Roman Women Essay

508 Words3 Pages
'The momentum of social change in the Hellenistic world combined with Roman elements to produce the emancipated, but respected, upper class woman. The Roman matron of the late Republic must be viwed against the background of shrewd and politically powerful Hellenistic princesses, expanding cultural opportunities for women, the search for sexual fulfiillment in the context of a declining birthrate, and the individual assertiveness characteristic of the Hellenistic period. The rest of th epicture is Roman; enormous wealth, aristocratic indulgence and display, pragmatism permitting women to exercise leadership during the absence of men on military and governemtn missions of long duration: and, as a final element, a past preceding the influence…show more content…
In childhood, a daughter fell under the sawy of the eldest male ascendant in the fmaily, the pater familias. Male offspring of any age were also subject to the authority of the pater familias, but as adults they were automatically emancipated upon his death. Among females, however, the only automatic legal exemption from the power of the pater familias was among those who became Vestal Virgins, a cultic role reserved for the very few. By the late Republic, tutelage over women was a burden to the men acting as guardinas, but only a slight disability to women. The virtous Cornelia managed a large household and is not reported to have consulted a male guardian even i nher decision to turn down a proposal of marriage. Similarly, a century later, much is said about the financial transactions of Tererntia, Cicero's wife, but nothing about her guardian. The legislation of Augustus provided a way for women to free themselves of the formal supervision by male guardians. According to the "right of three or four children" a freeborn woman who bore three chidlren, and a freedwoman who bore four children were exempt from
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