I Just Did Something No Roman Woman Did...

Today I voted in my local elections. Women in Italy were denied the right to vote until 1925 and that was in various localities, not the whole of Italy. Women weren't entirely shut out of politics, however. There are walls in Pompeii painted with campaign ads from women endorsing candidates:

"Nymphodotus, along with Caprasia, asks you to vote for Marcus Cerrinus Vatia for the aedileship." Another, found on the side of a wine shop reads: "Caprasia along with Nymphius -- her neighbors too -- ask you to vote for Aulus Vettius Firmus for the aedileship; he is worthy of the office."

If you're curious, here's an interesting chart breaking down the positions (and responsibilities) of government in Rome. I've also come across more nifty history. I can't decide if I like this better than the computers we vote on nowadays:

SUFFRA′GIUM: to vote.

It is commonly supposed that at Rome the people were always polled in the comitia by word of mouth, till the passing of the Leges Tabellariae about the middle of the second century BCE [Tabellariae Leges], when the ballot by means of tabellae was introduced.

Popular assemblies voted by ballot, as well as by word of mouth, long before the passing of the Leges Tabellariae, but that instead of using tabellae they employed stones or pebbles and that each voter received two stones, one white and the other black, the former to be used in the approval and the latter in the condemnation of a measure. The voting by word of mouth seems to have been adopted in elections and trials, and the use of pebbles to have been confined to the enactment and repeal of laws.

Exciting, I know! Basically, you had to be an adult male landowner to vote, but that doesn't mean women had no say at all. They caused scandals when need be, including the protesting of the Oppian laws where the women showed up in the Forum and lobbied the men to repeal law that women would not be allowed to spend money. I wonder if it was a Lysistrata type situation... hmmm!

Anyway, not to bore you entirely with the legislative situation in Rome (which is more like our modern American system than anyone really wants to admit, and might have been a better one except for all that land owning patrician sexism).

Tonight is also the opening of the Mundus and The Eastern Orthodox feast of Michael the Archangel. In some traditions the date is dedicated to the "Dark" aspects of Michael, the one who reaps Justice and takes retribution. Call on him only if no one could call for justice or retribution against you. Are you pure enough to cast the first stone, so to speak? Is your heart lighter than a feather? Would Ammit devour you? His sword is double-edged. Be wary of calling upon it.

No comments on my Whipping post? I'm terribly disappointed! Perhaps it's time to post part 2? ;)

Whip it! Whip it good!

Flogging: It's not just for kinksters. This "risque" practice finds its roots in ancient practice. Honestly, what doesn't. I'm sure I could pull out an analogy for the ancient version of the ipod. But I digress! Flogging! Ritual pain! How did it begin? Who knows. I assume it The first person who took a bad fall had a spiritual experience that everyone has been trying to recreate since.

Enough with the (bad) jokes! Here's a bit of history:

Ritual flogging happens as part of many ancient Pagan festival throughout the year including Lupercalia and Thargelia.

The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii depicts flogging on one of its walls.

Greek playwright Menander's quote became famous in its day: "A man who has not been flogged is not trained."

From The gymnasium of virtue: education & culture in ancient Sparta  By Nigel M. Kennell:

"Laconians used to whip themselves in an initiation ritual"

At the biennial festival of Dionysus celebrated in Arcadia, called the Skiereia, women were flogged. This was allegedly in response to an oracle given at Delphi.

At the Feast of Artemis Orthia, Spartans would whip each other in a contest to see who was the last one standing.

What's the point of this? Sacrifice? Punishment? According to several sources, it was a form of purification. It resolved guilt, shame, and was the debt paid for past transgressions.  "A good beating purifies the mind"

What I find especially interesting is that in almost all of the examples I have come across,  the whipping, or purification, is done at the behest or under the auspices of Apollo. Apollon Lykaios is another form of Lupercus as per the above mentioned Lupercalia. The Thargelia is a celebration of His birthday.


I'm pausing here. I know, just after a very tiny introduction! I've been reading Kerenyi's Apollo: The Wind, the Spirit, and the God in my search for more information on Apollo as the God of Purification. I adore Kerenyi's work and highly recommend you read along with me!


More tomorrow!