Roman Women: A Case Study

In Ancient Roman society, women did not have many rights or freedoms. They lacked most legal and political rights, and had little power or influence (PBS. 2006.). Most women were totally dependent on men in this society, as they shared the rank of their husbands and fathers (Hennessy, D. 1990:35.), and they were also expected to be completely submissive to these males; being a good mother and wife was the most important role in a roman women’s life (Cartwright, M. 2014.), as men and women were not seen as equal (PBS. 2006.). Women were found in both the low and high status, were usually confined to a life consisting of marriage and raising a family, and had limited legal and political rights.

If a woman was born into a family of a low status, it was almost impossible for them to move up the ranks. Prostitutes, …show more content…
1990:35.) As with most aspects of their lives, they were very dependent on men in issues of law, in which a woman needed a male to “act in their interests” (Cartwright, M. 2014), as they could not defend themselves. In 56 BC, when Cicero was testifying against Clodia, a woman of the elite class whom was accused of attempted murder, he stated, “Did I built the road so that you could parade with other women’s husbands?” This encompasses not only the attitudes that men had towards women in general in this society, but also just how little power or say these women had in their own lives. Also, children in Ancient Rome were legally required to be under guardianship. Roman males stopped being under guardianship when they hit puberty, but females were required to have a guardian for much longer. Women usually had a guardian until they had children, sometimes even longer than that, as they were believed to be “scatterbrained” (Lefkawitz, M.K. & Fant, M.M. 1982:101.) No matter what class or family a woman belonged to in Ancient Rome, one thing that they all shared were their lack of legal