Fictive Motherhood and Female Authority in Roman Cities
This paper discusses the meaning and function of female kinship titles in the Latin West, focusing on the title of mother of a city or a collegium, on the basis of a small corpus of Latin inscriptions recording mothers of cities and collegia in the cities of – mainly central – Italy and a few...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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Université de Lille
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Eugesta |
| Online Access: | http://www.peren-revues.fr/eugesta/index.php?id=1079 |
| _version_ | 1797303245093208064 |
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| author | Emily A. Hemelrijk |
| author_facet | Emily A. Hemelrijk |
| author_sort | Emily A. Hemelrijk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This paper discusses the meaning and function of female kinship titles in the Latin West, focusing on the title of mother of a city or a collegium, on the basis of a small corpus of Latin inscriptions recording mothers of cities and collegia in the cities of – mainly central – Italy and a few cities in the Balkan and Danubian regions in the second and third centuries AD. It is argued that the title of mater implies a lasting and hierarchical relationship between a locally prominent woman of wealth and the city or collegium she fostered. Like the title mater patriae (or mater castrorum et senatus et patriae), which was granted to some women of the imperial family in the second and third centuries, it is characterized both by authority and loving care. Thus, metaphorical motherhood indicated a position of female authority in male institutions, cast in socially acceptable terms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:50:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6d20fa98d1f4420f9c129be2b5774533 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2265-8777 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:50:06Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Université de Lille |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Eugesta |
| spelling | doaj.art-6d20fa98d1f4420f9c129be2b57745332024-02-19T07:50:39ZdeuUniversité de LilleEugesta2265-87772012-01-01210.54563/eugesta.1079Fictive Motherhood and Female Authority in Roman CitiesEmily A. Hemelrijk This paper discusses the meaning and function of female kinship titles in the Latin West, focusing on the title of mother of a city or a collegium, on the basis of a small corpus of Latin inscriptions recording mothers of cities and collegia in the cities of – mainly central – Italy and a few cities in the Balkan and Danubian regions in the second and third centuries AD. It is argued that the title of mater implies a lasting and hierarchical relationship between a locally prominent woman of wealth and the city or collegium she fostered. Like the title mater patriae (or mater castrorum et senatus et patriae), which was granted to some women of the imperial family in the second and third centuries, it is characterized both by authority and loving care. Thus, metaphorical motherhood indicated a position of female authority in male institutions, cast in socially acceptable terms.http://www.peren-revues.fr/eugesta/index.php?id=1079 |
| spellingShingle | Emily A. Hemelrijk Fictive Motherhood and Female Authority in Roman Cities Eugesta |
| title | Fictive Motherhood and Female Authority in Roman Cities |
| title_full | Fictive Motherhood and Female Authority in Roman Cities |
| title_fullStr | Fictive Motherhood and Female Authority in Roman Cities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fictive Motherhood and Female Authority in Roman Cities |
| title_short | Fictive Motherhood and Female Authority in Roman Cities |
| title_sort | fictive motherhood and female authority in roman cities |
| url | http://www.peren-revues.fr/eugesta/index.php?id=1079 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emilyahemelrijk fictivemotherhoodandfemaleauthorityinromancities |