Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-09
WOMEN OF ANCIENT ROME
Some Of Them We're Not Meek and
Humble Slaves of Mems
Tyranny.
The Women Rights Movement of
Our Day is Nothing New.

The Roman records, writes Principal
Donaldson in the Contemporary Review.
show that it was not safe TO trife with
the feelings of the Roman women. They
were, like Roman men, possessed OF
great decision of character, and whsn
provoked could do the most daring deeds
reckless of the consequences. If they
were treated kindly and on equal terms
they were the best of wives, and am
convinced that their goodness and firm.
ness were the most effectual causes of the
freedom which 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 lurid light on this aspect OF
their character, for occasionally they
took stern and wild vengeance when hus.
bands went too far in their despotic
actions. L will adduce one or two in
stances of this:
In the year 331 B. G. 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 persisted.
The caused was wrapped in obscurity,
but at length a maid servant went to a
curule edile and said that she could ex-
plain the origin of the disease, bat would
not do so unless security were given her
that she would suffer no harm in conse-
quonce. The cGrule edile brought the
matter before the consuls, the consuls
consulted Ehe Senate and resolution
was passed guaranteeing safety to the
maid servant. Whereupon see declared
that the deaths arose from poison; that
the matrons were IN the habit of COM
pounding drugs and she could take the
official to house IN which they would
come upon the matrons while engaged
In the operation.
The officials accepted her offer, follow
ed her and found, as she said, the matron
compromising drugs. About twenty of
them were conveyed to the forum and
were subjected to an examination on
their doings. Two of them of noble
family and with patric1an names, Cor
nelia and Sergia, affirmed that the drugs
were perfectly wholesome. That could
be easily tested, and the two matrons
were requested to prove their truthful
ness by drinking the mixture. The two
matrons begged for few moments of
private talk with the rest of their ascot
ates but within sight of the people.
Permission was granted, a few words
were exchanged and then all twenty
matrons came back, boldly euaffed the
liquor, and died in consequence. Then a
search was made for all the matrons who
had been engaged in this conspiracy and
40 of them were found guilty. The men
explained the occurrence by asserting
+hn+ he Cot tod l0,,%
probably they knew well why resourse
was had to such violent measures, ano
the Ro nan matrons were not likely to be
subject to tyranny without making an
effort in one way or another to put an
end to it.
An occurrence of similar nature took
place in $50 B. g. In this case there can
scarcely be doubt that real plague
ragged, for it lasted for three years and
decimated Italy. But the women were
enraged with the men for the harsh meas
ure which had been taken against them
in connection with the Bacchanalian mys-
teries, and they seem to have regarded
the plague as affording favorable op-
portunity for the use of poison. In $50
B. G. the pretor, the consul and many
other illustrious men died. A Judge was
appointed to inquire into these deaths,
and especially to examine if poison had
been employed. The historians do not
narrate the results of this investigation,
but we are told that the wife of the con-
sui was tried and condemned to 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 particularly
in the early days Of the empire the ma
irons 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 one
writer remarks that wherever there were
Irregularities there were poisonings.
Some historians have rejected these tales
of poisonings as the inventions of credu-
lous analysis, 1 think, with good reason.
But whether the stories are true or false
the Romans believed them, and they en-
body the Roman belief in regard to what
women could do. And it seems to me
that we must regard them as indicating
that the Roman matrons felt ometimes
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 feeling and wreaking their VEN
geance by employing poison.