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, gladiators and actors were viewed equally negatively and, prostitutes in particular, were not treated like humans (Weisner, L. 2015:2). Prostitution was abundant in Ancient Rome, with primary evidence to support this. Graffiti was found on a wall in Pompeii, stating, “Sabina, you suck, you do not do it well”, which implies that these women were viewed as objects. This may have been due to the fact that prostitutes did not have a father or a husband to protect them (Weisner, L. 2015:2), so the men who used these prostitutes would not have had to face punishment or confrontation for their actions. Sex with female slaves, unless it affected their value, was “not considered an injury” (Lefkavitz, M.K. & Fant, M.B. 1982:115). There is also evidence of there being female gladiators (Marble relief of female gladiators. GR 1847.4-24.19). Despite this being a predominately male field, women were involved on occasion. This marble relief portraying female gladiators also shows that they did not have helmets, which would have been given to male gladiators. These women would have been slaves or criminals bought by a lanista and forced to train and fight in the arena. Women of a low status in Ancient Rome were common, and viewed as lesser than both people of a higher status and their male counterparts. Women in Ancient Rome could be wealthy and of a high status (Hennessy, D. 1990:35), but still had to rely on men as women had no influence (Hennessy, D. 1990:36). These women almost certainly would have had to be born into a family of a high status. They could have also gained her husbands status if he was of a higher status than her, but this was unlikely, as it would not benefit the man. The one exception to this, a situation where a woman could climb the ranks without a man, was priestesses. Priestesses were quite influential in ancient Roman society (Hennessy, D. 1990:35). A marble statue of a priestess (Marble statue of a Roman priestess. GR 1873.8-20.741.) conveys how coveted priestesses were, as there is a lack of evidence of artwork or sculptures of women from Ancient Rome without a husband or children. The Vestal Virgins were a type of priestess whom were honoured by the community and carried out sacrifices, which was viewed …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
If a woman was born into a family of a low status, it was almost impossible for them to move up the ranks. Prostitutes, gladiators and actors were viewed equally negatively and, prostitutes in particular, were not treated like humans (Weisner, L. 2015:2). Prostitution was abundant in Ancient Rome, with primary evidence to support this. Graffiti was found on a wall in Pompeii, stating, “Sabina, you suck, you do not do it well”, which implies that these women were viewed as objects. This may have been due to the fact that prostitutes did not have a father or a husband to protect them (Weisner, L. 2015:2), so the men who used these prostitutes would not have had to face punishment or confrontation for their actions. Sex with female slaves, unless it affected their value, was “not considered an injury” (Lefkavitz, M.K. & Fant, M.B. 1982:115). There is also evidence of there being female gladiators (Marble relief of female gladiators. GR 1847.4-24.19). Despite this being a predominately male field, women were involved on occasion. This marble relief portraying female gladiators also shows that they did not have helmets, which would have been given to male gladiators. These women would have been slaves or criminals bought by a lanista and forced to train and fight in the arena. Women of a low status in Ancient Rome were common, and viewed as lesser than both people of a higher status and their male counterparts. Women in Ancient Rome could be wealthy and of a high status (Hennessy, D. 1990:35), but still had to rely on men as women had no influence (Hennessy, D. 1990:36). These women almost certainly would have had to be born into a family of a high status. They could have also gained her husbands status if he was of a higher status than her, but this was unlikely, as it would not benefit the man. The one exception to this, a situation where a woman could climb the ranks without a man, was priestesses. Priestesses were quite influential in ancient Roman society (Hennessy, D. 1990:35). A marble statue of a priestess (Marble statue of a Roman priestess. GR 1873.8-20.741.) conveys how coveted priestesses were, as there is a lack of evidence of artwork or sculptures of women from Ancient Rome without a husband or children. The Vestal Virgins were a type of priestess whom were honoured by the community and carried out sacrifices, which was viewed …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