Marriage Flashcards
Who usually arranged marriages in Roman society?
The paterfamilias or other members of a family
What were important factors for arranging marriages among upper-class families?
Political or business alliances
What was the hope for couples in arranged marriages?
That they would live together in harmony
What is known about the accounts of love in Roman marriages?
Most accounts were written by men, making it difficult to know how women fared
What is the significance of the term ‘paterfamilias’?
It refers to the male head of a family who arranged marriages
What are the two kinds of marriage under Roman law?
Marriage cum manu and sine manu
In marriage cum manu, who gains control over the woman?
Her husband
What rights does a woman lose in marriage cum manu?
She cannot divorce her husband
In sine manu marriage, who does the woman remain part of?
Her father’s family
What property rights does a woman have in sine manu marriage?
She keeps control of any property she might have
What is required for a couple to enter into a sine manu marriage?
Set up home together and declare they are husband and wife
True or False: In sine manu marriage, the husband has control over the wife’s property.
False
What is the literal meaning of ‘manus’ in the context of marriage cum manu?
Hand, i.e., control
What is a major gap in the historical understanding of Roman marriages?
Relatively little is known about marriages outside of the upper classes
