upper-class girls however were taught to read and write either at school or at home by slave tutors. It was believed by some that educated women made better wives and mothers. Literacy amongst the upper class (both women and men) was a symbol of status and respect. One of the most
Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves. It was socially unacceptable for an upper-class woman to have sexual relationships with a male slave. Apart from household duties some of these slave women operated as nannies or wet nurses while others managed their owner's businesses or worked as labourers. These women performed a wide range of tasks depending on the owner's needs. A child produced by a man and his slave woman would be of slave status whereas a child produced from the union of a woman and her slave would be free. Records have also been found mentioning husband and wife medical teams. (more detail) Archeologists have uncovered written evidence recording the role of women in the medical profession. · Henessy, Dianne Studies in Ancient Rome (1995) · Etienne, Robert Pompeii the day City Died Thames and Hudson Publishing · Pomeroy, Sarah B. Many taverns and inns had rooms which were decorated with erotic paintings so historian have inferred these places often doubled as brothels. According to recent research undertaken by anthropologists at the University of Sydney, some Pompeiians were hairy, unhealthy and fat Studies of the bones recovered show that a considerable number of the women suffered from a hormone disorder which produces hairiness, obesity and recurring headaches. Tablets found at Herculaneum (a smaller city destroyed by the same eruption) show that women could buy sell and lease but were not allowed to become bankers. In conclusion it should be pointed out that most of this information comes from frescos, records and of course skeletons extracted from the ruins of the city. Many of these techniques would have caused great discomfort to the women but were still implemented nevertheless. But it was a crime against the man who owned the victim not the woman herself.
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