Hidden lives, public personae : women and civic life in the Roman West

By Its In-depth Discussion Of Women's Civic Roles In The Towns Outside Rome, This Study Offers A Compelling New Vision Of Roman Women's Integration Into Their Communities And Contributes To A More Comprehensive View Of Civic Life Under The Roman Empire-- Roman Cities Have Rarely Been Studied From The Perspective Of Women, And Studies Of Roman Women Mainly Focus On The City Of Rome. Studying The Civic Participation Of Women In The Towns Of Italy Outside Rome And In The Numerous Cities Of The Latin-speaking Provinces Of The Roman Empire, This Books Offers A New View On Roman Women And Urban Society In The Roman Principate. Drawing On Epigraphy And Archaeology, And To A Lesser Extent On Legal And Literary Texts, Women's Civic Roles As Priestesses, Benefactresses And Patronesses Or 'mothers' Of Cities And Associations (collegia And The Augustales) Are Brought To The Fore. In Contrast To The City Of Rome, Which Was Dominated By The Imperial Family, Wealthy Women In The Local Italian And Provincial Towns Had Ample Opportunity To Leave Their Mark On The City. Their Motives To Spend Their Money, Time And Energy For The Benefit Of Their Cities And The Rewards Their Contributions Earned Them Take Centre Stage. Assessing The Meaning And Significance Of Their Contributions For Themselves And Their Families And For The Cities That Enjoyed Them, The Book Presents A New And Detailed View Of The Role Of Women And Gender In Roman Urban Life-- 1. A World Full Of Cities -- 2. Civic Priesthoods -- 3. Civic Benefactresses -- 4. Social Networks And Civic Associations -- 5. Civic Patronage And Motherhood Of Cities And Associations -- 6. Female Presence: Public Honour And Representation -- Conclusions -- Appendix: Tables To Chapters 2-6. Emily A. Hemelrijk. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Hidden Lives, Public Personae: Women and Civic Life in the Roman West 4 Copyright 5 CONTENTS 6 PREFACE 8 A NOTE ON TRANSLATIONS 10 LIST OF FIGURES AND PLATES 12 ABBREVIATIONS 16 MAP 20 Introduction 24 Chapter 1: A World Full of Cities 30 Public and Private in Roman Society 32 Wealth and Social Standing 35 Gender and Romanization 41 Epigraphic Culture 52 Conclusion 58 Chapter 2: Civic Priesthoods 60 Selecting the Evidence 62 Civic Priestesses 72 Priestesses of the Graeco-Roman Pantheon: Distribution, Titles, and Social Status 74 Priestesses of the Imperial Cult: Distribution, Titles, and Social Status 92 Priestly Duties and Qualifications 105 Motives, Honours, Rewards, and Costs 120 Conclusion 127 Chapter 3: Civic Benefactresses 132 Selecting the Evidence 136 Public Buildings 138 Religious Structures 140 Infrastructural Works 144 Structures for Entertainment 146 Utilitarian Buildings and Civic Amenities 146 A Feminine Approach? 149 A Family Enterprise 153 Public Statues 157 Banquets, Distributions, Games, and Theatrical Displays 161 Miscellaneous Benefactions 171 Unspecified Benefactions 177 Public Representation and the Language of Praise 179 Female Munificence: A Byproduct of Romanization? 184 Motives and Rewards 187 Female Munificence: Significance and Meaning 201 Chapter 4: Social Networks and Civic Associations 204 From the Dead to the Living 206 Domestic Associations 209 Commemorative Practice 212 Gifts and Honour: A Symbolic Exchange? 217 Female Members and Officials of Collegia 222 All-Female Collegia and Organizations 228 Rome and the Order of Matrons 236 Conclusion 244 Chapter 5: Civic Patronage and ‘Motherhood’ of Cities and Associations 250 Patronesses of Cities and Collegia 254 Family and Individual 254 Honour and Expectations 258 Motives and Meaning 271 Mothers of Cities and Collegia 274 Patronesses and Mothers: Differences and Similarities 290 Chapter 6: Female Presence: Public Honour and Representation 294 Public Honorific Statues 295 Selecting the Evidence 299 Distribution and Location 303 Form and Meaning 316 Motives and Social Standing 329 Function and Significance 339 Public Funerals 343 Women’s Dedicatory Practices 352 Conclusions 375 Plates 354 Conclusion 378 Appendix: Tables to Chapters 2–6 384 Chapter 2: Civic Priesthoods 385 Chapter 3: Civic Benefactresses 476 Chapter 4: Social Networks and Civic Associations 564 Chapter 5: Civic Patronage and ‘Motherhood’ of Cities and Associations 575 Chapter 6: Female Presence: Public Honour and Representation 591 BIBLIOGRAPHY 610 INDEX 644 Content: Cover Hidden Lives, Public Personae: Women and Civic Life in the Roman West Copyright CONTENTS PREFACE A NOTE ON TRANSLATIONS LIST OF FIGURES AND PLATES ABBREVIATIONS MAP Introduction Chapter 1: A World Full of Cities Public and Private in Roman Society Wealth and Social Standing Gender and Romanization Epigraphic Culture Conclusion Chapter 2: Civic Priesthoods Selecting the Evidence Civic Priestesses Priestesses of the Graeco-Roman Pantheon: Distribution, Titles, and Social Status Priestesses of the Imperial Cult: Distribution, Titles, and Social Status Priestly Duties and QualificationsMotives, Honours, Rewards, and Costs Conclusion Chapter 3: Civic Benefactresses Selecting the Evidence Public Buildings Religious Structures Infrastructural Works Structures for Entertainment Utilitarian Buildings and Civic Amenities A Feminine Approach? A Family Enterprise Public Statues Banquets, Distributions, Games, and Theatrical Displays Miscellaneous Benefactions Unspecified Benefactions Public Representation and the Language of Praise Female Munificence: A Byproduct of Romanization? Motives and Rewards Female Munificence: Significance and MeaningChapter 4: Social Networks and Civic Associations From the Dead to the Living Domestic Associations Commemorative Practice Gifts and Honour: A Symbolic Exchange? Female Members and Officials of Collegia All-Female Collegia and Organizations Rome and the Order of Matrons Conclusion Chapter 5: Civic Patronage and 'Motherhood' of Cities and Associations Patronesses of Cities and Collegia Family and Individual Honour and Expectations Motives and Meaning Mothers of Cities and Collegia Patronesses and Mothers: Differences and Similarities Chapter 6: Female Presence: Public Honour and RepresentationPublic Honorific Statues Selecting the Evidence Distribution and Location Form and Meaning Motives and Social Standing Function and Significance Public Funerals Women's Dedicatory Practices Conclusions Conclusion Appendix: Tables to Chapters 2-6 Chapter 2: Civic Priesthoods Chapter 3: Civic Benefactresses Chapter 4: Social Networks and Civic Associations Chapter 5: Civic Patronage and 'Motherhood' of Cities and Associations Chapter 6: Female Presence: Public Honour and Representation BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX "Roman cities have rarely been studied from the perspective of women, and studies of Roman women mainly focus on the city of Rome. Studying the civic participation of women in the towns of Italy outside Rome and in the numerous cities of the Latin-speaking provinces of the Roman Empire, this books offers a new view on Roman women and urban society in the Roman Principate. Drawing on epigraphy and archaeology, and to a lesser extent on legal and literary texts, women's civic roles as priestesses, benefactresses and patronesses or 'mothers' of cities and associations (collegia and the Augustales) are brought to the fore. In contrast to the city of Rome, which was dominated by the imperial family, wealthy women in the local Italian and provincial towns had ample opportunity to leave their mark on the city. Their motives to spend their money, time and energy for the benefit of their cities and the rewards their contributions earned them take centre stage. Assessing the meaning and significance of their contributions for themselves and their families and for the cities that enjoyed them, the book presents a new and detailed view of the role of women and gender in Roman urban life"-- Provided by publisher This study discusses women's participation in civic life in the cities of Italy and the Latin-speaking provinces of the Roman Empire from the late first century BC to the late third century AD (roughly the Roman Principate). Excluding empresses and other women of the imperial family, it focuses on the civic roles of non-imperial women in Italian and provincial towns on the basis of a corpus of approximately 1,400 inscriptions and, to a lesser extent, honorific portrait statues