‘A hard-on more raging than a man’s’: what the tribas figure reveals about lesbians in ancient Rome
Lesbians were misrepresented and parodied by men in ancient Roman texts. Yet these depictions can reveal a lot if we read between the lines.
Understanding lesbians from ancient Roman texts is challenging due to the scarcity of sources and the fact that most were written by men, focusing primarily on male perspectives. However, ancient terminology offers a glimpse into the lives of lesbians in Rome. The word "lesbian" derived from the Greek island of Lesbos, home to the poet Sappho, who wrote about her female lovers.
Another term, "tribas," translated as "tribade," appears in a few Roman texts, such as Martial's Epigrams. This term, though infrequent, sheds light on the societal norms and gender roles during that era.
Roman society underwent significant changes when power shifted to a single emperor in 27 BCE. This transition allowed foreign cultures to infiltrate Roman life. Satirical poets, such as Juvenal, often used women and non-Roman cultures as scapegoats to explain moral decline. The tribas figure emerged as a satirical caricature, primarily in low-brow texts from the 1st century CE.
While there are no visual representations, the tribas typically mocked women who engaged in sexual relationships with other women as "failed men." The figure, characterized by its aggressive male-like behavior, was an exaggerated portrayal of women who rejected patriarchal norms and chose female lovers.
The term "tribas" originates from the Greek word "tríbō," meaning "to rub" or "wear down." Romans used this Greek origin to distance the tribas from their society's conventional sexual practices. The tribas figure epitomizes the contrast between male and female sexual roles in Roman society. Despite its over-the-top portrayal, the tribas symbolically challenges the meaning and stability of Roman masculinity.
Poet Martial's depiction of a tribas named Philaenis suggests the woman's exceptional physical endurance and prowess, which amused male audiences. The humor lies in Philaenis being so excessively masculine, symbolizing the rejection of traditional gender norms. However, it is unclear whether Philaenis actually used an olisbos, a phallus-like object, in her sexual encounters. This portrayal remains open to interpretation in a culture deeply rooted in phallic supremacy.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
