The essay explores the Roman societal norms that equated physical beauty with moral character, highlighting the contradiction faced by women who used cosmetics to meet beauty standards while hiding their efforts.
Essay on the Conflict between Physical Beauty and Character
The ancient Romans placed a strong emphasis on physical appearance, oftentimes equating beauty with moral character. Examples from literature demonstrate how cosmetic use and the pursuit of an aesthetic ideal were both tools for women to navigate a society that valued external beauty intensely. The poets Martial and Ovid, each in their own way, examined the incongruities and pressures of this societal norm. Martial pointedly spotlighted the natural physical 'flaws' of women, sometimes to cruel effect, while Ovid offered a simultaneously appreciative yet demanding view of women's use of cosmetics to maintain physical attractiveness.
Ovid's views reflect a tension between the need for women to appear beautiful to secure their status while simultaneously hiding the efforts required to maintain such beauty. This contradiction underpins the broader Roman attitude that external beauty was highly reflective of one's internal virtues. Many Roman writers took to criticizing a person's character by attacking their physical attributes, a tactic clearest in Cicero's denigration of Piso. The underlying message is consistent: a lack of physical beauty was often taken as evidence of moral and character deficiencies.
Such societal biases against unadorned natural appearance and the aging process suggest that while a pretty face was certainly prized, it could be undermined by an ugly personality. This mirrors modern sentiments about the transient nature of beauty and the enduring impact of character, as well as the recognition that authentic charm arises from self-assuredness rather than solely from exterior enhancements.