A Study On The Economic Activities Of The Middle And Lower-Class Women In Pompeii During The First Century AD

A series of territorial expansion during the Late Roman Republic brought countless treasures,land,and slaves to Rome.It also had a great impact on the politics,economy,and culture of Rome,especially in terms of economic performance.Pompeii,which became a colonized city of Rome in 80 BC,experienced such changes accordingly.Its economic development faced many opportunities and challenges.During the first century AD,the Pompeian economy was rather prosperous,with various degrees of development in agriculture,commerce,and handicrafts,and the formation of unique social customs and representations.It was against this economic background that the middle and lower-class women in Pompeii were no longer acting as housewives who only helped the husband and taught their children at home,but went out of the house and participated in various economic activities.They played a pivotal role in the development process of Pompeian economy.With the help of various historical sources unearthed in Pompeii and the related research results,this dissertation will explore the various economic activities of Pompeian middle and lower-class women,to show the economic outlook of the middle and lower-class women in Pompeii in the first century AD,and further analyze the impact of their economic activities on the whole city,in order to form a more detailed understanding of the socio-economic situation of Pompeii.The analysis consists of five parts:Part one briefly discusses the reasons for choosing the topic,and provides a survey of the literatures on the topic.Part two mainly introduces the economic and cultural basics of Pompeii in the first century AD,that is,the development of agriculture,commerce.and handicrafts in Pompeii,as well as the social customs related to the economy and consequent changes with regard to concepts of social hierarchy.It serves to outline the economic and cultural background of Pompeian middle and lower-class women living in the first century AD,and to pave the way for the following analysis.Part three analyzes the economic activities of the middle and lower-class women in Pompeii during the first century AD.The main content is divided into four aspects,namely commodity trading,handicraft production,service labor,and other economic activities.It involves the organization form,economic efficiency,activity scale and other aspects of relevant economic activities.Part four focuses on discussing the contribution and impact of the economic activities of middle and lower-class women on Pompeian economy of this period,on women’s own status,and on the Pompeian social class.Its aim is to deeply analyze the importance of the economic activities of middle and lower-class women in Pompeii.The conclusion briefly summarizes the main contents and related arguments.