Roman History question?

Question

I've been reading some roman history and when it comes to the role of women in ancient Rome, some books say they had already a big importance in society (besides being mothers) and also had more independence and rights than women for example in the middle ages.
but I also read that their power was only at home (as an ancient house keeper) and in society they didn't have any powers (they weren’t even considered citizens of Rome or could vote).
And then we have Cleopatra that although she was Egyptian, arrived at Rome as the queen of Egypt and roman leaders made deals and propositions with her as equals and she was receive as their leader (something unheard of 1000 years later).
Do you know if roman women were really ahead of their time in relation to human rights and power in society ....or not really?

Answer 1

I think the operative word is "history." If we go by strict Roman historical dates then from the (mythical) founding of the city on April 21, 753 b.c., to the "fall" of the city to Odoacer on September 4 476 a.d. covers a period of 1,229 years - the role of women in Roman society changed, radically, over this period as Rome went from a small settlement to a major cosmopolis.
To put it another way, is the role of women in American society the same today as it was in 1776? Think of the changes in women's rights and powers over 200 years of our history and we can begin to understand the changing role of women in ancient Rome.
One thing both American and Rome have in common is that from the beginning of their cultures, women had a higher status when compared to their neighbors. As we can tell from ancient stories (Rape of Lucretia, etc. ) Roman women had more "freedom" than Athenian women, for example. A Roman woman could go out with her face uncovered, oversee business, etc. while Athenian women lived in women's quarters unvisited except for female friends or male members of her immediate family. As time passed, and Rome grew, the concept of "Roman blood" developed and the status of women grew, they could inherit property, join women's religious groups (Bon Dea, etc. - religion was under male-political control during the Republic. But even at the "height" of women's freedom at the end of the republic, every woman was under the legal domination of the "pater familias" or head of the family if he cared to legally assert it ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pater_familias ) The other "pink ceiling" in ancient Rome is politics. Any woman even thought to be influencing politics was vilified by historians (as Livy does to Livia- the idea of her as a power-mad poisoner belongs to ancient propaganda and modern "bad" fiction and has little hard evidence to back it up - thank you "I Claudius!") One of the key propaganda ploys of ancient Rome from late republic to mid-empire is to portray and enemy as so effete and backward as to allow women to rule. This concept was used by Augustus in his war against Cleopatra (he never declared war on Anthony, but on the "corrupt" queen. Likewise the Britano-Celts with Boadicea and the Syrians with Zenobia were portrayed as bad nations where women ruled in their wars with Rome. So in answer to your question: The role of women changed over the 1,000 year history of Rome, but generally under both the republic and empire, women lived more open lives than most cultures of their time. Here is a good site with an overview of women's lives in ancient Rome. http://www.moyak.com/researcher/resume/papers/roman_women.html

Answer 2

Roman women were certainly not ahead in the sense of rights and emancipation. Quite the opposite. What you describe above is correct. They were in charge of their household, but that was it. No say in public life, politics, business etc.
And once a Roman woman married, she and all her inheritance became the property of her husband. This tradition was actually inherited by medieval Christian Europe and is the main reason for the strong male dominance in modern western culture.

In the East things were quite different and women had more rights and influence, although specifics were different in the various civilisations. The main principle in the East is and always was the balanced equality between male and female (Yin & Yang) while in the West the Roman principle of male superiority prevailed.
Cleopatra, as the Queen of Egypt, was an absolute ruler with (theoretically) unlimited powers. And when the Romans made deals with her, it was as a ruler and not as a woman.

Answer 3

Quite interesting question.

Check it out within the links. They have complete information about woman in Roman culture.


Woman ruled over man during several situations.

Rude tribes in middle of mongolia left to thier wars and womans toke play of main rulers (over man left to behind). They found one tomb where the woman where like a high chief. Same happened in Ancient Pre colombian, where they found another queen ruler tomb. After, while greeks and then, Romans males tooke the power, womans' position started to decay, until the end of roman empire and rise of catholic era, where Woman took less and less important rule. (Even Maometh's wife were an important ruler at that time, before he married to her.)

what is important is: Womans always learned how to rule. during medieval age, they just did it under cover or an indirect way.

"...Compared to the status of the female sex in other cultures,the Roman woman enjoyed a certain honour and respect within society even though she had no political rights as a person.Roman tradition stated that all women should be treated with honour and respect. As Roman men were consitered the masters of their house,the Roman female was consitered the mistress of the house and was expected to rule it wisely in the absence of the man. Most Roman females did many of the tasks that were usually done by the male due to increased absence of due to politics and war.Also,REoman women were responsible for the education of both the girls and young boys in the household.

Between the Roman woman and her Greek counterpart there are many notable and fundamental differences.Unlike the Athenian woman,the Roman matron took an active interest in the affairs of the state and the household.Also,the Roman woman had a great degree of personal freedom when compared to her Greek counterpart.The Roman woman was free to enter and leave her house and travel along the streets and she was also allowed to attend the public baths and the Games at the arena whereas the Greek woman spent most of her time indoors.

During the early history of Rome, the woman lived a busy life.As a rule,Roman women did not go to school and were taught anything they would need from their mother.The time for a woman's learning was usually very short as she was married by the age of fifteen and started having children soon after...."

Answer 4

They did have power as you say behind the scenes, but during the Augustus' rule his wife Livia, was notorious for making her own politics, having Augustine's heirs killed, by her special doctor till her son, Tiberius from a previous marriage, was his only heir. Women were also allowed to be Roman Citizen if there were born into a Roman family. Cleopatra was Julius Caesar's concubine and the mother of his son. They were both killed by Octavian (who later took on the name Caesar Augustus
I do believe that woman in wealthy families were able to own property but they could not vote. as in any patriarchal society women were second class citizens but if they were smart they did play a signifcant role behind the scenes.

Answer 5

Oh, man, here I go.
In Roman times, Rome was a lot of little tribes forced under the rule of one man. It changed as each man came into power. Also, the Roman Empire lasted thousands of years, so sometimes women were more valued than during other periods.
Try looking at the story of the warrior Queen Boduccia.

www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/boudicca.shtm

Answer 6

Rome is undoubtedly one probably the most beautiful towns on the planet; each year countless tourists result from around the world to appreciate the secrets and projects of Roman artwork and structure and to be one you will need to begin with Hotelbye . One of the very famous of Rome's many sections is Piazza Navona. That place keeps the shape of the Stadium of Domitian that after stood here. Piazza Navona was builted by Emperor Domitian in 86 AD and has three wonderful fountains.

Answer 7

No, not really. In fact, the Roman satirist, Juvenal, severely poked fun at women and how that a woman shouldn't be smarter than her husband.

Cleopatra was NOT Egyptian; she was Greek as Egypt was a Greek entity at the time and Cleopatra's ancestry went back to Ptolemy.

Answer 8

Rome was founded. It became a city. Romans gradually conquered most of the known world. The Romans began to value comfort over responsibility and gave up governing themselves and defending themselves. Rome was overrun (repeatedly) by outsiders who took all the loot that Roman armies had collected from most of the known world. Rome left us roads and bureaucrats. I think that hits the high points...

Answer 9

Roman history is more or less like Pharaonic history of Moses' time

Answer 10

yes they were ahead of they time