Sources - Women Flashcards
Name 4 ways which we get evidence on what life for women was like
Literature
Inscriptions
Art
Archaeology
Why do we have to be careful particularly when reading Latin literature for evidence about women’s daily life in Roman times?
Pretty much all written by men
Not always reliable -> trying to make a point
Women could not _______ or hold _________ office
Vote
Political office
Because of their limited ________ role, women are named less frequently than men by Roman historians
Public
Some exceptional women left an undeniable mark on history such as _________ who was held up as an example of the perfect wife. Why?
Lucretia
By showing loyalty to her husband
Women such as _________ had great wealth and managed their land and money themselves. ___________ used her assets to finance a public building in Rome
Eumachia
Eumachie
The Oppian law prevented women from _____________ and owning ________
Inheriting and owning land
A daughter was subject to a patria potestas, the supreme power her __________ wielded as head of household
Father
The pater familias had the right and duty to find a ___________ for his daughter, and first marriages were normally arranged.
Husband
A daughter kept her family name for life, not assuming that of her husband. Children usually took the ___________ name.
Father’s
Wealthy women received ________ education. This would depend on their family but there is evidence that women from elite families could _______ and ________ and studied literature and poetry
Some
Read
Write
In early childhood girls would be educated in similar subjects to boys. Both would be taught to read and write in Latin and Greek as well as basic arithmetic. This education would usually take place at ________.
When boys grew older they would go on to study law and rhetoric. Women would learn how to run a household, play musical instruments and study literature and poetry
Home
The most important role of a woman in Ancient Roma was that of wife and mother. Roman wives were expected to have ___________
Children
Roman women were not only valued for the number of _________ that they produced, but also for their part in raising children to become __________ Roman citizens.
Valuable
Women from __________ families were expected to bestow values and education upon their _______ to turn them into citizens that would run Rome with __________. Thus, to be able to rear her children to succeed in life, an exemplary Roman mother should be well __________ herself
Wealthy
Sons
Integrity
Educated
Not only were Roman wives expected to raise their children to high moral standards, they were also expected to run the __________ for their husbands
Household
The typical wealthy Roman matron would have _________ to manage as well as normal household duties
Slaves
One of the most important tasks for a woman to fulfil in the household was what?
The spinning of wool to make clothes
The tradition of wives spinning wool was so important to Ancient Romans that _______ was often used as a symbol of wifely duties and ___________ wheels would adorn funerary epitaphs of honourable dead wives
Wool
Spinning
What does Lucretia do which makes her a model of vitue
She kills herself because she was raped and felt unpure
What could have been Livy’s motives in writing the Lucretia story
Money
Interest
Status
The _________ law was passed following the disastrous defeat of the Romans in a war with North African leader Hannibal. Because of the wars many Roman men had died. Their wives and daughters had inherited their lands and money allowing women to become quite rich. The state, in order to help pay for the cost of _______, decided to tap into women’s wealth by passing the ________ law.
Oppian
War
Oppian
What did the Oppian law mean
It limited the amount of gold women could possess and required that all the funds of wards, single women, and widows be deposited with the state. Women were also forbdden to wear dresses with purple trim.
In 195 B.C some __________ proposed eliminating the oppian law. Women in agreement poured into the streets in protest. As a result of the women’s protest, the _________ withdrew their veto and approved he appeal
Tribunes
What did women wear
Tunics:
The peplos
The chiton
The stola
When was the stola warn
At the time of her marriage
How did women display their wealth
Through hairstyles and jewellery
Slaves would spend hours on their hair
If a woman wears lots of fabric then she would probably have been _________
Wealthy
Occupations for poorer women:
Wet nurse Actress Dancer Prostitute Midwife Food vendor
Even after the oppian law was lifter, what were women unable to do
Gain official political power
Enter business
