Rape in antiquity

Susan Deacy, Karen F. Pierce

How did the Greeks and Romans perceive rape? How seriously was it taken, and who were seen as its main victims? The leading classical scholars who have contributed to this volume look at the social and legal realities of rape in the ancient world, and also at the numerous myths of rape which themselves may reflect real behavior and attitudes. Modern readers, used to a discourse which focuses on the question of consent to sexual activity and treats an unwilling partner as a victim worthy of sympathy, may find in ancient attitudes much that is disturbing. "Rape in Antiquity" covers topics arranged under six main headings: Athenian legal discourse; Greek myth; Greek art; Greek and Roman drama; Greek and Roman historiography; and Byzantine and Western medieval worlds.