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This study examines the role of female characters in the Roman epic poetry of Virgil, Ovid and other writers. Its five chapters argue that the feminized landscapes, militaristic women, and beautiful female corpses of the Roman epic tradition should be interpreted in conjunction with the use of the genre by ancient educators as a means of inculcating Roman codes of masculinity and femininity in their pupils. The issues addressed are of interest not just to classicists but also to students of later poetic traditions and to those pursuing gender studies.