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Details of the RAC/TRAC Conference session 'Sexuality, gender and imperialism.'

Conference Sessions and Abstracts - Saturday 13听April 2024

37.听Sexuality, gender and imperialism

Sanja Vucetic 鈥� University of Sheffield
Kelsey Madden 鈥� University of Sheffield

Sexuality and gender are critical to understanding how Roman dominance affected social change in communities subject to imperial, social, and sexual hierarchies. Recently, the traditional Romanisation paradigm has been replaced by critical approaches that anchor sexuality dynamics at the centre of conquest and the experience of the Roman empire (Ivleva and Collins 2020; Madden 2022; Vucetic 2022). Roman imperialism also continues to be positively investigated from a gendered perspective, though the focus remains on the elite (Cornwell and Woolf 2023). These conversations nonetheless remain on the fringes of archaeological discourse. The longstanding critiques, many directed at TRAC/RAC participants, attest to this (Baker 2003; Pitts 2007; Revell 2010). This session integrates the issues of gender and sexuality into traditional questions of Roman archaeology while engaging with the conceptual agenda of interconnectivity, ethnicities, and social inequalities. It invites papers about the effects of Roman imperial regimes on sexual and gender relations, practices, and identities of the conquered communities and colonists, the relationship between Roman imperialism and sexual violence, and the implications of gender and sexuality intersections with race, age, etc. across the empire. Discussions on the materiality of sexuality and gender using post-humanist, materialist feminist, globalisation, and queer perspectives are particularly encouraged.

Bibliography:
Baker, P. 2003. A Brief Comment on the TRAC Session Dedicated to the Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Roman Women. TRAJ 2002: 140-146
Cornwell, H. and Woolf, G. (eds) 2023. Gendering Roman Imperialism. Leiden: Brill
Madden, K. 2022. 鈥瀊arbaren鈥�-kinder in der r枚mischen bilderwelt. Der Limes 16 (2): 30-35
Ivleva, T. and Collins, R. 2020. Un-Roman Sex: Gender, Sexuality, and Lovemaking in the Roman Provinces and Frontiers. London: Routledge
Pitts, M. 2007. The Emperor's New Clothes? The Utility of Identity in Roman Archaeology. AJA 111 (4): 693-713
Revell, L. 2010. Romanization: A Feminist Critique. TRAJ 2009: 1-10
Vucetic, S. 2022. Roman provincial sexualities. Constructing the body, sexuality, and gender through erotic lamp art. JSA 22 (3): 277鈥�295

Session schedule听

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听Imperialism, Enslavement, and Ethnic Hierarchies in the Roman Provinces: The Case of 鈥淓l Negret鈥�
Sarah Beckmann 鈥� University of College Los Angeles

The age and servile posture of the so-called 鈥淓l Negret鈥� 鈥� a 1st century CE bronze statue of a nude male child of African descent found in a Roman-era residence in Tarraco (Spain) 鈥� suggests a deliciae, an enslaved child subject to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Yet this particular statue marks a departure from other examples of deliciae qua lamp/traybearers in that the boy鈥檚 penis is extended, versus flaccid. Such fetishization of the penis objectifies and 鈥渙thers鈥� this boy; it places him in the company of purportedly wild and promiscuous creatures (e.g. satyrs; pygmies), thereby distancing him from other Hellenized deliciae represented in paintings and three-dimensional arts. Using comparative visual analysis, critical race theory, and recent work on sex, gender, and Roman imperialism, my paper probes the motivations behind this particular depiction of an enslaved African boy. I treat 鈥淓l Negret鈥� as a window into the codification of ethnic hierarchies in provincial settings. Tarraco鈥檚 elite, I argue, used this object to navigate their place as inhabitants of the early Empire. 鈥淓l Negret鈥� manifests the espoused superiority of certain ethnicities over others (e.g. African), which in turn deemphasizes the social gulf between the elite of Tarraco vs. the Italian Peninsula.听

听鈥榃arriors鈥� and 鈥榳eavers鈥�: Challenging gender stereotypes in Roman provinces
Tatiana Ivleva 鈥揘ewcastle University

The paper addresses the session鈥檚 topic 鈥榤aterial traces of alternative identities/narratives that challenged dominant power structures and reclaimed agency鈥�. Through the analysis of imagery on funerary monuments in western Roman provinces, it will introduce new ways of thinking about gender roles in the Roman provinces. Too often, gender roles of provincials have been assigned to represent 鈥榤an the warrior鈥�/鈥檞oman the weaver鈥� conventions. For women, it is the image of obedient housewife, spinning yarn, raising children. For those serving in the army, it is the image of hypermasculine defenders of the Empire, riding down the barbarians dressed in military clad with shining armour and medals. For civilians, it is the image of male paterfamilias surrounded by their children and holding hands with or touching the shoulders of their female wives. No alternative readings to those norms are explored for the provinces, despite the critical methodologies being applied to the visual art of the classical Mediterranean and broad understanding in Roman provincial scholarship that individual identities do not corelate with dominant constructions of masculinity and femininity. This results in perpetuating a one-sided image (also for the public) of binary gender roles of provincials. Yet, the analysis of images on Roman funerary monuments reveals hybrid gender norms that are communicated visually, allowing thus to re-assess stereotypical feminine and masculine roles. Applying theoretical frameworks from gender studies, I suggest to move the discussion towards seeing multiple genders such as masculine femininities, feminine masculinities and caring masculinities, among others, operating within the provincial circles.听

听Caryatids and female hostages at the Forum of Augustus in Rome
Aksel Teigen Breistrand 鈥� Universitetet i Bergen

This paper offers an interpretation of the caryatids on the attic frieze of the porticoes of the Forum of Augustus in Rome as explicitly linked to one activity in particular which took place in the forum: female hostages making peace-securing pledges. By examining the sculptural traits of the caryatids in light of Vitruvius鈥� (1.5) iconological description of their culturo-historical origins as female victims of war representing subjugated peoples, it is argued that the choice of caryatids as a motif reflects how Augustus, according to Suetonius (21.2), introduced the practice of taking female hostages, since 鈥渢he barbarians disregarded pledges secured by males.鈥� As the forum itself was decorated with female symbols of conquered provinces, these hostages experienced a visual mnemonic manifestation of their own subordination to the Romans as they were led through the forum and past the caryatid representations on their way to the temple of Mars Ultor to swear their allegiance to Rome. Employing a materialist feminist theoretical framework, in which the female hostages are viewed as being treated by the Roman oppressors solely on the basis of the political usefulness of their gender鈥攖o favour the Romans and hurt the local communities鈥攖he social role of the female hostages, and the phenomenon of Roman female hostage-taking in the Augustan political milieu, is examined.

听Campanian miniature gods and the study of religion, sexuality and gender under Roman imperialism
Claire Heseltine 鈥� King鈥檚 College London

This paper will offer two areas of possibility presented by miniature objects. Both case-studies will be taken from the corpus of miniature divine representations found in 1st century CE Campania, with the aim of showing the value of studying personal objects and miniatures to expand our understanding of the construction of religion, sexuality and gender under the Roman Empire 鈥� as well as how they mesh together.
The ancient miniature refracts the world that surrounds it by shifting scalar and spatial expectations, manipulating the position of the viewer. Due to their minute size, these tiny objects force certain forms of engagement 鈥� inviting the viewer to touch them and to hold them close. When the miniaturised figure is the goddess of love, presented as a beautiful nude, we can see how these personal objects may have become the focal point for private feeling and eroticism, both mediating and becoming the object of that desire. In Pompeii, these nude miniatures proliferate 鈥� but scholars have insisted on interpreting them as tokens of fertility and family. Using Sara Ahmed鈥檚 work, we can map a new way of reading objects that creates room for previously excluded narratives of sexuality within classical archaeology. As well as offering this way of reading queer desire, the material from Campania also offers us a new way of responding to the cultural interchange and religious syncretism that thrived in this area 鈥� visible through the considerable portion of the miniature corpus which represents Egyptian deities, such as Isis, Harpocrates, and Bes. The intimate relationships formed with 鈥楨gyptian鈥� cult indicated by these highly personal objects helps to show how deeply rooted the worship of Egyptian deities was in the Vesuvian area 鈥� it was not new or 鈥榚xotic鈥� phenomenon but a widely-held, popular, and longstanding example of religious syncretism in Roman Italy. The miniature allows us to see the reception of these gods into the most personal sphere of individual religious praxis.

Women as Architects of Change: Agency, Gender, and Patronage in Roman Italy, North Africa, and Asia Minor
Melissa Kays 卢鈥� University of York

Investigating the multifaceted dynamics of women's social mobility within the Roman Empire during the 1st to 3rd centuries A.D., this research uncovers how women conformed to the gendered norms of society but could often also transcend them by commissioning public monuments and structures we might find unexpected in male-dominated Roman society. Using an extensive database encompassing over 270 benefactresses and their monumental contributions, this research unveils the varied roles women were playing in Roman public life. It emphasizes how elite, and sometimes non-elite, women were operating under their own agendas while navigating the complexities of a hierarchical social order in their respective regions. The study employs a blend of quantitative and qualitative methodologies to examine regional variations in gender roles, benefaction type, the influence of religious and public roles, epigraphic evidence, and familial involvement in women's access to independence. By comparing Italy, North Africa, and Asia Minor, this research illuminates how diverse cultures shaped women's social agency, challenging traditional gendered narratives that limited women to domestic roles. This investigation provides a valuable methodological framework for future researchers keen on unravelling the intricacies of ancient societies, demonstrating the significance of a comparative approach in capturing the complexities of women's experiences in history.

听Cives Roman(x) Sumus: The Iconography and Topology of Queer Power in the Roman House
David Frederick 鈥� University of Arkansas

At the margins of the empire Roman sexuality can be strikingly 鈥渦n-Roman,鈥� reflecting local constructions of gender and power (Ivleva and Collins, 2020). This insight can be turned toward a key locus for Romanization at the empire鈥檚 core: the Italian urban domus. In current interpretations, the Roman house displays and reproduces elite power, including the use of penetrative sex to enforce dominance. And yet, non-binary, feminate youths (e.g. Endymion, Hermaphroditus, Narcissus) comprise the most common mythological subject in domestic wall painting, often depicted with erections. While delicate, these erections signify arousal and potential agency, hovering between the anatomical binary of penis-clitoris. The spatial distribution of these figures complements the network topology of the houses, which is decentralized into multiple significant nodes and information pathways, suggesting the multivocal circulation of power. This points to the role of the house in (re)producing non-elite (but citizen) status, as its enslaved household members are often freed, becoming new Roman citizens. Situated between penetrator and penetrated, the non-binary status, agency, and sexuality of these new Romans, many of non-Italian origin, constitutes a category of queer power invisible in the 鈥渟exuality wars鈥� of classics, but essential for understanding imperial sexuality beyond the penetration model.

听Syrians, their literary reputation and self-representation in times of Elagabalus: Between elitist textual propaganda and local visual discourse
Lukasz Sokolowski 鈥� Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz

Roman imagery has fundamental value as social document reflecting the identities and gender roles performed in Italy and in the provinces. The aim of this paper is to confront the content of Graeco-Roman literary sources with the evidence of portraiture produced in Syria under Severans. The ancient sources left a critical image of the Syrian population. It was described as decadent, sexually-ambiguous, following weird cults and customs and with a conspicuous love of luxury. The peak point of the negative, 鈥榦riental鈥� impact on imperial Rome is described under the reign of Elagabalus, known to publicly appear in priestly 鈥楽yrian robes鈥� revealing his unorthodox sexual behaviors. The eminent visual evidence at first seem not to reflect such controversies. The men are usually shown in Greek civic attire. Women appear in local robes, which reflect their regional bonds and unofficial status. But there is also vast evidence of local priestly imagery, which under Severans introduced several new patterns. Thanks to representations from Palmyra, Zeugma, Hierapolis, Dura Europos and Hatra the famous robes of Elagabalus can be reconstructed showing large resemblance to the descriptions attested in sources. It seems that what caused the public embarrassment in Rome was at the same time the object of the vigorous affirmation at the peripheries. The local elites created a specific communication code that asserted their presence in the imperial milieu together with distinct markers of their specific heritage which were conspicuously stressed breaking the standards of official portraiture and the practice of paideia.

听Invisible Woman Syndrome at the Roman Baths
Amanda Hart 鈥� Bath and North East Somerset Council

Following the discovery of the Great Bath, a new museum designed to house the early collections and baths was built in Bath. The new museum was designed in the neoclassical architectural style with a Tuscan colonnade, Diocletian windows, and a terrace topped with statues of the Emperors and Generals closely associated with Britain. It was a Victorian interpretation of the baths, based on the grand bathhouses of Ancient Rome. Many of the themes drawn out by the antiquarians involved in the early excavations included military conquest, imperialism, and 鈥榗ivilisation鈥� that reflected the British colonial context of the late nineteenth century, and directly influenced the development of the early museum displays. It is a narrative that still underpins the existing Roman Baths Museum displays today, one that is centred on military conquest and the local population鈥檚 desire to be 鈥楻omanised鈥�, supported by the evidence for white elite males. Women are only discussed in the context of being the (stereo)typical Roman wife. What evidence is there for the women who visited the bathing complex and Temple of Sulis Minerva and those that lived in Aquae Sulis? What does that reveal about how 鈥楻omanised鈥� they were, what their status was and what roles they may have had? 听