The Slave Called Melitta
In the TV series, Spartacus, Melitta was the body slave of the domina Lucretia. As a body slave, she was privileged. She didn't do any menial jobs and she was shielded from the grievous and humiliating tasks that were typically assigned to other slaves. She was to be at the Domina's side, at all times and she was to remain pure and untouched.
Melitta qualified as a body slave because she was young, beautiful, obedient and well mannered. If she wore the garments of a Roman woman, you wouldn't even know she was a slave, except for the butterfly tattoo on her back, at the top of her right shoulder, which signified her bond to her Domina.
When the second series started, Melitta was shown to be married to Oenomaus, the strongest and most valorous gladiator in the house of Battiatus. The honour of marriage was her reward for being a body slave.
One night, the Domina invited guests to the house and one of these guests requested for a particular type of entertainment. He wanted to watch as Melitta laid with another gladiator.
The Domina hesitated: Melitta was not an ordinary slave and she was also married.
"Isn't she a slave", the guest queried?
So the Domina gave Melitta the order to subject herself to the humiliating experience of being fucked in front of an audience by a man who was not her husband.
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Melitta reminds me of women who uphold patriarchy because they have been assigned a special position by those in command. They are treated specially and as such have come to believe that they are somewhat special.
However, no matter how special they are, they will never be anything but women in a society that has no value for women.
As Spartacus would say to another body slave: "Whatever position you think you hold is an illusion." And it's true. That you are freer that other slaves does not mean that you are free.
There are rights and there is benevolence. Rights are absolute. Benevolence is at the whim and discretion of the person in charge.
In the TV series, Spartacus, Melitta was the body slave of the domina Lucretia. As a body slave, she was privileged. She didn't do any menial jobs and she was shielded from the grievous and humiliating tasks that were typically assigned to other slaves. She was to be at the Domina's side, at all times and she was to remain pure and untouched.
Melitta qualified as a body slave because she was young, beautiful, obedient and well mannered. If she wore the garments of a Roman woman, you wouldn't even know she was a slave, except for the butterfly tattoo on her back, at the top of her right shoulder, which signified her bond to her Domina.
When the second series started, Melitta was shown to be married to Oenomaus, the strongest and most valorous gladiator in the house of Battiatus. The honour of marriage was her reward for being a body slave.
One night, the Domina invited guests to the house and one of these guests requested for a particular type of entertainment. He wanted to watch as Melitta laid with another gladiator.
The Domina hesitated: Melitta was not an ordinary slave and she was also married.
"Isn't she a slave", the guest queried?
So the Domina gave Melitta the order to subject herself to the humiliating experience of being fucked in front of an audience by a man who was not her husband.
-------------------------------
Melitta reminds me of women who uphold patriarchy because they have been assigned a special position by those in command. They are treated specially and as such have come to believe that they are somewhat special.
However, no matter how special they are, they will never be anything but women in a society that has no value for women.
As Spartacus would say to another body slave: "Whatever position you think you hold is an illusion." And it's true. That you are freer that other slaves does not mean that you are free.
There are rights and there is benevolence. Rights are absolute. Benevolence is at the whim and discretion of the person in charge.
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