Women In The Ancient World
We have grown to know and learn that women in the ancient world inferior and had less status than men, because of the patriarchy system of government. In the ancient world, most of the societies were patriarchal; which is a society or government that is bee controlled by men. However, there were some exceptions to this social system. Not all ancient world considered women inferior beings to men, because in some part of the ancient world, women were priestesses, pharaohs, entertainers, goddesses and even noble wealthy women.
MARRIAGE
In both Egypt and Mesopotamia, marriages for women begins as soon as they reached puberty, which is around twelve years of age. They both had bride prices paid by the groom’s family, and gifts sent to the father …show more content…
of the bride. But in Egypt, the government was less involved in marriages, they were allowed to marry individuals of their own because falling in love was ideal but in Mesopotamia, their marriages were arranged, even though they believed in falling in love, it was not practiced in real life; that is why they cannot marry individuals of their own. In Egypt women still owned, control and managed their properties even upon marriage, but the husband in Mesopotamia controls the marital assets. Divorces were granted to the women in Egypt by the law as well as in Mesopotamia through the code of Hammurabi.
In ancient Hebrew, Greece and Rome, marriage is usually passed down through the mothers to the daughters. Marriages back then were arranged by the parents of both parties and there were payment of dowries. But in Hebrew, Rome and parts of Greece excluding Sparta, the women marry around twelve years old. But in Sparta, the women marry a little late which increases the life span of women and also reduces the death of women at child birth. In Rome and Sparta, women own their personal wealth, properties, lands, and also engage in political affairs and economic power. But women in Hebrew and other parts of Greece stayed humble and were controlled by their husbands. Divorce was almost impossible for the Hebrew women, but in Greece and Rome the dowries were returned by their husbands in the case of divorce and their husbands have to still support the children.
SOCIETY AND CULTURE; POLITICAL/ECONOMICAL
In Egypt and Mesopotamia, both women have to take care of the household which includes teaching the children how to read and write, cook, weave, and also about their culture. In Egypt, women were consider having equal rights and inheritance with men. They even had female pharaohs like Cleopatra VII, Hatshepsut, Arsinoe II (who ruled with her husband), and Ptolemy II. The women had lots of legal rights, they could engage in businesses which includes buying and selling of their private property; for example slaves, livestock, land, money, tangible and intangible goods. They also free their slaves, adopt, borrow money, sign contracts and engage in any kind of legal settlements on their own. Upon the death of their husband, the wives receives two third of the inheritance and one third is shared among the children. In the case where there were no children, the husband can will all of his inheritance to his wife by adopting her, peradventure he did not will any to his brothers/sisters. While in Mesopotamia, women were known by associating them with their families, like been her father’s daughter or her husband’s wife. The father or husband were usually the head of the house, whereby women were not really independent from a male figure in their lives. Sons were more appreciated than daughters and they were considered the heir of the family, but in Egypt, children were loved and are considered equal regardless of their sexes. They women ha d little freedom that allows them to engage in some type of trade like in the production of food, weaving, selling of clothes, perfume/incense and been a midwife. They were also sold as prostitute or to the temple to be a priestess, which was an important role and considered a thing of honour in the society. Priestesses were considered powerful as the likes of Enheduanna; she was a high priestess and also known as the first female poet.
Women in Hebrew, Greece and Rome also trained the children by teaching them how to read, write and learn about their culture.
They were all under the control of their pater familias which is known as the male figure head. Drinking of wine and alcoholic drink were prohibited and it is punishable by death if caught, except from the Spartan women who were allowed to drink because they believe it helps the women fertility. Hebrew women were considered as a property to their fathers if they were not married and husbands if they were married. They had no rights in the society, no education, except for giving birth to children. They however encountered Hellenism which some people in the society reacted negatively, while the others reacted positively which were the Jewish people. This made the Jewish women have right in the society, their voices were heard in the business world by acquiring wealth, political and having quality education. In earlier Greece, men and women were considered equal because of the existence of goddesses, and women were powerful, had influence like Queen Helen, Clytemnestra and Penelope. But women were confirmed to the chores in the household, not allowed to work outside of their houses but they could attend festivals, go to the market with some company, except in Sparta, where women were fed equally with men because their main job is childbearing, and they were also educated and trained in athletics like men. In Rome, women had rights to engage in business, politics and accumulate wealth. This was influenced by the Hellenistic society. They could sign contracts or will, engage in businesses with the help of her guardian. Rome and Greece gives female the name of their father but in a feminine way, to be legally free and independent of their pater familias; such women have to be vestal virgin. They can inherit properties; if they were in an upper class society, they were allowed to go to the market, festivals, banquets and friends. Even though they
had public role, political and economic power, they were still restricted in holding political and religious offices.
In conclusion, I would say that the women from Rome and Egypt as lucky women. Even though they were not totally free and equal to men, but they did enjoy some type of freedom and engaged in the financial, political, social, economic and religious world. Egyptians took good care of their women, treated them better than any of the civilized ancient world did. They achieved equality in pay, status or in character with their men.
MARRIAGE
In both Egypt and Mesopotamia, marriages for women begins as soon as they reached puberty, which is around twelve years of age. They both had bride prices paid by the groom’s family, and gifts sent to the father …show more content…
of the bride. But in Egypt, the government was less involved in marriages, they were allowed to marry individuals of their own because falling in love was ideal but in Mesopotamia, their marriages were arranged, even though they believed in falling in love, it was not practiced in real life; that is why they cannot marry individuals of their own. In Egypt women still owned, control and managed their properties even upon marriage, but the husband in Mesopotamia controls the marital assets. Divorces were granted to the women in Egypt by the law as well as in Mesopotamia through the code of Hammurabi.
In ancient Hebrew, Greece and Rome, marriage is usually passed down through the mothers to the daughters. Marriages back then were arranged by the parents of both parties and there were payment of dowries. But in Hebrew, Rome and parts of Greece excluding Sparta, the women marry around twelve years old. But in Sparta, the women marry a little late which increases the life span of women and also reduces the death of women at child birth. In Rome and Sparta, women own their personal wealth, properties, lands, and also engage in political affairs and economic power. But women in Hebrew and other parts of Greece stayed humble and were controlled by their husbands. Divorce was almost impossible for the Hebrew women, but in Greece and Rome the dowries were returned by their husbands in the case of divorce and their husbands have to still support the children.
SOCIETY AND CULTURE; POLITICAL/ECONOMICAL
In Egypt and Mesopotamia, both women have to take care of the household which includes teaching the children how to read and write, cook, weave, and also about their culture. In Egypt, women were consider having equal rights and inheritance with men. They even had female pharaohs like Cleopatra VII, Hatshepsut, Arsinoe II (who ruled with her husband), and Ptolemy II. The women had lots of legal rights, they could engage in businesses which includes buying and selling of their private property; for example slaves, livestock, land, money, tangible and intangible goods. They also free their slaves, adopt, borrow money, sign contracts and engage in any kind of legal settlements on their own. Upon the death of their husband, the wives receives two third of the inheritance and one third is shared among the children. In the case where there were no children, the husband can will all of his inheritance to his wife by adopting her, peradventure he did not will any to his brothers/sisters. While in Mesopotamia, women were known by associating them with their families, like been her father’s daughter or her husband’s wife. The father or husband were usually the head of the house, whereby women were not really independent from a male figure in their lives. Sons were more appreciated than daughters and they were considered the heir of the family, but in Egypt, children were loved and are considered equal regardless of their sexes. They women ha d little freedom that allows them to engage in some type of trade like in the production of food, weaving, selling of clothes, perfume/incense and been a midwife. They were also sold as prostitute or to the temple to be a priestess, which was an important role and considered a thing of honour in the society. Priestesses were considered powerful as the likes of Enheduanna; she was a high priestess and also known as the first female poet.
Women in Hebrew, Greece and Rome also trained the children by teaching them how to read, write and learn about their culture.
They were all under the control of their pater familias which is known as the male figure head. Drinking of wine and alcoholic drink were prohibited and it is punishable by death if caught, except from the Spartan women who were allowed to drink because they believe it helps the women fertility. Hebrew women were considered as a property to their fathers if they were not married and husbands if they were married. They had no rights in the society, no education, except for giving birth to children. They however encountered Hellenism which some people in the society reacted negatively, while the others reacted positively which were the Jewish people. This made the Jewish women have right in the society, their voices were heard in the business world by acquiring wealth, political and having quality education. In earlier Greece, men and women were considered equal because of the existence of goddesses, and women were powerful, had influence like Queen Helen, Clytemnestra and Penelope. But women were confirmed to the chores in the household, not allowed to work outside of their houses but they could attend festivals, go to the market with some company, except in Sparta, where women were fed equally with men because their main job is childbearing, and they were also educated and trained in athletics like men. In Rome, women had rights to engage in business, politics and accumulate wealth. This was influenced by the Hellenistic society. They could sign contracts or will, engage in businesses with the help of her guardian. Rome and Greece gives female the name of their father but in a feminine way, to be legally free and independent of their pater familias; such women have to be vestal virgin. They can inherit properties; if they were in an upper class society, they were allowed to go to the market, festivals, banquets and friends. Even though they
had public role, political and economic power, they were still restricted in holding political and religious offices.
In conclusion, I would say that the women from Rome and Egypt as lucky women. Even though they were not totally free and equal to men, but they did enjoy some type of freedom and engaged in the financial, political, social, economic and religious world. Egyptians took good care of their women, treated them better than any of the civilized ancient world did. They achieved equality in pay, status or in character with their men.