Petronius' "The Widow of Ephesus" is a story that reveals many values important to Roman culture but also its hypocrisies. For instance, the widow of Ephesus' fidelity is so "famous" she is referred to as a "prodigy" and women from neighboring towns and villages come to just gaze upon her (Petronius 16). Obviously, her fidelity being this rare means infidelity was commonplace in 1st century A.D. Rome.
It is also clear that the values of "fidelity" and "love" were very important to Roman culture, for the widow of Ephesus' fidelity and lamentations during her husband's death are the "one true example" of them (Petronius 16). Despite this, we see that the woman is lured by the affections of a soldier who is kind to her in her grief. Despite her conjugal fidelity and genuine love for her husband, the soldier and widow make love in front of the corpse. Clearly Petronius is being satirical in some aspects of this story.
Finally, "The Widow of Ephesus" also seems to be a story that is meant to demonstrate to the living that life must go on despite our grief when someone we love dies. The widow sacrifices her dead husband's body so she and the soldier can live happily, "Better far, I say, to hang the dead than kill the living" (Petronius 18). In this manner, Petronius' tale also reaffirms that life is for the living and life must go on despite our common mortality.
Petronius. "The Widow of Ephesus." 1st Century A.D. Trans. William Arrowsmith, 16-18.
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