This paper looks at the roles of patrician and plebeian Roman women in their religion. It investigates the topic during the period of the Republic (509-30 BCE) and pulls the information together in a concise manner.
The primary sources used were narrative histories and literature from the late Republic, as well as from the Imperial period up through the second century, that reflect the opinions of the Imperial period. The secondary sources precipitated further research into primary sources and comparisons of these studies.
It was found that women played private and secondary roles in their religion. Due to changes in the laws and in the society, women in the late Republic had more control over their own interests than did the women in the early Republic, although this control did not widely spread to their religious rituals. Public roles and power were basically limited to the Vestal Virgins.
","abstract_html":"<p>This paper looks at the roles of patrician and plebeian Roman women in their religion. It investigates the topic during the period of the Republic (509-30 BCE) and pulls the information together in a concise manner.</p><p>The primary sources used were narrative histories and literature from the late Republic, as well as from the Imperial period up through the second century, that reflect the opinions of the Imperial period. The secondary sources precipitated further research into primary sources and comparisons of these studies.</p><p>It was found that women played private and secondary roles in their religion. Due to changes in the laws and in the society, women in the late Republic had more control over their own interests than did the women in the early Republic, although this control did not widely spread to their religious rituals. Public roles and power were basically limited to the Vestal Virgins.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Young, Lesa A."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"History","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2002,"date_issued":"2002-08-16T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2002-08-16T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:21Z","subjects":["patrician women","religion","Republic","Roman women","plebeian women","Vestal Virgins","Arts and Humanities","History","Women's History"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/698","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Young, Lesa A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2002-08-16T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["History"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["patrician women","religion","Republic","Roman women","plebeian women","Vestal Virgins","Arts and Humanities","History","Women's History"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1855/viewcontent/YoungL073102.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/698"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This paper looks at the roles of patrician and plebeian Roman women in their religion. It investigates the topic during the period of the Republic (509-30 BCE) and pulls the information together in a concise manner.
The primary sources used were narrative histories and literature from the late Republic, as well as from the Imperial period up through the second century, that reflect the opinions of the Imperial period. The secondary sources precipitated further research into primary sources and comparisons of these studies.
It was found that women played private and secondary roles in their religion. Due to changes in the laws and in the society, women in the late Republic had more control over their own interests than did the women in the early Republic, although this control did not widely spread to their religious rituals. Public roles and power were basically limited to the Vestal Virgins.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Roles of Patrician and Plebeian Women in Their Religion in the Republic of Rome."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Young, Lesa A."],"dc:date.issued":["2002-08-16T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This paper looks at the roles of patrician and plebeian Roman women in their religion. It investigates the topic during the period of the Republic (509-30 BCE) and pulls the information together in a concise manner.
The primary sources used were narrative histories and literature from the late Republic, as well as from the Imperial period up through the second century, that reflect the opinions of the Imperial period. The secondary sources precipitated further research into primary sources and comparisons of these studies.
It was found that women played private and secondary roles in their religion. Due to changes in the laws and in the society, women in the late Republic had more control over their own interests than did the women in the early Republic, although this control did not widely spread to their religious rituals. Public roles and power were basically limited to the Vestal Virgins.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1855/viewcontent/YoungL073102.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/698"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["patrician women","religion","Republic","Roman women","plebeian women","Vestal Virgins","Arts and Humanities","History","Women's History"],"dc:title":["The Roles of Patrician and Plebeian Women in Their Religion in the Republic of Rome."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["History"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA (Master of Arts)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:21Z"}