Roman Women

A detailed Summary of Roman Women

The life of a Woman of Rome was filled with many traditions and rules, which were carried on generation after generation. Many say that Roman women were oppressed because they were not allowed to be an active part of society and politics. The book Roman Women by J.P.V.D. Balsdon gives, what I consider to be, an accurate and detailed account of a typical woman in Rome during the Roman Empire. Balsdon writes about the married women of Rome and the formidable ceremonies needed to perform a wedding. The children that soon came after marriage, which was in itself, another worry for women of the Roman culture. Rome also had its share, like most civilizations, of happy and unhappy marriages that women lived through. In addition, there were the less reputable women of Rome, the prostitutes and courtesans. And last, but not least, Balsdon gives a detailed account of a woman's daily life down to hairstyles, make-up, and jewelry.

A woman's looks were very important in Rome. A woman revealed no more of her body than a nun does today. She usually wore the standard dress called a stola with light undergarments beneath this. It is a rather interesting fact that this style of dress did not change for three hundred years. Purple

The unhappy marriage was one of no children. This happened more than expected and often led to divorce. It was always possible to adopt a son but those were not easily acquired in Rome. With the passing of time, a strain from the childless marriage developed on the husband and wife. Divorce was always an option and in 451 B.C., Roman law recognized it.

After the marriage would take place many expected the couple to soon have children. Roman marriage contracts explicitly stated that marriage existed for the procreation of children. The idea of marriages was often without the romance and glamour that many Americans see it as today. Marriage to many Romans was a necessity for social existence. Because of this, many shied away from it. No one wanted to settle down and pop out several children in the fast moving Rome. Many men picked up mistresses on the side to try and regain, or hold onto, a little of their youth. Of course, it was frowned upon for an unmarried man and woman to have a child. For this reason pregnancy was something short of a disaster. Abortions became popular at this time even though most of them proved fatal to the mother. If abortion was not an option then many illegitimate children were easily left on a lonely hillside to die. Another problem with childbirth in Rome were the numerous amounts of miscarriages. There was also a heavy death toll on both women and children in childbirth. This was another reason for the woman to fear having children. In many instances, women did not survive childbirth. Infant mortality was also high, making childbirth even more aggravating. These are just a few of the factors that frustrated a couple's desire to have children.

This leads us to what some consider the seedier side of Rome. Of course, as in any society, Rome had its fair share of less reputable women. There were two types in Rome: prostitutes and courtesans. Prostitutes were usually foreigners from Egypt or Syria. They wore heavy make-up and a short tunica and toga. They loved bright colors when in came to clothes. Prostitutes did pay a tax, which was the sum in any day that she received from one client. Sometimes the prostitute was independent; sometimes she was an employee of a brothel. Prostitutes catered mostly to the lower class of Rome, particularly to slaves. Many middle and upper class male citizens, however, thought it beneficial to their son's education to visit prostitutes once or twice. It was long thought that Romans were immune to venereal diseases but further research uncovered several cases of syphilis. Courtesans were elegant and expensive ladies of the town. Most of them lived with their mother's who often supported this behavior and shared the profits. It was expensive for a man to hold the interest of an attractive mistress. Most men threw their money to their courtesans instead of wisely investing it in their political game. Courtesans were generally Roman and usually came from respected backgrounds. Besides their beauty, most were talented, cultured, and lively. Some sang, some played musical instruments; some danced, and most were well read. The biggest tragedy for a courtesan was to fall in love wit

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Approximate Word count = 2158
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History