Roman Men & Women

Roman Patriarchy

The core of Roman society was the family
The oldest male in every family was called the paterfamilias
The paterfamilias was in charge of all family matters
The paterfamilias made every family decision
This powerful patriarch could put members of his family on trial
The powerful paterfamilias could punish and execute family members for breaking Roman family norms
When the Twelve Tables were placed throughout Rome, it limited what the paterfamilias could do (he still had control of his family, though)

Roman boys from poor families received very little education
These poor boys did not read or write
Roman poor boys had to find work at an early age
Boys from wealthy families were sent to school to learn reading, writing, and math
Boys that went to school also studied public speaking
Long poems had to be memorized (mistakes were punished with beatings)
After the age of 14, boys that attended school would continue their education if they were going to pursue government jobs
At the age of 17, boys were now men and registered for Roman citizenship
Roman girls that came from wealthy families could learn basic reading, writing, and math at home, if they were lucky
Mostly, though, girls learned housework and prepared for marriage (girls were able to marry as young as 12)

Roman women had more rights than Greek women
Men had complete authority over women
Husbands, fathers, brothers were superior to women
Women could not vote or have a government job
Some women could own property and run their own business
Women that had powerful husbands could have some political influence
The wife managed the house and finances (from wealthy families)
Slaves did all the real labor (hard work)
Marriages were not really about love (they were arranged to benefit the families)
Divorce was allowed (it was quite easy)
Some politicians would remarry to win support from important families

Olive Vista STEAM Magnet Middle School Student