User:Abby Jolie/sandbox

Lucretia Article - Lucretia

Early life and Marriage

Rape
 * CHANGE: "Lucretia is the daughter of Spurius Lucretius and wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus." to "Lucretia was the daughter of Spurius Lucretius, meaning she had some pre-established political prestige, as well as the wife to Lucius Tarquinius Collantinus."
 * CHANGE: "Her marriage was depicted as being the ideal Roman marriage as both Lucretia and Lucius were faithfully devoted to one another." to "Roman writers such as Livy, Ovid and Dionysus described Lucretia as being the role model for Roman girls because of her devotion to her husband, and the relationship overall as one of devoted faithfulness on both sides."
 * DELETE: "Roman writers such as Livy, Ovid and Dionysus, described Lucretia as being the role model for Roman girls because of her devotion to her husband."
 * CHANGE: "In contrast, they find Lucretia home alone working with her wool in silence." to "In contrast, they find Lucretia working with her wool alone at home, not partaking in the festivities because of her elevated and refined status."


 * ADD TO END OF LAST PARAGRAPH: "Tarquin tried to convince Lucretia that she should be with him, using "every argument likely to influence a female heart. " However, Lucretia stood firm in her devotion to her husband, even when Tarquin threatened her life and honor while ultimately raping her.

Consequences

Revolution
 * Separate + subtitle the "consequences" section according to author
 * She acts quickly and calmly in Livy's account (add to validity of accounts + display of Lucretia’s stability/general composure) → Lewis, Naphtali, and Reinhold, Meyer. Roman Civilization: The Republic and the Augustan Age, Volume I, Columbia University Press, 1990.
 * REPLACE: "The men found Lucretia in her roomm and she explained what had happened to her." with "Once the men found Lucretia in her room, her confession and the explanation of the facts leads the men to state that "it is the mind that sins, not the body, and where there has been no consent there is no guilt." "
 * Move "in this version" to the paragraph above.


 * ADD: "Brutus "urged them (...)" in response to the death of a dutiful wife."

In literature and music


 * ADD TO BEGINNING OF SECTION: "Lucretia became an important embodiment of political and literary ideals for different authors throughout the ages, specifically because "stories of sexual violence against women serve as foundational myths of Western culture ."

Fulvia Article - Fulvia

Introduction


 * CHANGE: "She gained access to power through her marriage to three of the most promising men of her generation (...)" to "Fulvia's birth into an already important and established politically active family facilitated her marriage to three of the most promising men of her generation (...)"
 * ADD: It is heavily debated whether or not Fulvia was actively involved in politics before her husbands or as a result of marrying them, but one thing is for sure: she was highly interested in politics and developed an increasingly stronger voice throughout time.
 * Highlight the importance of dynastic marriages (create link to this page)

Birth and early life


 * CITE: According to certain historians, "the Fulvii were among the most distinguished of republican plebian noble families" of their time.
 * ADD: "Fulvia may have also represented the last of both the Fulvii and the Sempronii families, which meant she was likely an heiress of extreme worth. "

Marriage to Claudius Pulcher

Marriage to Scribonius Curio
 * ADD: Even after Clodius' death however, the Clodian following remained strong because of Fulvia's understanding of her political potential. She, along with her mother, dragged Clodius' body into the streets of Rome after his death as a sign that she was to be his avenger. Fulvia would therefore actively invest herself into the political atmosphere that followed the death of her first husband, as a "visible symbol and reminder of his presence".


 * ADD: When the Clodian tribunes and captains had been forced out of Rome by Pompey, Fulvia continued on her late husband's legacy within the city, taking advantage of every opportunity that allowed her to extend her influence and political prestige.
 * It is at this time that Curio and Fulvia marry, after his return from Asia, solidifying him as the legitimate "continuator and heir of Clodius' popularis policies."
 * Later on, Curio became a trusted and valued political ally of Gaius Julius Caesar, precisely because of his marriage to Fulvia and her emphasis on promoting the Clodian legacy.

Marriage to Mark Antony


 * By this time, Fulvia's political interests among the elite of Rome were well known.
 * Fulvia's marriage to Mark Antony was not one subordination: rather, they had become a "formidable political force " within the crucial city of Rome.
 * It is also highly possible that Fulvia influenced numerous policies enacted by Antony, such as the decision to give Sicilians Roman citizenship, as well as to confirm Deiotarus in his kingdom.
 * ADD: "It was only fitting that Fulvia was to be heavily involved in the political aftermath." after "most powerful man in Rome."
 * ADD: "This further solidified Fulvia's legacy of advancing Clodian interests." after "Fulvia's daughter Clodia was married to the young Octavian."

Perusine War (41 BC to 40 BC) and Fulvia's death


 * CHANGE: "Fulvia was left behind as the most powerful woman in Rome, seeing as though she had already manifested her political aptitudes throughout the decades."

Cornelia Article - Cornelia (mother of the Gracchi)

Introduction


 * CHANGE: "She is remembered as a prototypical example of a virtuous Roman woman." to "Although drawing similarities to prototypical examples of virtuous Roman women, such as Lucretia, Cornelia puts herself apart from the rest because of her interest in literature, writing, and her investment in the political careers of her sons."

Biography

Role in sons' political careers
 * ADD TO: “set herself to educating her children” because she had been taught the importance of education, to the point where Tactius (the author) states that “the extensive role played by elite Roman mothers in their son’s education during the bygone republican era resulted in a "superior breed of Roman political leader. ”
 * ADD TO: "Even refused the marriage proposal (...)" to "because she is made to be a virtuous and dutiful wife after the death of her only husband." However, her refusal could simply be justified by the fact that she had a desire for more independence and freedom in the manner in which her children were to be raised."
 * ADD: Cornelia took a lot of pride in her children because of the education that she gave them: called them her "jewels" according to Valerius Maximus.
 * ADD: Her villa received many learned men, including Greek scholars, who came to read and discuss their ideas freely.


 * CHANGE: Title of the section to "role in the political careers of her children"
 * ADD: It is important to note that M. I. Finley advances the argument that "the exclusion of women from any direct participation in political or governmental activity " was a normal practice in Ancient Roman society. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to characterize the extent of Cornelia's involvement in the political careers of her children, yet there is important evidence to support the fact that she was, at the very least, engaged.
 * ADD: The marriage of Sempronia to her cousin reaffirmed the continuation of the great Scipio lineage. This is probably a result of the importance accorded to Roman dynasties and the willingness to keep power within a few, select great families.

Cornelia’s letter excerpts


 * ADD TO: “they would show how Roman women wielded considerable influence in political families” by highlighting the fact that other women in Cornelia’s lineage also wrote + passed down the importance of writing to their posterity
 * ADD: The wording in the letter is very interesting insomuch as it uses the first person, is very assertive and displays copious amounts of raw emotion.