Hi folks! The Roman religion is different from that of the Greeks; the Romans attributed everything that went wrong to the wrath of the gods and spent a lot of time appeasing the gods to prevent bad things from happening. The Oppian law, for example, was designed to placate angry gods in time of desperate war by forcing austerity on luxury-loving noblewomen. How does the complex relationship with the gods affect gender expectations in Rome?

The reading that I pick is the “Cato on the Oppian Law” by Livy. The reason why “Cato on the Oppian Law” interests me was because of the way the Roman women’s rights were initially taken away due to war in which they lacked their own expenses, freedom to take transportation and garments of choice. The detail that stood out to me the most was when the Roman women and others from surrounding villages protested to on the streets and capital because I wouldn’t have expected that from the roman women, I thought they would deal with it and remain silent. I think the author was trying to communicate the emphasis on how women expressions whether it be the liberty to go out, where their garments and jewelry, and financial estates were dimmed down to uplift male authority. This document tells us that the place in which it comes from had incorporated a law that was made temporarily during war had been extended in fear of what the successes of women may lead to. This document seems to relate to our other readings regarding the shift in gender expectations for women in different societies and time. I would like to find more about the number of women protests that had been placed in that period or place.

What caught my attention in Livy’s account of Cato on the Oppian Law, was the focus on women’s behaviors, presence in the public sphere, and the absence of Roman women for Cato, which in turn raised questions and debates. I found the texts Cato’s statement women’s participation in a debate which was public and traditional, and also involved a moral and religious question, and was thus a fascinating one.

What caught my attention was Cato’s portrayal of women’s gatherings as public and as addresses of women magistrates. Cato considers this as a public and visible infringement of the boundaries of the home. Cato insists it is in the name of settlement and cultural traditions, as women must remain in the house and are not allowed to venture out without a male guardian. Cato’s obsession with `modesty,’ which traditions` demand, is done without order and in a disregard of the social and religious norms.

According to Livy, Cato believes that if the Roman state is to have the protection of the gods, then women must also be given unqualified control for the protection of the state. Cato states that women are not to dress extravagantly or to show themselves in a public display so as to not portray a negative view to the state by surpassing and demeaning the traditional values of the state. Cato even considers it a divine issue by claiming women’s poor conduct is a reason for losing the gods, losing divinity.

The document explains how women were socially and politically marginalized because they were not able to participate in politics. With the growth in the economy and changes in the social structure, the document explains the anxiety built around these social changes. Religious rituals and the festivals related to these events provided the women a forum to challenge the social control erected around them, and the document explains the rigid control exercised by authorities with their requests to join the public events.

Unlike the other documents, this one does not portray the accepted roles of women in religion. Other documents explain the social control and the importance of visibility religion gave women by showing the roles of women in religion. Examples provided by Cato portray the social control exercised by authority to limit the domain of women in expression. I would like to explore further the mental space female participants within the religion created for themselves in terms of social control and visibility, and to their social roles.

I picked Pliny the Younger’s Selected Letters because they feel unusually personal for an elite Roman author. Unlike epic poetry or formal histories, these letters let us watch everyday Roman values in action. I was interested in how Pliny talks about family life, women, grief, and reputation in a calm, almost conversational way. It felt closer to real lived experience than many of our other readings, which often focus on gods, heroes, or political events.

One detail that especially jumped out at me comes from the letter about his wife Calpurnia. Pliny describes her listening to his public readings from behind a curtain and memorizing his writings out of admiration for his character rather than his appearance. That image stood out because it shows intellectual partnership within a Roman marriage, but also its limits. She participates indirectly and privately, which says a lot about gender expectations even in affectionate relationships.

Overall, Pliny seems to be communicating an ideal of Roman moral order. He praises moderation, self-control, loyalty to family, respect for education, and dignity in both men and women. In the letters about death, especially the young daughter of Fundanus, Pliny emphasizes emotional restraint combined with sincere feeling. Grief is acceptable, even admirable, but it must be expressed with dignity and humanity. Through these examples, Pliny presents himself and his circle as models of proper elite behavior.

These letters tell us that the Roman upper class valued reputation, self-discipline, and public honor deeply, even in private life. They also show how closely personal identity was tied to social roles. Women are praised for modesty, devotion, and moral influence rather than independence, while men are evaluated by their public conduct, education, and self-control. At the same time, the letters reveal anxiety about political power, especially under emperors like Domitian, where justice could be arbitrary and dangerous.

Compared to other readings from this period, Pliny supports the idea that Roman society was highly structured and hierarchical, but he complicates it by showing emotional depth. His praise of women like Arria adds nuance to texts that portray Roman women as passive. However, his admiration still depends on traditional virtues like sacrifice and silence, which partly contradict more idealized or philosophical accounts of virtue we have read.

What I would like to learn more about is how typical Pliny’s perspective really was. I wonder how much these letters represent genuine Roman daily life and how much they reflect a carefully constructed moral image. I would also like to compare his private letters with voices from lower social classes, who rarely get the chance to describe their own experiences.

I chose Pliny the Younger’s letter about the death of Fundanus’s daughter because it felt very emotional and personal compared to other Roman writings. The moment that really stood out to me was when Pliny says the father had already bought everything for her wedding, but now had to use that money for her funeral. That detail made the loss feel real and heartbreaking. I think Pliny was trying to show how special this girl was, and how deeply loved she was by everyone around her. He wanted to honor her maturity, kindness, and bravery, even though she was only fourteen.

This document tells us that Roman families cared a lot about good character, modesty, and emotional strength, especially in young women. It also shows how young girls were expected to grow up fast, she was already engaged at fourteen. Compared to our other readings, which often describe rules and expectations for women, this letter feels more human and emotional. It reminds us that behind all the laws and traditions, real families were dealing with love, grief, and everyday life just like we do. It also makes me curious about what childhood and family relationships were really like in ancient Rome.

For this week’s response, I chose Pliny the Younger’s letter about the young woman he’s praising. I picked it because I honestly didn’t expect a Roman male author to write so affectionately and in such detail about a woman’s character, so it grabbed my attention right away.

The part that really stood out to me was where he describes how she hides behind a curtain just to listen to him recite his work, and then later sings his verses while playing the lyre. That detail felt surprisingly intimate and showed a different side of Roman women than what we sometimes imagine. It made her feel like a real person, not just a model of “ideal virtue.”

I think Pliny’s main point was to show her as someone raised with strong values — modest, educated, supportive, and deeply invested in his success. At the same time, it feels like he’s reinforcing what elite Romans saw as the perfect combination in a woman: intelligence, loyalty, and self-control.

This letter tells us a lot about upper-class Roman life. Women in that world clearly had access to literature, could appreciate writing, and even participated in their husbands’ public lives in subtle ways — like waiting for news about his court cases. But it also reminds us how much pressure there was on women to appear modest and obedient, even when they were active and capable behind the scenes.

Compared to other readings, this supports the idea that elite women had more influence and education than we sometimes assume. It makes me curious how common this dynamic actually was outside the top social classes.

I chose the reading “Cato on the Oppian Law” because I found it interesting that making a law restricting women from owning more than a certain amount of gold, wearing colorful clothes, or riding in horse drawn carriages. This seems unreasonable to me. Also, I was amazed by the confidence and bravery of the women who protested against the unfair law. The author seems to show that the women’s protests made officials like Cato afraid of their power and worried that women might gain political influence. This document reveals the gender discrimination and beliefs held by Roman society through Cato's demeaning behavior toward women. It relates to other readings by showing that Roman women, despite lacking public and political support and facing bias, were confident and powerful enough to stand up for themselves. I would like to learn more about whether they were able to overturn the law.

I chose “Cato on the Oppian Law.” I picked it because the idea of a law that controls how women can spend their money sounded interesting, and honestly a bit strange compared to how we think today.

One detail that really stood out to me was when Cato said that if women were allowed too much freedom, they might start wanting even more power, maybe even political power. He seemed scared of women becoming too independent, which I found surprising.

I think the author was trying to say that luxury and too much freedom could harm Rome, and that women needed to be controlled for the sake of tradition. He believed that wealth and fancy clothing could make women behave in ways men didn’t like.

This shows that Roman society was very strict about gender roles. Women were expected to be modest, controlled by men, and not show off their wealth. It also shows how much men feared change during that time.

It relates to other readings about how Rome valued discipline and tradition, especially after wars and expansion. But it also shows the tension between old values and new wealth coming into Rome.

I would like to learn more about how Roman women responded to this law. Did they agree with it? Did they protest? And how was the law eventually removed? That part makes me curious.