Textile Work in Shared Domestic Spaces in the Roman House: The Evidence from Latin Poetry

Abstract

This paper examines the engagement with the materiality of textiles and textile crafts in Roman poetry. Through close readings of Ausonius’ Epigrams and Silius Italicus’ epic on the Punic war, informed by archaeological evidence and reconstructions of ancient weaving, the paper demonstrates that male Roman authors display significant knowledge of the practicalities of contemporary textile work and its range of sensory experiences. The paper explains the basis for this knowledge by drawing on archaeological evidence for shared use of domestic space, but in contrast to previous studies on shared space utilisation and crafts, emphasis is placed on the childhood experiences both of male and female children in elite households. The paper proposes that training undertaken by girls of such families impacts considerably on male members of the household and underpins the technical knowledge displayed in literary descriptions of textile work