Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-07-14
WOMEN IN ANCIENT RoMs.
nlsfrons Who Were Not to he Trined
with-A Case OF Wholesale Poisoning.


with-A Case Of Wholesale Poisoning.
The Roman recosds show that il was
not safe to trihe with the feelings of Ro-
mar women. They were, like Roman
men, possessed of great decision of
character, and when provoked could do
the most da.ing deeds, reckless of the
consequences. II they were treated
kindly and on equal terms, they were the
best of wives, and / am convinced that
their goodness and tfrmness were the
most effectual causes of the freedom
wAch they attained. But if husbands
put into force their traditional power
and claimed supreme domination over
them they were exactly the women to
resist. And the history of Rome throws
a lurid light on this aspect of their char
acter; for occasionally they took stern
and wild vengeance when husbands went
too far In their despotic actions. l will
adduce one or two instances of this:
In the year 331 B. c. many of the
Roman citizens, and especially many of
the Roman mobiles, were attacked by an
unknown disease, which showed the same
symptoms in all. and nearly all perished
The cause was wrapt in obscurity, but
at length maid servant went 10 a curule
eddie and said she could explain the
origin Of the disease, but would not do
80 unless security were given her that
she would suffer no harm in consequence.
The curule edile brought the matter be-
fore the consuls, the consuls consulted
the senate, and a resolution was passed
guaranteeing safety TO the maid servant.
Whereupon she declared that the deaths
arose from poison; that the matrons were
in the habit Of compounding drugs, and
she could take the officials to a house in
which they would come upon the matrons
while engaged in the operation.
The officials accepted her offer, fol-
lowed her and found, as she had said,
the matrons compounding drugs. About
twenty of them were conveyed TO the
Forum, and were subjected to an ex-
animation on their doings. Two of them,
of noble family and with patrician names,
Cornela and Ser yia, affirmed that the
drugs were peri city wholesome. That
could easily be tested, and the two
matrons were requested to prove their
truthfulness b. drinking the MKT
ure The two matrons begged for
a few morlents of private talk
with the rest of their associates, but
within sight Of the people. Permis-
sion was granted, few words were ex-
changed, and then all of the twenty
matrons came back, boldly quaffed the
liquor, and died in consequence. Then
a search was made for all the matrons
who had been engaged in this conspiracy
and l70 were found guilty. The men
explained the occurrence by asserting
that the women were infatuated, but
probably they knew well why recourse
was had to such violent measures, and
be subjected to tyranny without making
an effort in one way or another TO put
an end to il.
An occurrence of similar nature took
place in $50 b. G. In this case there can
scarcely be a doubt that a real plague
ragged, for il lasted for three years and
decimated Italy. But the women were
enraged with the men for the harsh
measures which had been taken against
them in connection with the Baccha.
nalian mysteries, and they seem TO have
regarded the plague as affording favor
able opportunity for the use of poison.
In $50 b. C. the prator, the consul and
many other illustrious men died. A
judge was appointed to inquire into
these deaths, and especially to examine il
poison had been employed The histori-
ans do not relate the results of this inves.
tigation, but we are told thai the wife o!
the consul was tried and condemned u
death.
Thirty-six years after this two men of
consular rank were poisoned by their
wives. In subsequent times the use OF
poison became frequent; and partlcu
larry in the early days Of the empire the
matrons about the court were accused Of
having constant recourse to it to get out
of the way men whom they did not like,
husbands and sons and others connected
with them, as well as strangers And
cne writer remarks that wherever there
were irregularities there were polsonings
Some historians have rejected these tales
Of poisoning as the inventions of credu
lous annalists, think, without good rea.
son. But whether the stories are true
or false the Romans believed them, and
they embody the Roman belief in regard
TO what women could do. And it seems
10 me that we must regard them as indi.
eating that the Roman matrons felt
sometimes that they were badly treated,
that they ought not TO endure the bad
treatment, and that they ought TO take
the only means that they possessed OF
expressing their feelings and wreaking
their vengeance by employing poison. -
Principal Donaldson, IL d., in Contem.
porary Review.