Men, Women and Marriage Flashcards

Question

Augustan laws

Answer 1

encouraged marriage an having children adultery punished as a crime with banishment fathers were permitted to kill their daughters and her partner in adultery husband could kill their partners under certain circumstances and were required to divorce adulterous wives all men between 25 and 60 years old and all women between 20 and 50 were to marry and have children or pay extra tax in proportion to their wealth members of the upper class had most to lose citizens who already had 3 children and freed people with 4 were exempt marriages between senators and freed women, and slaves and citizens were declared legally void + children born to these were illegitimate, non-citizen and unable to inherit a married woman with 3 children or more could be granted legal independence

Answer 2

badly recieved modified in 9 AD eventually all repealed or fell into disuse under Constantine and later emperors

Answer 3

payment made by a wife's family to her husband, to cover expenses of their household more customary than compulsory typically included land and slaves but could include jewellery, toiletries, mirrors and clothing was husband's property but his use of it was restricted if marriage ended through divorce, it was returned to the wife or her family if husband committed offences leading to divorce, he lost claim to any share and if wife was blameless, it was restored to her if they initiated a divorce but had children, their partner could claim a share on behalf of the children to meet their needs and inheritance if she divorced, a wife could reclaim this dowry if she died, the husband kept it

Answer 4

agreements made in advance about dowry's disposal and recovery

Answer 5

dowry given by bride's father or paterfamilias could be recovered by donor or divorced woman herself

Answer 6

more flexible dowry might be given by wife though it came from her father used to settle debt incurred by husband

Answer 7

relatively informal - wife took back her dowry and left her husband's house Roman men had right to divorce their wives paterfamilias could order divorce of any couple under his manus socially acceptable if carried out within social norms common and shame-free subject of gossip rather than social disgrace husband could divorce his wife for adultery, drunkenness or making copies of household keys 2nd century - married woman could divorce husbands severed lawful family alliance only one spouse's will required for any divorce, even if the divorced party was not informed was considered a family affair - discussed in private, no public record of proceedings, official registration not required until 449CE

Answer 8

frequency of remarriage among elite was high speedy remarriage not unusual might create new set of economically or politically useful alliances - elite marriages occurred because of politics or property - few obstacles in remarrying more likely to be able to choose second husband no formal waiting period for widower, customary for woman to mourn for 10 months to allow for pregnancy, to ensure no question of paternity which could affect child's social status and inheritance wives encouraged to remarry high death rate, low average life expectancy, high divorce rate meant frequent or multiple remarriages children expected in marriage

Answer 9

sexual offense committed by a man with a woman who was neither his wife nor a permissible wife such as a prostitute or slave (another man's wife or unmarried daughter) considered a private matter not a serious criminal offense sufficient grounds for divorce but if wife was at fault, the husband could keep a portion of her dowry

Answer 10

directed at punishing married women who engaged in extra-marital affairs responsibility of the paterfamilias to whose legal and moral authority party was subject if a father discovered his married daughter was committing adultery in his or his son-in-law's house, he was entitled to kill both the woman and her lover if he killed only one - he could be charged with murder a wronged husband was entitled to kill his wife's lover if the man was a slave or infamis but was not allowed to kill his wife who was not under his legal authority if he chose to kill the lover, the husband was required to divorce his wife within 3 days and have her formally charged if a husband was aware of the affair and did nothing, he could be charged with pandering the married woman and her lover were subject to criminal penalties, usually confiscation of property or dowry a woman convicted with adultery was banned from remarrying

Answer 11

institution practiced in ancient Rome that allowed men to enter into certain illegal relationships without repercussions with the exception of involvement with prostitutes Roman citizens could not legally marry or cohabit with a concubine while also having a legal wife title of concubine was not considered derogatory Augustan laws recognised it as cohabitation without marital status, varied little from actual marriage except that heirs were not considered legitimate not considered a social equal to her patron official law declared that a man could not have a concubine at the same time as he had a wife - various notable occurrences of this relied upon patrons to provide for them

Answer 12

considered a matter of public interest subordination of private interests and personal happiness to the good of the public was strongly encouraged by laws of the city laws of Lycurgus of Sparta required that criminal proceedings be take against those who married too late or unsuitably and those who did not marry at all duty of every citizen to raise up a strong an healthy brood of legitimate children for the state childbearing was main object of marriage - whenever a woman had no children by her own husband, the state allowed her to live with another man

Answer 13

heroes of Homer never had more than one lawfully wedded wife, though are frequently represented as living in concubinage Athenian lawgiver viewed marriage as matter of social and political importance Plato gives similar role to state in regulating and applying political and social pressure to encourage marriage in his Laws, any man who did not marry before he was 35 was punishable with loss of civil rights, monetary penalties and states in choosing a wife that men should consult the interests of the state and not his own pleasure

Answer 14

arranged between groom and parents of the bride man would choose his wife based on the dowry, her presumed fertility and her skills e.g. weaving. no established age limits, proper to wait until childbearing age many women married by 14 or 16, while men commonly married around 30 betrothing or 'engaging' a woman was seen as a gift father and groom became allies, symbolised by gifts, formalising legitimacy of marriage man could marry a woman by winning her through a competition husband could have a wife and a concubine. if the wife gave consent, the concubine's children would be acknowledged as heirs - mainly confined to high status wealthy men arranged through meeting of fathers - interested in expanding business or forging an alliance, with little concern for the groom and no regard for the wife

Answer 15

private and personal reasons which made marriage an obligation Plato mentions one of these as the duty on every individual to provide for a continuance of representatives to succeed himself as ministers of the divinity prevent heritage being desolate and ensure heirs childless people may adopt children Athenian citizen not able to marry a foreign woman (severe penalties) proximity by blood did not prevent marriage but direct lineal descent did brothers and sisters permitted to marry, although looked down on

Answer 16

if a father died with no will and without male children, his heiress had no choice in marriage - forced to marry her nearest relative a father could dispose of his daughter by will or a husband of his widow - transfer to ownership of another

Answer 17

marriages arranged between groom and guardian of the bride suitors would compete against each other for daughter's hand in marriage - bring gifts, compete by song, dance or games men would proceed in engysis - pledge of handing her over woman did not decide who she would marry important to validity of marriage contract all children born from a marriage legally contracted in this respect should be legal heirs and sons would inherit equally - if did not, would lose heritable rights

Answer 18

three part ceremony of three days proaulia - pre-wedding ceremony spend last days with mother, friends, female relative, preparations, feast, offerings to Artemis and Aphrodite, symbolise separation from childhood to initiation into adulthood, bond with gods to protect her during transition gamos - wedding transfer of the bride to the husband, nuptial bath, removal of veil, sacrifice, moved into groom's living quarters, dowry epaulia - post-wedding ceremony

Answer 19

both husband and wife had power to initiate divorce wife sent back to her father / wife had to appear before archon could be initiated by father of the bride if the wife did not bore a child if a woman's father had died with no male heir (she was not his heir but possession of his estate went to her husband) her closest male relative could end her marriage to marry her

Answer 20

where a woman committed adultery, the husband was obliged to divorce his wife under threat of disenfranchisement husband paid back dowry or pay 18% annual interest

Men, Women and Marriage Flashcards

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