(Short and sweet history TL;DR! Previous–>The Principate)
“Why don’t you go read a book, WOMAN.”
A) Elite Men: “Paideia” (Greek word for education); Read Greek works.
- Greek Rhetoric, the art of crafting an argument. Hey-o, Aristotle!
-Elite men took up the role of Patron of someone who was of lesser status.
-They would help them out, obligated, argue on behalf of.
- Negotium (work)- Job of being a Patron. Expected of all Elite Men, all men should be useful.
- Otium (Leisure; Not at work;)- Life of leisure, doing what you want.
-LOL Vomitorium? Nah, that’s just an amphitheatre passage, bro.
B) Elite Women: Educated, almost as well as a man.
- Never citizens, never adults. (Britany Spears song insert) Legal minor. Cannot make legal decisions on their own.
-Always needed a legal guardian. (Typically husband or father)
-When they could CHOOSE their guardian, however, NEVER the husband or father. Someone with less authority, obviously.
- “Fiction” of not being in charge but, ladies were sooooo in control of their guardians. The neck moves the head, afterall.
- Uncommon not to be married.
-Had responsibility to discuss politics with their husband. Give advice.
-Manipulate the system like we doooo, naturally.
C) Lower Class: Clients
- Soldiers. People would cut off their toes to avoid this.
- Merchants. Oh how the tides have turned.
- Freedmen (Former Slaves): Always at bottom of social status because reasons.
D) Culture:
- Literature: Virgil, anything before Octavian. Homer, Greek philosophy.
- Art: Fresco (Wall paintings), Hellenistic style (anatomically correct)
- Science: High understanding. Incredible architecture. Indoor plumbing. (Take that, Middle Ages)
- Medicine: Galen (Physician in gladiatorial arena). Dissection, stitching. Generally decent understanding of the human body and the foundation of medical knowledge but then there was…
-Humoral Theory; Four Fluids: Blood (Heat), Phlgem (Cold), Green Bile, Black Bile
- Geocentric: Ptolemy.
- Philosophy and Religion: Stoicism.
- Mystery Religions: Because why the hell not? Concerned with Salvation. Agape= “Unconditional Love”.
