Domestic Violence and Vulnerability in the Roman World

Hybrid event

“Globally 1 in 3 women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, mostly by an intimate partner.” WHO

In Australia “Family, domestic and sexual violence is a major health and welfare issue. It occurs across all ages, socioeconomic and demographic groups but mainly affects women and children. Indigenous women, young women and pregnant women are particularly at risk. Intimate partner violence causes more illness, disability and deaths than any other risk factor for women aged 25–44” (AIHW Australian Government DOI 10.25816/5ebcc144fa7e6)

Data on the prevalence of domestic violence suggests that we work and teach in a context in which we would do well to assume the presence of victim-survivors and perpetrators among our colleagues and students.

Violence, including domestic violence, was endemic in the Roman world. It permeates our ancient evidence, both ancient literature and material culture. Emperors, poets, fathers and others were, or could be, perpetrators of domestic violence in a world which sanctioned the abuse of slaves and gave extraordinary powers of coercion and control to the paterfamilias.

How do we teach and learn well in such a context, where the study of the Roman world also means encountering the (domestic) violence of that world? This workshop seeks to bring together educators working with secondary and tertiary students studying Roman history or Latin language. The workshop will discuss ways in which we might approach the teaching of confronting material.