CHEATER OR SEDUCED? THE IMPACT OF FEMALE EMANCIPATION ON THE VOCABULARY AND THE IMAGERY OF ADULTERY IN ROMAN SATIRE
CHEATER OR SEDUCED? THE IMPACT OF FEMALE EMANCIPATION ON THE VOCABULARY AND THE IMAGERY OF ADULTERY IN ROMAN SATIRE

Summary/Abstract: In ancient societies, women were subordinate to men and often completely deprived of rights. The first society in which women achieved a certain degree of independence was ancient Rome. The position of women in Rome evolved over centuries, transitioning from complete subordination to autonomy. As the social status of women changed, so did their role in marriage. One of the most important traits of a good wife was her unquestionable loyalty to her husband and her ability to limit her sexuality exclusively to him. Adultery was considered one of the biggest threats to marriage. With the emancipation of women, the perception of marriage and of adultery also changed. This article aims to analyze Horace’s and Juvenal’s satires to demonstrate how the emancipation of Roman women altered the perception of adultery in Roman satire and how this shift was reflected in the language of the genre.

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