A RELIGIOUS STUDIES ANALYSIS OF FEMINIST CONCEPTS IN ANCIENT ROME

Abstract

B a c k g r o u n d . This article is a comprehensive study of feminist ideas that can be found in ancient Roman society in the religious paradigm. The paper examines the socio-legal, religious, cultural and political conditions that shaped women's lives, analysing how these conditions both constrained and empowered women, challenging the perception of feminism as a purely modern phenomenon.

M e t h o d s . This attempt is made possible by the use of a cross-disciplinary approach, since this issue is fully revealed, taking into account cultural, sociological, historical and political aspects. The study emphasises the complexity of gender dynamics in the religious context, demonstrating how these dynamics have contributed to the broader development of feminist thought.

R e s u l t s . Illustrating how women functioned in a society where their roles were predetermined, as well as how they exercised their rights and challenged restrictions, makes it possible to understand the intentions of the desire for gender equality as far back as antiquity and enriches our understanding of the evolution of feminist ideas. Since the socio-cultural dimension is largely determined by the religious factor, the latter is given special attention. The article examines how religious practices and narratives shaped norms and ideas about the role, place and importance of women in society, and how the transition from paganism to Christianity affected their lives. Also in focus is the problem of female priesthood (the phenomenon of vestal women) as a social lift, since the specificity of these roles, on the one hand, granted women a certain autonomy, which was limited by default in a patriarchal society, and allowed them to integrate into socio-political processes and even exert some influence on them. On the other hand, the institution of the priesthood imposed significant restrictions on a woman's personal space, completely regulating her private life.

C o n c l u s i o n s . Since the social context of Ancient Rome is a controversial historical and cultural layer, the study of feminist concepts in the light of the religious studies paradigm is a particularly interesting and challenging attempt to reconstruct the problem of women in the Ancient period.