Takács’s examination of the provincial female flaminate and the Matres/Matronae demonstrates how women served to bind imperial Rome and its provinces into a cohesive society. Although deterred from participating in most aspects of public life, women played an essential role in public religious ceremonies, taking part in rituals designed to ensure the fecundity and success of the agricultural cycle on which Roman society depended. Takács’s discussion of the Bona Dea Festival of 62 BCE and of the Bacchantes, female worshippers of the god Bacchus or Dionysus, reveals how women could also jeopardize Rome’s existence by stepping out of their assigned roles. Roman women were the procreators and nurturers of life, both in the domestic world of the family and in the larger sphere of the state. She then examines major female deities and cults, including the Sibyl, Mater Magna, Isis, and the Vestal Virgins, to show how conservative Roman society adopted and integrated Greek culture into its mythic history, artistic expressions, and religion. She begins with the religious calendar and the various festivals in which women played a significant role. Takács offers a sweeping overview of Roman women’s roles and functions in religion and, by extension, in Rome’s history and culture from the republic through the empire. Thus religion is a key area for understanding the contributions of women to Roman society and their importance beyond their homes and families. Roman women were the procreators and nurturers of life, both in the domestic world of the family and in the larger sphere of the state.
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