Gender and Civic Harmony in Erasmusâ Senatulus (The Council of Women)
In: Erasmus StudiesSearch for other papers by Reinier Leushuis in
Current site
Google Scholar
Abstract
The colloquy Senatulus (The Council of Women, 1529) depicts a group of women assembled in imitation of the female senate conducted by the mother of the emperor Heliogabalus. While the proclaimed goal is to correct gender inequality, they spend a disproportionate amount of time on seemingly trivial procedures of speaking and on matters of dress and etiquette. The colloquy seems another example of Erasmusâ ambiguous views on women, oscillating between clichés on female inferiority and advocacy for womenâs education. This essay revisits this elusive question of Erasmus and gender. First, a comparison with Erasmusâ discussion of Heliogabalusâ female senate in Lingua (1525) and a reflection on the gender-blurring figure of Heliogabalus reveal how Erasmus challenges deceptively simple gender biases (female speaking as garrulous and excessive concern with appearance and decorum). Next, I show that by exploiting the dialogical strategies of speaking together in a political or social body and by rethinking the regulation of dress and etiquette accordingly, Erasmus reframes the womanâs role in the social fabric to account for a gender diversity that benefits a well-functioning polis while avoiding excesses that threaten civic harmony.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 408 | 149 | 6 |
| Full Text Views | 25 | 4 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 62 | 11 | 0 |
Gender and Civic Harmony in Erasmusâ Senatulus (The Council of Women)
In: Erasmus StudiesSearch for other papers by Reinier Leushuis in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
The colloquy Senatulus (The Council of Women, 1529) depicts a group of women assembled in imitation of the female senate conducted by the mother of the emperor Heliogabalus. While the proclaimed goal is to correct gender inequality, they spend a disproportionate amount of time on seemingly trivial procedures of speaking and on matters of dress and etiquette. The colloquy seems another example of Erasmusâ ambiguous views on women, oscillating between clichés on female inferiority and advocacy for womenâs education. This essay revisits this elusive question of Erasmus and gender. First, a comparison with Erasmusâ discussion of Heliogabalusâ female senate in Lingua (1525) and a reflection on the gender-blurring figure of Heliogabalus reveal how Erasmus challenges deceptively simple gender biases (female speaking as garrulous and excessive concern with appearance and decorum). Next, I show that by exploiting the dialogical strategies of speaking together in a political or social body and by rethinking the regulation of dress and etiquette accordingly, Erasmus reframes the womanâs role in the social fabric to account for a gender diversity that benefits a well-functioning polis while avoiding excesses that threaten civic harmony.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 408 | 149 | 6 |
| Full Text Views | 25 | 4 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 62 | 11 | 0 |
