ABSTRACT
Honor is not a straightforward set of rules that are followed in an “honor culture.” The gendered honor in Late Antiquity shows the bandwidth of honor and shame dynamics. The Romans of Late Antiquity were devoted to keeping and controlling the balance between masters and dependents, between parents and children, and between men and women. Rumors about contact between men and women spread quickly and widely, and avoiding being the subject of rumors was crucial to upholding honor. Appearing “proper” was key to belonging to the honor group. This included making sure that women and men in the families behaved according to gender standards and maintaining their established place. Shaming was an instrument to hold up order between the sexes. However, we also find examples of people who simply did not recognize or approve of such codes. In such a case, the efforts to bring shame on a person would be futile. While this could suggest that honor codes were harmless, evidence shows otherwise. The fear of shame and dishonor was strong and was a major factor in facilitating, encouraging, and manipulating men to perform violence for the sake of honor.
