The problem concerning domestic violence has always afflicted people of different cultures and outlooks, and it is only expressed yet backed up by numerous other reasons. The analysis of these narratives unfolds through a comparative essay on domestic violence in Rome and Athens in the olden times and today’s Britain. This essay presents the ideas of the inherent causes of and current criticism of domestic violence will be presented as well as the fact that gender-based violence is still one of the most significant challenges.
In ancient Athens and Rome, the oppressive matrilineal structure ensured the oppression of women, providing the background for justifications for domestic violence. In the Roman era, the Patria protests based on the male head of household rule resulted in him having absolute authority over his family, including his power to grant life or death. [1]In most cases, the male domination that centered on power loading presented a demonstration of how violence against women was gradually normalized within families. Moreover, in Athens, women were only a part of the small men’s sphere, with the most significant task being managing the household and bringing up children.
Defenses of domestic violence or the beating of women in antiquity were usually given to maintain patriarchal organization or preserve the status quo. Not only did the works of ancient philosophers like Aristotle and Plato multiply the idea that women are naturally inferior, but they also insisted on their inherent need for male control. [2]Aristotle was an ancient thinker who believed that female rational faculties were stopped up, justifying their suppression. Therefore, women who failed to show obedience and did not meet all cultural expectations usually were the target of a form of punishment inflicted on their bodies.
Although the voices of women in ancient societies used to be often backgrounded, there are, however, some social critics who raise a choir for the issue. Still, they are limited to the scenario of one party. Through the peculiar case of Appia Annia Regilla, part of the historical work by Pomeroy, we can see how the domestic violence, which elite Roman women suffered, let people apprehend the severe nature of this issue. [3]Though they are the least represented, and their stories are in a few books, historians have done their best to speak on their behalf and demonstrate that women had been subjected to many misfortunes.
Presented contemporary Britain with another Jewish communal problem, this time of a different nature, namely the issue of domestic violence. At the time, women’s movements emerged, and the legislative changes that breached the silence on domestic violence also raised awareness, consciousness, and disapproval of this social scourge. Nevertheless, the stability of patriarchal authority and the beholding of cultural dynamics still shape the discourse on gender-based violence.
The existing socio-cultural context and legal frameworks did not alter the reasons to turn Nelson’s eye as an expendable in the British domestic showdown for years. Although retrograde ideas, which are based on patriarchal authority, may be familiar, women’s current arguments frequently rely on the use of psychological and sociological arguments. For example, the case of male batterers may justify their actions as a reaction to pressure and provocation, with the victim ending up playing the blame game.
On the other hand, critics of victims of domestic violence have gained viability through advocacy initiatives, academics, and survivors ‘narrations. The movement of women’s liberation in the 20th century made the mass outcry about domestic violence suddenly start and brought about the number of laws created as a response to fight domestic violence. [4]However, not only do more and more social media platforms offer the opportunity to survivors to speak up and condemn public opinion towards domestic violence, but they also facilitate safer ways of spreading awareness among the masses by enabling the viewers to comment and share, which will discourage a passive mindset.
In conclusion, the perceptions of domestic violence have experienced changes in their narrative from the classics Greece and Rome to modern Britain. Feminist arguments and patriarchal counter-arguments on the question of gender equality and violence against women are in a constant struggle for justifications and criticism. Primarily, this reflects the ongoing battle against patriarchy and the progress feminism has made. Through carefully evaluating historical documents and open-minded reading of modern literature, the issue of domestic abuses as part of the ongoing battle for women’s rights will be deeply probed.
Cintya Lanchimba, Juan Pablo Díaz-Sánchez, and Franklin Velasco. “Exploring Factors Influencing Domestic Violence: A Comprehensive Study on Intrafamily Dynamics.” Frontiers in Psychiatry 14 (September 7, 2023). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1243558.
Deacy, Susan, and Fiona McHardy. “Uxoricide in Pregnancy: Ancient Greek Domestic Violence in Evolutionary Perspective.” Evolutionary Psychology 11, no. 5 (December 2013): 147470491301100. https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491301100505.
[1] Cintya Lanchimba, Juan Pablo Díaz-Sánchez, and Franklin Velasco, “Exploring Factors Influencing Domestic Violence: A Comprehensive Study on Intrafamily Dynamics,” Frontiers in Psychiatry 14 (September 7, 2023), https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1243558.
[2] Cintya Lanchimba, Juan Pablo Díaz-Sánchez, and Franklin Velasco, “Exploring Factors Influencing Domestic Violence: A Comprehensive Study on Intrafamily Dynamics,” Frontiers in Psychiatry 14 (September 7, 2023), https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1243558.
[3] Susan Deacy and Fiona McHardy, “Uxoricide in Pregnancy: Ancient Greek Domestic Violence in Evolutionary Perspective,” Evolutionary Psychology 11, no. 5 (December 2013): 147470491301100, https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491301100505.
[4] Susan Deacy and Fiona McHardy, “Uxoricide in Pregnancy: Ancient Greek Domestic Violence in Evolutionary Perspective,” Evolutionary Psychology 11, no. 5 (December 2013): 147470491301100, https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491301100505.