women Flashcards
women as wives
rights severely limited in favour of husband
12 tables in divorce rights
ideal to make sure husband was successful
this may have been respectful at the time
average marriage age mid-teens
‘open’ marriages of late republic allowing women to divorce
role of paterfamilias for women
very harsh attitude towards wives, punished accordingly
but can examples be taken at face value
metellus beats wife to death for drinking wine
husbands basically given free-reign
fathers had almost absolute power over kids- could sell into slavery
restriction of actions as a mother
virtuous women
lucretia (livy)- commits suicide to ‘preserve family from shame’
seen to exemplify womanly virtue- in livys period
ideals of virtue honour and dignity - anything to not have infamia
if you are not doing the family damage, you’re doing good
strong women
ability of women (all patricians) to make voices heard in male society
sabine women (livy)- unique for time period
more common (still very rare) later- acceptance?
coriolaus’ mother
both sets of women stop rome form war and protect city in their actions
women equally devoted to state and home life
vestel virgins
30 year vow of virginity and pure reputation
women seen to embody virtues described by livy
have to be special to be allowed into very exclusive, only female priesthood in city
virgins buried alive to protect state- because they had lost virginity
caesar/augustus’ women
caesar’s julia and cornelia- political marriages
domus of augustus - meant to represent female virtues and be example for empire
augustan reforms on marriage can only marry within class
augustus’ julia - seen to disrespect family and rome by commiting adultery
primary sources
12 tables
valerius maximus- metellus’ wife
livy- sabine women, lucretia, coriolaus’ mother
secondary sources
culham- male writers use women as tools to either enhance or degrade ‘ moral order and thereby the security of the state’
