|
Research
Paper on European Civilization
Life for a woman in Rome is not
easy; there are many limitations here. It’s a male dominating
society woman are considered inferior, and it is even more
difficult if you are a wife of a rich man. My name is Nettalina
and my father holds a major position in congress people know him
and through his courtesy they know me too. Every step I take has
to be calculated because one wrong move could ruin the political
career of my husband and could cost me my life.
Need a custom research paper? we can write custom research papers for you!
I got married when I was 15, I was too young to understand the
responsibilities that I had to face being a wife of a noble man,
noble for the people of man, a highly cultured and well mannered
man, but in his personal life he is different. All the noble men
in this great city have two faces, what common public sees is
not the reality but reality is far different than what they
perceive. Let me start from the very beginning.
I opened my eyes in a wealthy house, with plenty of every thing,
every thing but freedom. I saw my mother working hard just to
keep my father happy. I always felt that my mother is for
display only, otherwise who needs a wife. There are whores and
most of the noble men enjoy their company more. I got married at
a very young age.
My Marriage
My marriage was accompanied with revelry and song, with dancing
people all around me. Ribald jokes were shouted at me and nuts
were scattered as I made my way towards my husband's house. I
passed from the manus of my father to that of my husband. During
the initial days of my marital life I found my husband very
caring, and sometimes I felt that he even cares more about my
father than myself. As I have told before my father holds a key
position in the congress he has contacts and that is why my
husband was trying to gain my father’s confidence. One of the
most considerable gains for me as a married woman was the
respect and status that came with being a wife. I hold a
position of respect and responsibility in the household as well
as in public. So I have taken my mother’s place a symbol of high
status. Things that matter most is, skill with which women kept
their houses and the virtues that they possessed, or were
alleged to possess. It was in this way only that women were to
be remembered, by their honor and loyalty to their husband and
their competence at household chores. ? The foremost function of
marriage, the production of children, was likely to be met by
most marriages. Having those children survive and succeed you as
heirs or to look after you in old age was another matter.
Need a custom research paper? we can write custom research papers for you!
Social Life
I don’t have any social life. I never had my husband took me to
meet his friends and their wives where we all pretend as if we
are really enjoying, but these parties had no real value for me.
After a year of my marriage I was pregnant, people all around me
wanted a boy and so did I not because I don’t like girls but
because I don’t want my child to live the same life as I lived.
It was very tough for me since I was only 16 I was scared, I was
treated by top physicians of Rome, and it all ended well, I gave
birth to a boy. Now I am an honorable woman not just because I
am a mother but also because I am a mother of a son, who will
take his father’s place. After a month of the birth of my first
child my husband arranged a big party, all the city elites were
invited all the noble men and all the noble women. That was the
first time when I saw the true picture of men. After mid night
when almost every one had lost his senses all the bottles of
vine were dry, the savage within the Roman men showed his first
glimpse to me. Women were treated like animals; all the top
whores poisoned the mind of all the men with their beauty,
including my husband. That’s when I first realized that my only
job is to produce babies, and take care of my husband and his
family. I gathered all the strength to see my husband.
Underneath the open sky he was with a woman whom he probably
never meet after that night. A woman can share any thing but not
her love. I had doubts in my mind doubts about my future I even
had doubts about the existence of Aphrodite. After that such
parties became an integral part of my life. I accompanied my
husband in parties, with a fake smile on my face.
My son was getting older and for three consecutive years I gave
birth to three children other two were also boys, which was a
relief for me. It was a fourth year of my marriage when
political activities in Rome were at their peak, I stood right
beside my husband during his political campaign.
Personal Life
My personal life was none other than the lives of other woman.
“Under Roman law woman went from the authority of their fathers
to the authority of their husbands, and even a wealthy, old
widow needed a male to supervise her finances”. I was totally
dependent on my husband, I was seen with respect among the
common public, although the behavior of my husband was also very
good with me but that was not enough. I always missed the
essence of marital life the kind of love that I was expecting
from him was never there. My responsibilities were to take care
of the children and the house. My social circle was limited to
the wives of my husband’s colleagues, but truly I never enjoyed
my their company, because we all thought twice before saying any
thing, in Rome it is hard to distinguish between your enemy and
friend. This is the reason why I could never develop a kind of
relationship that exists between friends. It was all about how
well you can act, and unfortunately I was never good at it. And
with the passage of time number of my friends reduced, but I
think it was a blessing for me because after that I did not have
to act. I devoted all my life to my children, to some extent to
my husband also. I knew all about his activities but never asked
him about it, may be I was scared of him. I knew my children
will get best in their life, but my objective was to make them
different from another men.
I am an old woman now; my husband died few years back. I have
succeeded in what I want all, my children are married and honest
to their wives. “This could be because of the societal change as
well. Rome has changed so have the people of this great city.
Since the beginning of the Empire many men now seek and follow
the advice of their wives.”
References
Graham, David, The Ancient Rome, Boston: Lee & Shepherd
Need a custom research paper? we can write custom research papers for you! |
