In the words of Tacitus, “she could give her son the empire, but not endure him as emperor”. The “Empire was ruled by a woman” (Grant) as during Nero’s early reign, Agrippina achieved her height of political dominance “ruling through her son” (Scullard) over foreign affairs. This is evidenced through Narcissus and Silanus sentencing to death, without Nero’s knowledge. Nero exemplifies her power by making the first password to the tribune of the watch “optimum mater” translating to ‘best of mothers’. The most damming evidence which supports Agrippina’s power and authority can be seen in the numismatic evidence with silver and gold coins displaying Agrippina and Nero face to face and of equal size on the obverse in 54AD and showing them side to side in 55AD.
What was the role of Valkyries in Norse mythology?5. The strength and fierce attributes of warrior women in mythology and folklore had an effect on the societies of the ancient Greeks, Norse, and Celts. In fact, Viking women (the historical counterparts of the Norse mythological figures) were even allowed to divorce their husbands under certain circumstances. What were these circumstances?Critical Thinking Questions1. Early in the unit, you learned that women warriors are always on the side of good.
They believed in female, creative, reproductive power. Women were believed to have magic and that reproduction was the result of this magic. Paleolithic times relied heavily upon women to give birth to new members of the clan. Therefore, women ensured that the clan as a whole lives on even after the death of individual members. The role of men in reproduction was totally unknown to Paleolithic people.
The head Gods and Goddesses marry each other; they also give birth to each other. Gods are associated with the sky and the Goddess is associated with the earth. Gods are usually a depiction in the role of a social political setting; whereas Goddesses roles relates to reproduction (Leonard & McClure, 2004). For example, a female deity is the earth or a reproductive cycle, and the male deity is a vision of the offices he holds or the various roles he plays (Leonard & McClure, 2004). The powers that Goddesses have are magnificent, disabling the intimacy with human lovers.
Zach Oney M. Harsh ENG 114 12/4/2011 Artemis Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and animals. She was the twin sister of the great god Apollo and daughter of Leto. Artemis is usually seen as the huntress wielding her signature bow and arrow and usually portrayed as being next to or carrying a stag, however, she is widely renowned for being one of the only two virgin goddesses among the Olympian gods. Because she is pure, she is the most respected goddess as she protects her virginity by any means necessary as well does she protect all the priestesses of her temples. Artemis may not be one of the most widely known goddesses but her role in how we view powerful women today.
During classical Athens women could not leave there homes unless there was a religious festival, birth of a child, or funeral but have to have their heads covered. In Athens, women like slaves and resident aliens, had few rights under the law. “The courage of a man is seen in commanding, of a women is obeying” (Document Q). This was said by the student of Plato and the teacher of Alexander the Great, Aristotle one of the greatest philosophers. This idea, of women having to be subordinate to men, passed down from teacher to student is what caused it to spread worldwide (Document Q).
Ancient History Assessment: Agrippina the Younger 1. Describe the representations of Agrippina the younger in the ancient sources Agrippina the Younger was the only woman to be a sister, a wife and a mother to three of the four emperors. Due to this, her role in the workings of the Roman government was significant, emphasising her power within her family and her ability to manipulate those around her. Representations of her can been seen in an assortment of places in both literary and archaeological sources, depicting the many ways she was interpreted during her time. Statues and sculptures of Agrippina were designed to show her brilliance and power she held in society, especially the sculpture from the Sebasteion in Aphrodisias.
Chi Li was assumed to be “a worthy wife for the king of Yueh...[and] became the queen of Yueh.” (333). The heroine is worthy of such a title because she is a quintessential woman, uniting the characteristics of humility, unselfishness, intellect, courage, and strength. The myth of Chi Li’s bravery in slaying the serpent is an example of what is called a prestige myth, or one in this case, that involves a hero and her city’s people. Chi Li’s humility is shown when she asks for permission from her parents to be the volunteered sacrifice. When that fails, she ultimately offers herself to the representatives of her village and deferentially asks for help.
Creation of gender roles The founder of Western Civilisation, Greece, revered women even by worshiping female gods and creating Amazon legends, however the Greek world still viewed women as “inferior in political, social and legal realms” (Lindsey, L. L., 2005, p. 99). This continued throughout all the other historical periods, from Ancient Rome to the Middle Ages, from feudalism to the Renaissance, from industrialisation to the depression and following the World Wars, from the rise of women’s movements till to-date, the female gender has been slow in gaining ground in achieving their rights and importance in society. Industrialisation brought about numerous employment opportunities for women from various social strata, yet it was only after the Second World War that socially constructed roles started being challenged and more favourable circumstances were by default offered to women. (Lindsey, 2005) Gender roles in marriage and family It is evident that even in religious teachings women’s roles were always considered inferior to men. Even in the Bible’s first book, the book of Genesis it was Adam who was given the privilege of naming the animals as well as naming his female companion, Eve, created by God who is envisaged “by nature disobedient, guileless, weak-willed, prone to temptation
In many myths, Goddesses give birth to other Goddesses and Gods. Many Gods are used as an avenue to conceive a child but many times the God is shown leaving after the Goddess has conceived a child. A movement known as the “Great Goddess Movement” was started over the Great Goddess Creatrix who was known for being the source and essence of life (Leonard & McClure, 2004). Much research has showed how many cultures, languages, and religions all have artifacts and other items that represent many areas seem to all worship this same Goddess (Leonard & McClure, 2004). The worship of the Goddess of life, death, and regeneration seemed to be universal in prehistoric Europe as well for 30,000 years (Leonard & McClure, 2004).