Images of Female Old Age in the Graeco-Roman Epigrams and in Juvenal’s Satires

Abstract

This paper studies the depiction of female old age in some ancient works, mainly Martial's Epigrams, Juvenal's Satires, and the Palatine Anthology. The introduction briefly compares the epigrammatic and satirical genres and attempts to offer a brief explanation of the different conceptions of old age in Antiquity. The core of the paper consists of an in-depth analysis of the different stereotypes associated with old women, which is in stark contrast with the images commonly associated with younger ones. Their physical decay, manifested in the total or partial absence of teeth, eye problems, gray hair / alopecia, and mobility problems, motivated these women to develop a series of practices that, such as the use of makeup and wigs, were strongly criticized by ancient authors. Among the psychological traits attributed to elderly women, their propensity for alcoholism and, above all, their active search for pleasure stands out. Old women are thus seen as subversive individuals who do not accept social conventions and who are willing to do anything in their power to satisfy their sexual desires.