Roman Women Vs Medieval Women

Kevin McKenzie

Mrs. Drogos

AP European History

29 August 2014 Throughout recorded history, women have generally been assigned a role inferior to males. In both the days of Rome (753 BC – 476 AD) and of Medieval Europe (~500-1485 AD), patriarchy reigned. While acknowledging this fact, the question can be asked: What constitutes a better position in society for women? A better position in society is composed primarily of freedoms, rights, and education. Although women, both Roman and Medieval, were almost entirely subject to the authority of their fathers and husbands, Roman women possessed superior socioeconomic standing compared to their Medieval counterparts, beginning with their childhood education and continuing into adulthood
and marriage. Women of ancient Rome and of the Middle Ages had little say in how their lives were run. In Rome, a woman legally only possessed one third of herself. The other two thirds were the property of her father until she married, when one third was then owned by her husband (Kamm).
Medieval women fared no better, completely dominated by male members of their family while unmarried. They were expected to instantly obey any command given by a male member of the family. Any unruly behavior often resulted in harsh beatings (Alchen). Roman women experienced abuses too, for it was common and completely within the law for men to beat their wives (Shelton). Also, only men reserved the right to have a voice in politics in medieval society. Women had no right to vote, and there is little evidence that they had any sway in society whatsoever. Roman women, however, while still unable to vote, did have an influence in the political realm. The repealing of the Oppian Law is a prime example of this. The Oppian law was put into action by Gaius Oppius after Rome was defeated by Hannibal at Cannae in 216 BC with the intent to reduce spending on luxury items. In essence, this law stated “no woman should possess more than half an ounce of gold, wear a dress dyed in a variety of colors, or ride in a horse-drawn carriage in a city or town or within a mile of it except on holy days” (Kamm). In 195 BC it was proposed by two tribunes to the tribal assembly that the law should be repealed, but the
other two tribunes (both named Brutus) announced they would veto the repeal. It is reported that, “The next day, joined by others from the suburbs, [women] mass-picketed the homes of the two Brutuses, and only agreed to cease demonstrating if the veto was withdrawn. This was done, and the motion to rescind the law was carried unanimously” (Kamm). Later, in an address to the tribunes who intended to veto the repeal, Lucius Valerius, one of the tribunes opposing the veto, chastised those in favor of the veto, saying, “How haughty are our ears, if we resent the entreaties of decent women” (Livius). The Roman men’s willingness to listen to women portrays a society where, despite the dominance of males, women’s interests and desires are heeded, even if not completely respected. Society’s view of women in the workforce differed between the Roman and Medieval worlds. Women in the middle ages, before getting married, lived a laborious life. Low and middle class women performed many of the same trades as males of their same class, however they were payed significantly less; often two-thirds or less of what men made for a day of the same work. As a result, women had to occupy several trades at once to make a living wage (Trueman). Once married, life changed drastically for these women. They were expected to work in the fields with their husbands, whilst managing the household, preparing all meals, and making clothes for a family. It was their job to stay home when the husband went out for leisure or pleasure (Camelot Intl). Roman women however, while considered “the weaker sex and ignorant in business and legal matters,” had a greater quality of life both when single and married compared to Medieval women (Shelton). Roman women, although small in number, had a chance to occupy a number of jobs. There is documentation based on inscriptions found on tombstones of female doctors, clerks, secretaries, hairdressers, teachers, dressmakers, and wool/silk merchants (Shelton). Roman women were allowed to attend amphitheaters, dinner parties, and shows with their husbands, as well as go to the public baths (Mason). While women of Rome still had to meet the demands and expectations of sometimes cruel husbands, they undoubtedly had a higher living standard than late medieval women who were often expected to be seen and not heard, and whose primary function was to manage the house. Education was not as important in the Middle ages as it was in Rome. Girls of all classes in Medieval Europe received minimal education. There were a few exceptions to this, mostly in the case of royalty and nobility, wherein girls were taught basic reading skills in order to perform necessary functions. So, unless a girl was put in a nunnery by her parents, where reading and writing of scripture were taught, she lived her life without any form of literacy. The only “education” provided to girls was basic instruction on how to be a good wife, live a moral life, care for children, and manage the house (Newman). In contrast, most Roman girls, regardless of class, received some form of education. Although most did not go on past primary school, the majority of Roman girls were taught to read and write and perform simple mathematics, usually by a Grammaticus, all in the same classroom as young Roman boys. In some cases, parents chose to educate their children at home. However, even though most girls stopped attending school after being married, there are records of educated, scholarly Roman women. A prominent educated Roman woman was Sempronia. She was from a good family and married with children. She extensively studied both Greek and Latin, accompanied her own singing with the lyre, wrote poetry, danced gracefully, and was a fantastic conversationalist (Kamm). Both the men and women of Rome admired her as a role model. This can be said of very few Medieval women, for it seemed ludicrous to the culture of the time that women should ever perform duties outside their roles as a housekeeper. Not even considering the quality, but rather the simple fact that Roman women received some form education, aided in giving them a more prominent, respected place in society than medieval women. In both societies, girls were married at a very young age. Often children would be married as soon as they reached sexual maturity, usually around twelve years old for girls and fifteen for boys (brown.edu). It has also common for the girls barely of age to marry older men for political and social reasons. All marriages, middle class and above, were arranged by the father of the daughter and the father of the groom to be or the groom himself (Shelton). Although both cultures were similar in their practices of marriage, it is divorce where they differ. In the middle ages, divorce was near impossible. Only if the couple was sexually incapable of having offspring, or if was found that one of the consummators was underage, was divorce legal (Balsdon). This is in stark contrast to Rome, where divorces could happen on a whim, initiated by either the wife or the husband. The divorce rate was much smaller among the lower classes, where people actually had the opportunity to marry for love rather than political and financial interest or family obligation (Shelton). Although divorce is the only liberty in marriage in which Roman women clearly superior rights than Medieval women, it is significant enough that it portrays a clear advantage when it comes to marital matters. Medieval Europe and Rome, in how women were viewed, were similar in many ways. Men took a clearly superior place in society, leaving women to tend only inferior societal roles. Women in Rome were educated more thoroughly however, and possessed superior opportunity concerning divorce. Despite the oppression and negative treatment occurring in both these patriarchal societies toward women, when it came to socioeconomic standing, education as a child, and freedoms concerning marriage, Roman women possessed a superior place in society than the Women of the middle ages. Works Cited
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