Tuesday, May 26, 2015

From Abortion to Pederasty: Addressing Difficult Topics in the Classics Classroom

In the book of Genesis, Lot faces a mob of Sodomites intent on harming the men in his home. His offer is surprising by today’s standards; “I have two daughters who have known no man, I will give them to you to do with as you please, but do not harm the men who took shelter under my roof.” Most would be horrified at this offer, as this would mean throwing two twelve year old girls to a frenzied mob, who would not protect them from something as trivial to them as a gang-rape. However, to the people of the time, it was of no consequence to them. Women were nothing but property.

From Abortion to Pederasty is a wonderful collection of essays by today’s scholars on controversial topics in the classics. Sexual violence, child abuse, and rape often figure in the bible, mythology, and other forms of classical literature, and we often wonder how we can reconcile that against today’s codes of conduct. Sharon James, for instance, writes how many students and female coworkers confided in her that they were the victim of sexual assault, which she finds rife on today’s college campuses. For her, it’s difficult to hear this when the classics in her curriculum often have instances of rape, just not blatantly stated.


James, like other writers in this book, looks at this from the standpoint of the scholar, not a prosecutor. She welcomes the opportunity to have open dialogue on this topic, and have the students compare the treatment of women in the classics to the norms of today. Whether it’s the story of the Sabine women, Lucretia, these issues can’t be ignored in the classroom.

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