Brides, Mourners, Bacchae: Women's Rituals in Roman Literature

How does the treatment of women's rituals in Latin poetry and prose reveal Roman ideas of female agency?

Powerful female characters pervade both Greek and Latin literature, even if their presence is largely dictated by the narratives of men. Feminist approaches to the study of women in Greek literature have helped illustrate the importance of their religious and ritual roles in public life—Latin literature, however, has not been subject to similar scrutiny.

In Brides, Mourners, Bacchae, Vass...