Abstract
In the Roman Republic and early Empire, pudicitia, a woman’s sexual modesty, was an important part of the traditional concept of female morality. This thesis strives to explain how traditional Roman morals, derived from the foundational myths in Livy’s History of Rome, were applied to women and how women functioned within these moral constructs. The traditional constructs could be manipulated under the right circumstances and for the right reasons, allowing women to act outside of traditional gender roles. By examining literary examples of women who were able to step outside of traditional gender roles, it becomes possible to understand the difference between projected male ideas on ideal female morality, primarily pudicitia, and actuality.