Comparisons of Views

Question 1

Greek societal ideas about men and women

Answer 1

men should contribute to the state politically and on the battlefield
women should run successful households and bear children

Question 2

Roman societal ideas about men and women

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Plato’s view on men and women

Answer 3

men should seek after truth
men should serve the state by exhibiting self-control
it is important that women are controlled

Question 4

Sappho’s view on men and women

Answer 4

men occasionally feature as figures of fun in Sappho’s poetry
women are celebrated as independent but also changeable

Question 5

Ovid’s view on men and women

Answer 5

men and women are in a battle to seduce one another
both must arm themselves in the battle of the sexes

Question 6

Greek societal ideas about marriage

Answer 6

important institution for state as it guaranteed the parentage of children
political arrangement between families

Question 7

Roman societal ideas about marriage

Answer 7

extremely important part of citizenship and the state
used for political influence and to produce children

Question 8

Plato’s view on marriage

Answer 8

in Plato’s Republic, Socrates proposes a radical restructuring of marriage and the family

Question 9

Sappho’s view on marriage

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Ovid’s view on marriage

Answer 10

something to be avoided
if a woman has the misfortune to be married, there are plenty of ways around that

Question 11

Greek societal ideas about sex

Answer 11

sex within marriage is important for procreation
women were expected to be virgins when they married
men could have a number of sexual relationships

Question 12

Roman societal ideas about sex

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Plato’s view on sex

Answer 13

sex is pleasurable and useful to society as children are produced

Question 14

Sappho’s view on sex

Answer 14

relieves the pain of desire
often described using natural metaphors
loss of virginity often mourned

Question 15

Ovid’s view on sex

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Greek societal ideas about love

Answer 16

although marriages were arranged, there is evidence for love between married couples

Question 17

Roman societal ideas about love

Answer 17

marriages are arranged but love can develop between a man and wife
further marriages, after the first arranged marriages, may be for love

Question 18

Plato’s view on love

Answer 18

in Symposium, love is described by Diotima as the search for goodness

Question 19

Sappho’s view on love

Answer 19

writes about both the pain and delight of love
likened to trials of war

Question 20

Ovid’s view on love

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Greek societal ideas about desire

Answer 21

many examples in mythology of the destructive power of overweening desire or passion

Question 22

Roman societal ideas about desire

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Plato’s view on desire

Answer 23

desire should be understood and resisted
physical idea is less honourable than intellectual desire

Question 24

Sappho’s view on desire

Answer 24

gives physical descriptions of desire as painful and overpowering

Question 25

Ovid’s view on desire

Answer 25

a weapon that can be used against the opposite sex
driving force behind our actions

Question 26

Greek societal ideas about homoerotic relationships

Answer 26

evidence for homoerotic relationships between men and women
pederasty was key element of ancient Greek society

Question 27

Roman societal ideas about homoerotic relationships

Answer 27

not tolerated between male citizens
acceptable with an infamis or slave
evidence for female homoerotic relationships

Question 28

Plato’s view on homoerotic relationships

Answer 28

in Symposium, Pausanias describes how love can develop in a homoerotic relationship between an erastes and eromenos

Question 29

Sappho’s view on homoerotic relationships

Answer 29

writes principally about homoerotic relationships
possibly about relationships before girls got married

Question 30

Ovid’s view on homoerotic relationships

Answer 30

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