Scan you talk about rape culture? Since the shotgun wedding was abolished, perhaps it would be better to talk about subculture: it still exists, but there is the law that prohibits it, that no longer justifies it, that sanctions it not as a crime against morality but against the person; the problem is to enforce the law, including denouncing any violence, always.
In ancient times, the culture of rape – of which shotgun marriage is a child – existed indeed. In ancient Greek there is no word for sexual violence. Gabriel Zuchtriegel points this out in his book Pompeii. The enchanted citypublished by Feltrinelli.
Gabriel is an exceptional man, and not just because he speaks Italian like his native language, German. He directs the most famous archaeological site in the world, Pompeii, with competence and love. And he wrote a book of great interest, from which I take this inspiration, dramatically linked to current events.
Aldo Cazzullo (photo by Carlo Furgeri Gilbert).
In ancient Greek the words that are closest to the word “rape” are “biazein” and “hybrizein”, which generically indicate abuse or atrocity, even in contexts other than sex. Not even the Latin “constuprare” means to rape, but generally to dishonor, violate, and even betray the partner, commit adultery.
“Pompeii. Spirited Away” by Gabriel Zuchtriegel (Feltrinelli).
The author concludes: «Evidently rapes and sexual violence were part of normality at the time, to the point that ancient languages didn’t even have specific terms to indicate them.” It is no coincidence that the whole story we tell of Greek mythology is watered down: we write about the “union” between Poseidon and Medusa in the temple of Athena, while in reality Poseidon rapes Medusa who is also punished for this and transformed into a monster by Athena; Ganymede is called “Zeus’ favorite”, while Zeus kidnaps the young man to make him his sexual slave.
In short, violence against women originates from afar, from a thousand-year-old culture, the overcoming of which is the true victorious revolution of our time.
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All articles by Aldo Cazzullo.
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