Roman girls Flashcards
What was the role of the midwife at birth?
check for physical deformities
How was the child accepted?
the paterfamilias would lift it up or it would be exposed
Why might a child not be accepted?
financial drain, weak or if there was a question over the inheritance of the child
Why were girls at greater risk of exposure?
wouldn’t work and would need a dowery
How were names chosen?
female versions of the male name
Bulla
a lucky charm given to ward of evil spirits till marriage
All girls would:
- be taught reading, writing and maths
- family would arrange her education
- learn domestic skills
Poor girls would:
- be cared for by their mother
- might be taught by mother
- might have to give up their education for her brother
- might learn a family trade
Rich girls would:
- be cared for by a slave
- have a slave to assist with school
- some could learn manly subjects e.g history
Who was Maesia?
women who defended her self in court successfully
Why was Maesia nicknamed “Androgyne”?
she was manly as she was smart and good with rhetoric
What is ‘Sappo’ fresco
a fresco of a rich roman woman with a book and stylus from Pompeii
What quotes were said about good roman girls?
- ‘cheerful and agreeable’
- ‘virginal modesty’
- ‘cheered up her sister and her father’
