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How often do you think about the Roman Empire?

This question took the internet by storm last year. While the answer varies from person to person, my answer is every day. As a Classics major, I think about the language, culture, and people of ancient Rome as much as possible, both out of necessity and passion for the subject. So when I saw this question trending, I was excited about my interests being highlighted online in such a fun way; it was entertaining and encouraged historical dialogue. When it came time to begin my capstone, I wanted to find a way to create something that felt similar. As I reflected on the work I’ve done as a Classics major at BGSU, some of the things I found most interesting were connections I made between concepts in the ancient and modern worlds or seeing myself and others in the historical figures discussed in class. Then I thought, how can I turn this into a project?​

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To answer this question, I needed to decide what narrower topic I wanted to discuss. My goal with almost every project or paper I’ve written as a Classics major has been to highlight women from antiquity in some way, but which women would be interesting for a project like this? Immediately, I thought of the Julio-Claudian women. Their lives were full of political intrigue and scandal, and as women at the forefront of society, they held significant influence. The power they had both publically and behind the scenes helped shape the Roman Empire as we know it.

When I think of things that influence the modern world, the internet comes to mind. As a member of Gen Z, I grew up with and use the internet constantly. The online content I consume affects my everyday life and language, and I would bet that it influences some of you just as much. I don't think I realized just how much it affected me until one day last semester when a group of friends and I were discussing a reading from Tacitus' Annals (which I will be using as a source in this blog). My friend Jacob noticed that bits of the author's personality were evident in his narrative, and decided that Tacitus was "serving c*nt." The rest of us, knowing about the c-word's use as a compliment, agreed immediately. When our professor Dr. Dee came over to ask us about our discussion, you can imagine the look on his face when he heard that phrase for the first time, especially since it was used to describe Tacitus. Not only has that day become a fond memory, but also showed me how we can use aspects of today's culture to engage with the past.

Originally, I thought about titling this blog "C*nty Classics" because of that day, but decided that it was both a little bit inappropriate for a capstone and the word's use in a positive way not be long term. When discussing this decision with my advisor - the famous Dr. Dee from earlier - he came up with the new title to preserve the spirit of the saying and make it more digestible. While I may not be able to serve you know what, I can serve Classics. This blog will examine the familial roles and artistic and literary portrayals of Julio-Claudian women in the Roman world to discover how historical depictions of women can interact with modern discussions about representations of female agency in the form of pop-culture phrases, neologisms (from the Greek words νέο/neo, "new" and λόγος/logos, "word"), memes, and social-media discourse.

While my target audience for this capstone obviously includes my advisors, I also aim to reach people like me who are “chronically online” but want to use the internet as a place to learn and engage with new things in an informed way. A research paper felt too formal for something like that, but creating a social media account wouldn’t feel formal enough. A blog, however, seemed to be the most useful tool for allowing me to showcase my research in a more relaxed way without sacrificing quality. On this website, you will find blog posts that connect the Julio-Claudians to pop culture, as well as a list of scholarly and internet resources, should you find yourself interested in this topic as well.

Happy learning!