Women had few freedoms in ancient Rome. Their only legal occupation was motherhood while freeborn men had numerous options within the metropolis. And while television shows might portray ancient Rome as some sexual paradise for women, the day to day lives of women were a far cry from a pleasure paradise.
Three’s the Charm to Some Freedom
The sole purpose of the women of ancient Rome was to produce children, and women, of course, were viewed as property. While adult women were not supposed to leave their homes without guardians to make sure they were behaving themselves, there was one law that gave women a bit of freedom.
Under Emperor Augustus, it was decided that women who had a lot of children should be rewarded for their fecundity. Called “ius triorum liberorum,” women who gave birth to three children were allowed to ditch their guardians.
Her Virginity was Not Her Own
A girl did not own her body and she did not take control of her own virginity. Instead, a young Roman girl was owned by her father. He was the one who would arrange her marriage and decide who would claim her virginity. The girl had little to no choice in the matter.
Caught in the Act
Women were expected to remain true and faithful to their husbands while their husbands could sleep with slaves, boys, prostitutes, and other unmarried women whenever they desired. However, there were many incidents where women would take on a lover. Sometimes the lover was another freeborn man and sometimes it was a slave.
A woman taking on a lover in ancient Rome was risky business. If her husband caught her in the act with the other man, he had the right to kill her then and there. If she was sleeping with a slave, the slave would also be murdered.
No Lounging Around
When it came to dining, only men were socially allowed to lounge back to eat. Moral women were supposed to eat sitting up. Sitting in a reclined position was a superior, male position. However, sexually active women of the freeborn class were portrayed in the reclining position while dining.
Infertility
Infertility was almost always blamed on the woman, as was a childless marriage. In both of these cases, the husband had a legal right to divorce his wife and send her packing back to her family.
Political Opinions
Women were not allowed to get involved in Roman politics. In fact, Cato the Elder became so annoyed when women felt the need to get involved in politics that he told the Senate the women should not even be allowed an opinion in political matters. Never mind that man’s politics affected their everyday lives, women were expected to shut up and do as they were told.
Uncontrollable Animals
Ultimately, many men in ancient Rome viewed women as animals that were incapable of self control. Their goal was to prevent women from ever gaining any sense of freedom. They believed that if women would get even the slightest taste of what it was like to be a free man, they would take over and men would be doomed.
According to Senator Cato, “If you allow them [women] one right after another, so that in the end they have complete equality with men, do you think you will find them bearable? Nonsense!”
Lucky to have Survived Babyhood
Being born female was not a good thing in a metropolis that preferred sons. In fact, freeborn citizens of Rome might only keep one daughter, the first born daughter, and surrender the following daughters to the elements. With female infanticide so rampant, it didn’t take long before males outnumbered females in the freeborn class by as much as 17 percent.
