Journal: Priscilla Papers
Volume: PP 39:3 (Summer 2025)
Article: War On Women: Roman Misogyny For Military Aim
Author: Heather Preston

PP 39:3 (Summer 2025) p. 21

War On Women: Roman Misogyny For Military Aim

Heather Preston

Heather Preston is a professional writer with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies. As a consultant, she works with churches and pastors and has a passion for academic collaborations. Heather hosts a podcast called Scripts on Scripture where she discusses all things Bible with pastors and fellow writers. Her most recent book is entitled Between the Lines: Discover What You’re Missing in the Story of Biblical Women of Faith (River Birch, 2023).

The Greco-Roman world of the first few centuries AD was no place of equality for women. Just as the perspective on women affected daily life in general, it also affected Greco-Roman military ambitions in particular. As Bertrand Russell states, “The circumstances of men’s lives do much to determine their philosophy, but conversely their philosophy does much to determine their circumstances.”1 Let us consider the circumstances of women in a society utterly controlled by men, for by examining their philosophy, the truth of Russell’s statement is evident.

This article will argue that by fostering a culture of vehement misogyny, Rome was able to further its military agenda. The example of Rome’s expansion into Africa will provide a clear illustration. The article will also show that the toxic environment through which many early church fathers were writing skewed biblical studies and thus promoted hostility toward women, veiling Rome’s inherent cultural chauvinism in Christian religion.

The importance of analyzing this history is two-fold: it allows us greater insight into the political endgame of the Roman Empire while also requiring us to more thoroughly examine our own Christian approach to justice. Clarity on the latter is essential for an ethical practice of Christianity or, as Traci West states, “in order to figure out how to make responsible contributions to the shared values of our pluralistic world.”2

Greco-Roman Mythology

One of the most effective tools for promoting culture in any time or place is story; mythologies served as a belief system in ancient cultures and were used powerfully in political situations.3 Rome was adept at this. Collective loyalty and thought were reinforced through carefully crafted characters and dilemmas, which were constructed to position an eager audience as both spectator and judge.

Versions of well-known legends come to mind, for the way female characters are presented represents cultural and political dichotomies. In the case of Antigone, for example, there is a w...