Gender and Sexuality

Question 1

Roman concepts of sexuality

Answer 1

• Don’t define things by whom you find attractive (sexual orientation)
• Rather: a “penetrative model”
• Bodies give or receive sex
• Women only receive
• Men could give or receive

Question 2

Active and passive

Answer 2

• A citizen male should always be the active partner, whether he’s with a woman or a man
• Roman sexual vocabulary identifies people’s roles very clearly
• Common insult is to accuse someone of being the passive partner

Question 3

Sexual misbehaviour

Answer 3

• Adultery– sex with a married woman
• Stuprum (sexual misconduct)
• Refers to sex with citizen boys or marriageable citizen women
• Both parties considered at fault
• Rape