Hortensia, Roman orator, 42 BCE, denouncing the new women-only taxes of oppressive authoritarians: "Why should we pay taxes when we have no part in the honors, the commands, the state-craft for which you contend against each other with such harmful results? #VoteWarren 1/5
2/5 "Because this is a time of war, you claim? When have there not been wars, & when have taxes ever been imposed on women, exempted by their sex among all humanity? Our mothers once made contributions when you were in danger of losing the whole empire to Carthage. #VoteWarren
3/5 But then they contributed voluntarily, not from their landed properties, their farmlands, their dowries, or their houses, without which life and happiness is not possible for free women, but only out of their own jewelry, not under fear of informers or accusers. #VoteWarren
4/5 Not by fear or violence, but by their own free gifts. What alarm is there now for the empire or the country? Let war with the Gauls or Parthians come, and we shall not be inferior to our mothers in our desire to help protect the people,
5/5 But for civil wars we shall never contribute, nor shall we assist you against each other. We did not contribute to Caesar or Pompey....whereas you say that you are restoring the republic." #VoteWarren #WomensHistoryMonth
