The role of gender in the creation of Boudicca, 2021
Throughout this paper, I try to find out what role gender played in the accounts on Boudicca and ... more Throughout this paper, I try to find out what role gender played in the accounts on Boudicca and the British revolt she sparked between 60-61 AD. To achieve this goal, I provide an indepth analysis of the use of gender in the only ancient literary sources we have on this event: Tacitus’ Historiae and Annales and Cassius Dio’s Historia Romana. As such, the focus of this paper is on how the events described by the authors are manipulated through their perception of gender roles and how this has resulted in the creation of a Boudicca that fits the authors’ perspectives. Special attention hereby is paid to Boudicca’s pre-battle oration as cited by Tacitus and Cassius Dio and how historically accurate their accounts are. Both authors picture her as a valiant woman who displays Roman virtue through her fight for freedom, her desire to exact revenge for the violation of her daughters and her rejection of imperial enslavement. Yet they also describe her as a dangerous and savage ‘barbarian’. The depiction of her character thusly becomes incredibly complex. I believe the perceptions and usage of gender of both authors is a majorly influential underlining factor in their creation of Boudicca as such a complex, dynamic and transgressive character. With this paper, I hope to raise awareness of how an image of a notable character in ancient history can be distorted through the gender biases of the authors. Therefore, I hope that this paper serves as a reminder to maintain a critical attitude towards the depiction of ‘barbarians’ in Roman texts
The role of gender in the creation of Boudicca, 2021
Throughout this paper, I try to find out what role gender played in the accounts on Boudicca and ... more Throughout this paper, I try to find out what role gender played in the accounts on Boudicca and the British revolt she sparked between 60-61 AD. To achieve this goal, I provide an indepth analysis of the use of gender in the only ancient literary sources we have on this event: Tacitus’ Historiae and Annales and Cassius Dio’s Historia Romana. As such, the focus of this paper is on how the events described by the authors are manipulated through their perception of gender roles and how this has resulted in the creation of a Boudicca that fits the authors’ perspectives. Special attention hereby is paid to Boudicca’s pre-battle oration as cited by Tacitus and Cassius Dio and how historically accurate their accounts are. Both authors picture her as a valiant woman who displays Roman virtue through her fight for freedom, her desire to exact revenge for the violation of her daughters and her rejection of imperial enslavement. Yet they also describe her as a dangerous and savage ‘barbarian’. The depiction of her character thusly becomes incredibly complex. I believe the perceptions and usage of gender of both authors is a majorly influential underlining factor in their creation of Boudicca as such a complex, dynamic and transgressive character. With this paper, I hope to raise awareness of how an image of a notable character in ancient history can be distorted through the gender biases of the authors. Therefore, I hope that this paper serves as a reminder to maintain a critical attitude towards the depiction of ‘barbarians’ in Roman texts
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Papers by Adam Lee
cited by Tacitus and Cassius Dio and how historically accurate their accounts are.
Both authors picture her as a valiant woman who displays Roman virtue through her fight for freedom, her desire to exact revenge for the violation of her daughters and her rejection of imperial enslavement. Yet they also describe her as a dangerous and savage ‘barbarian’. The depiction of her character thusly becomes incredibly complex. I believe the perceptions and usage of gender of both authors is a majorly influential underlining factor in their creation of Boudicca as such a complex, dynamic and transgressive character.
With this paper, I hope to raise awareness of how an image of a notable character in ancient history can be distorted through the gender biases of the authors. Therefore, I hope that this paper serves as a reminder to maintain a critical attitude towards the depiction of ‘barbarians’ in Roman texts
Drafts by Adam Lee
cited by Tacitus and Cassius Dio and how historically accurate their accounts are.
Both authors picture her as a valiant woman who displays Roman virtue through her fight for freedom, her desire to exact revenge for the violation of her daughters and her rejection of imperial enslavement. Yet they also describe her as a dangerous and savage ‘barbarian’. The depiction of her character thusly becomes incredibly complex. I believe the perceptions and usage of gender of both authors is a majorly influential underlining factor in their creation of Boudicca as such a complex, dynamic and transgressive character.
With this paper, I hope to raise awareness of how an image of a notable character in ancient history can be distorted through the gender biases of the authors. Therefore, I hope that this paper serves as a reminder to maintain a critical attitude towards the depiction of ‘barbarians’ in Roman texts