Vem hyllas i romerska laudationes riktade till kvinnor?

Abstract

In this thesis I will discuss questions concerning the possibilities for women to reach power and influence. My investigation is based on Roman funeral speeches laudationes and adressed to five women, Popilia, Julia, Cornelia, Turia and Murdia, during the late republican period. The most important question is: Did this funeral speeches demonstrate a new way of looking at female importance in private and public life or were theese speeches only a new possibility for men to use women in their struggle for political and personal influence? Subordinate questions are whether funeral speeches to women were new phenomenons and what we know about the content of the speeches. My investigation is based on Yvonne Hirdmans theory of the gendersystem. I will argue that upperclasswomen in the late republic had greater abilities and were more visible in private and public life. This phenomena was realized by the men and their intentions, when making the euligies, were primarily to gain political advantages for themselves. The eulogy to Turia had another character. In the inscription her husband lauded and described her actions in the public ”male” sphere but at the same time praised her female qualities, something very important to stress, as her female qualities legitimized her ”male” behaviour in public.