The Language of Oracular Inquiry in Roman Egypt

"Versions of this article were presented as papers to the Classics Department at Dalhousie University and to the CACW in 2004."The language of oracular inquiries in Roman Egypt changed from Demotic to Greek because of the insistence of the Roman authorities, not, as historians have previously supposed, because of a preference for Greek on the part of priests or inquirers.https://www.jstor.org/stable/2030461

Roman Women, Wise Women, and Witches

In this article I explore the connections among the physiological effects of envy, the stereotypes that adhered to old women, and the literary representations of witches in Roman society, arguing that it is possible to get some perspective on healing methods employed by real female specialists."The University of Winnipeg provided financial support for this research."https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7834/phoenix.70.1-2.010

Expelling Misconceptions: Astrologers at Rome

"Early versions of this article benefited from the scrutiny of audiences at the Classical Association of the Canadian West in 2007 and the Brock University Archaeological Society in 2009.""The views ... that the science of astrology swept the Roman world to win the devotion of the Roman people and the Roman emperors, that emperors consequently loved and feared astrology -- have become standard in scholarly discussions and student textbooks alike. On this line of argument, it seems that the repeated expulsions of astrologers from Rome or Italy ... require little more by way of explanation: expulsions of astrologers are the natural conclusions of general belief in the powerful science and consequent imperial ambivalence toward it. But in the decades since the question of why astrologers were expelled has been laid to rest, to my knowledge it has not been asked how the expulsions were undertaken. The introduction of this question instantly strips away the facade of historical certainty from the whole phenomenon.... How does one identify an astrologer so as to expel him? It then remains only to face the inexorable resurrection of 'why?' It is the aim of this article to navigate the choppy historical waters we find ourselves plunged into, with the deflation of the convictions that have so long buoyed discussion."https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/65983

Sisterhood and Sibling Rivalry in Roman Society

The author's agreement with the publisher states: "After publication of the Work, the Author will have the right to reprint the Work in whole or in part in ... an institutional repository."Roman evidence for relations between sisters is thin, but what there is suggests that sororal relations were, like all familial relations, subject to ideals of behaviour that might be difficult for individuals to attain. Ideally, sisters, as almost interchangeable versions of each other, were supposed to offer each other unstinting and selfless support, particularly in the context of childrearing. However, these ideals could be difficult to achieve in light of the habit of assessing a woman’s worth with reference to her ability to produce children and the reality of high child mortality rates; envious feelings between sisters might take over. Rituals on the dies lustricus and the annual rites of the Matralia may have addressed the incompatibility of the ideals that framed female existence.https://utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/mous.16.s1-