Occupations and Attitudes Towards Them in the Late Roman Republic: Some Studies in the Literary Evidence
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THE ‘SORDID’ OCCUPATIONS AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS THEM IN THE LATE ROMAN REPUBLIC: SOME STUDIES IN THE LITERARY EVIDENCE Laura K. Hickey BApp.Fin. BEc. (Macquarie University) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Research Department of Ancient History, Faculty of Arts Macquarie University, Sydney January, 2016 For my parents ii Table of Contents SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ v DECLARATION .................................................................................................................. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................. vii CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction and Literature Review ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Studies on servile and lower class occupations in Ciceronian Rome ...................................................................... 2 Approaches to the Study of Roman Occupations ............................................................................................................. 5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Method .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Information about data collection and LLT database ................................................................................................ 12 Ethnohistory ................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER TWO: Cicero’s Familia Domestica And The Lettered Slaves Of Ciceronian Rome .................................................................................................................................... 21 Cicero’s Familia Domestica .................................................................................................................................................. 21 Cicero’s General Household Staff ....................................................................................................................................... 22 Anagnostes/lector ...................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Atriensis ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 23 Ianitor ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 27 Cubicularius ................................................................................................................................................................................ 28 Cocus ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 29 Cicero’s Administrators ........................................................................................................................................................... 34 Actuarius ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 ad manum ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Dispensator ................................................................................................................................................................................. 36 Librarii .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 39 Tabellarii ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER THREE: Roman Retailers ................................................................................ 47 Tonsor/tonstrix ........................................................................................................................................................................... 49 Plautine Evidence ...................................................................................................................................................................... 52 A sample of occupations mentioned in Plautus’ Aulularia (505-522) ..................................................................... 56 Aurifex (aurufex)/ faber aurarius ........................................................................................................................................ 57 Fullo ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 59 Carinarius, flammarius, molocinarius, violarius ......................................................................................................... 60 Incidental references to retailers ........................................................................................................................................... 61 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 CHAPTER FOUR: Occupations Connected To Sustenance ............................................... 64 Sample Of Occupations Concerned With Sustenance ................................................................................................... 64 Lanius, laniarius, macellarius .............................................................................................................................................. 64 Cetarii, Piscatores .................................................................................................................................................................... 71 Furnarius ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 75 Pistores .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 76 Pullarius ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 78 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................... 80 iii CHAPTER FIVE: Male and Female Prostitutes ................................................................. 81 Latin Terms for ‘Prostitute’. Meretrix versus Scortum ................................................................................................. 82 Evidence concerning Prostitutes in Plautus’ Plays ......................................................................................................... 84 Depiction of Female Prostitutes .......................................................................................................................................... 90 Evidence of Prostitutes within Cato’s Corpus .................................................................................................................. 90 The Depiction of Male and Female Prostitutes within Cicero’s Corpus ............................................................ 92 The Rhetoric of Prostitution in the Roman Law Courts in the First Century BC ............................................ 93 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................................... 97 Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................