Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Gavin Richardson, post: 6260560, member: 83956&quot;]Classicists have long referred to this event as “The Rape of the Sabine Women.” I suspect the word <i>rape</i> was chosen principally for linguistic reasons, with <i>rape</i> coming from Latin <i>raptus</i>, which means the seizure or taking of something. Of course, the sexual assault dimension of that word might be implied. But I suspect the first persons to apply the term to this event might’ve had a more semantically generous understanding of the word.</p><p><br /></p><p>I am certainly not one to soft-pedal sexual assault. In the Roman world, one out of three persons was a slave, and the sexual abuse of persons in that world, especially slaves, was sadly routine.</p><p><br /></p><p>But some take this event, “the rape of the Sabine women“ to be a <u>metaphor</u> for the strife between Rome and its hostile neighbors in the early days of Rome’s formation.</p><p><br /></p><p>Perhaps the appeal to metaphor may reflect discomfort with the literal reading. Even in our own day, assault survivors face difficulties being believed.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in