• PugJesus@piefed.socialOPM
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    7 months ago

    Explanation: As the Roman Empire expanded to become massive and wealthy in the 2nd century BCE-1st century AD, the formerly rough society of farmer-soldiers was exposed to all sorts of new and exciting luxuries - like spices, perfumes, and S I L K. This, to Roman moralists, was CORRUPTING and FOREIGN and would make Rome WEAK and EFFEMINATE. One Roman writer during the Empire, if memory serves, bitches about women in public wearing silk so thin that it was see-through.

    Of course, such bitching about THE CORRUPT AND LUXURIOUS YOUTH is as old as society itself, and had a long history in Roman writing as well - dating back to at least the written works of Cato the Elder after the Second Punic War, wherein he condemns such dangerous Gr*ekoid notions as ‘literature’ and ‘doctors’ as foreign and unsuitable for REAL Romans. Scipio Africanus, savior of the Republic, on the other hand, was a noted Graecophile.

    Funny enough, the Roman conqueror and dictator Julius Caesar was noted as something of a dandy himself, taking great care of his personal appearance, having his body hair plucked, and always being on the cutting edge of fashion. Caesar once said in regards to the license he allowed his troops, that “They would fight just as well if they reeked of perfume”.

    • Mîm@lemmy.zip
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      7 months ago

      One Roman writer during the Empire, if memory serves, bitches about women in public wearing silk so thin that it was see-through.

      I mogjt be stuck in my corrupted youth phase, but I’d like to have seen that. :D

  • ceenote
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    7 months ago

    Soft clothes, femboys, and sluts? What’s supposed to be the downside?

    • PugJesus@piefed.socialOPM
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      7 months ago

      Real answer: a crazy amount of money was exported from the Roman Empire to buy silk, perfume, and incense, and Rome didn’t have any goods India or China wanted in large enough amounts/values to make up the difference. Wine and olive oil were popular exports to the east, but not nearly costly enough to make up the trade deficit. So Rome lost immense amounts of silver and gold for perishable luxury goods every year.

      Roman answer: only BARBARIANS are supposed to be femboy sluts, Romans are supposed to be MANLY TOPS 😭