Comparisons of Views Flashcards
Greek societal ideas about men and women
men should contribute to the state politically and on the battlefield
women should run successful households and bear children
Roman societal ideas about men and women
men have a duty to the state in politics and warfare
women should run the households
men and women can own property and run businesses
Plato’s view on men and women
men should seek after truth
men should serve the state by exhibiting self-control
it is important that women are controlled
Sappho’s view on men and women
men occasionally feature as figures of fun in Sappho’s poetry
women are celebrated as independent but also changeable
Ovid’s view on men and women
men and women are in a battle to seduce one another
both must arm themselves in the battle of the sexes
Greek societal ideas about marriage
important institution for state as it guaranteed the parentage of children
political arrangement between families
Roman societal ideas about marriage
extremely important part of citizenship and the state
used for political influence and to produce children
Plato’s view on marriage
in Plato’s Republic, Socrates proposes a radical restructuring of marriage and the family
Sappho’s view on marriage
cause of both celebration and regret as a girl passes from girlhood to adulthood
involves sex and the loss of virginity
takes her girls away from her - mourns her loss
Ovid’s view on marriage
something to be avoided
if a woman has the misfortune to be married, there are plenty of ways around that
Greek societal ideas about sex
sex within marriage is important for procreation
women were expected to be virgins when they married
men could have a number of sexual relationships
Roman societal ideas about sex
adultery is illegal, though men can have sexual relations with infames and slaves
a woman should only have sex with her husband
important for procreation
Plato’s view on sex
sex is pleasurable and useful to society as children are produced
Sappho’s view on sex
relieves the pain of desire
often described using natural metaphors
loss of virginity often mourned
Ovid’s view on sex
ultimate goal of the game of love
fun, frivolous and to be sought at all costs
does not need the rules imposed on it
purely recreational
Greek societal ideas about love
although marriages were arranged, there is evidence for love between married couples
Roman societal ideas about love
marriages are arranged but love can develop between a man and wife
further marriages, after the first arranged marriages, may be for love
Plato’s view on love
in Symposium, love is described by Diotima as the search for goodness
Sappho’s view on love
writes about both the pain and delight of love
likened to trials of war
Ovid’s view on love
love is a skill that can be taught
once you have learnt the skill of love, then you can win the battle of the sexes and indulge all your pleasures
Greek societal ideas about desire
many examples in mythology of the destructive power of overweening desire or passion
Roman societal ideas about desire
Roman man’s desire is related to his role as the dominant sexual partner
desire needs to be controlled and appropriate but is an expression of his power
Plato’s view on desire
desire should be understood and resisted
physical idea is less honourable than intellectual desire
Sappho’s view on desire
gives physical descriptions of desire as painful and overpowering
Ovid’s view on desire
a weapon that can be used against the opposite sex
driving force behind our actions
Greek societal ideas about homoerotic relationships
evidence for homoerotic relationships between men and women
pederasty was key element of ancient Greek society
Roman societal ideas about homoerotic relationships
not tolerated between male citizens
acceptable with an infamis or slave
evidence for female homoerotic relationships
Plato’s view on homoerotic relationships
in Symposium, Pausanias describes how love can develop in a homoerotic relationship between an erastes and eromenos
Sappho’s view on homoerotic relationships
writes principally about homoerotic relationships
possibly about relationships before girls got married
Ovid’s view on homoerotic relationships
unconcerned in the Ars Amatoria because he pictures a world where all men and women are overcome with lust for the opposite sex than their own
