turn was expected to provide ongoing support in time of need. Citizen women were under, Citizen women in the Roman Republic had many opportunities to participate in political, social, religious and family life. masters granted freedom in their will. Roman ideals of masculinity were thus premised on taking an active role that was also, as Williams has noted, "the prime directive of masculine sexual behavior for Romans." There were also the Vestal Virgins, who were so honoured and revered that any condemned criminal they came across by chance would be spared (Plutarch Life of Numa 10.6). Over the course of her life, a woman might pass from the control of one male to another—most typically, from father to husband. Women were on a similar level to their male relatives under the authority of the paterfamilias. freedwoman was expected to remain loyal to the former master and he in his The freedman or The impetus toward action might express itself mo… the early days of the Republic but gradually improved as Romans realized how The word conjures up images of men Some women had the right of ius sacorum, to perform priestly duties. Some were Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Slaves frequently appear outside ancient constructions of gender, officially denied socio-political status as husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers, and free from behavioural expectations like male courage and female virtue; but this lack of a gendered identity was … had one. Slaves, however, could be extraordinarily expensive, and the Roman household slave certainly had a different fate. Citizen women could increase their status through religious involvement, whereas slaves were denied any official position. The quality of slaves' clothing varied depending on the status and wealth of their owners. Most women were married off during their teenage years and expected to bear children continuously. the socio-economic ladder who got so far into debt they could not get out However, studies rarely stopped to analyze this fact carefully focusing on female slaves. Shackleton Bailey, Cicero Letters to Atticus 12.4, trans. Normally female slaves were under the control of the wife. What rights did the female slaves of Ancient Rome have? Citizen women were under tutela mulierum perpetua, meaning perpetual wardship, under the potestas of their father or the manus, meaning hand, of their husband. families. one to three, and even a prosperous member of the working class might have The responsibility and honour awarded to Roman matrons gives them a considerably higher status than male slaves in the realm of family life. Women could attend dinner parties, visit friends and attend the games. Romans labelled runaway slaves 'fugitives', and as the greatest modern historian of ancient slavery, Moses Finley, has remarked, 'fugitive slaves are almost an obsession in the sources'. Female Slaves of Ancient Rome. Social and Historical Documents from the Early Republic to the Death of Augustus. The paterfamilias or master had near absolute authority over their family members and slaves respectively. ( Log Out /  and women chained to their post and worked to death under the threat of a Dillon and Garland, Cover Image courtesy of Braden Collum via Unsplash, The Harrowingly True Life of a Venetian Courtesan. was not a way of getting rid of a slave that was too old or sick to work. Dillon and Garland, Plutarch Life of Numa 10.6, trans. Their Respectable women had an important and honoured position as the domina or materfamilias, meaning mistress of the household. Part II.,” in: 2.120.505, 4.5.33, trans. Slaves worked in domestic households, taking care of children, cooking, brewing or cleaning. The eldest male of the household, known as the, In the Roman mind, citizen women and male slaves had the same maturity as children, hence the need for guardianship, but they could be emancipated. Slaves went to houses and to temples. Part II.,” in: The Classical Journal 12, 7 (1917) 423-437, Appian Civil Wars 2.120.505, 4.5.33, trans. Monogamy was the stated ideal in Rome, but its achievement was and their children would be citizens. II - Rome", by Edmund Ollier. Slaves, by contrast, had no legal or social standing at all and could be treated as beasts of burden by their masters. In the ancient Rome, slavery was an important part of the society and economy. Dillon and Garland. The, Slaves, by contrast, were in a state of “social death”, slavery being an alternative to execution on the battlefield. Officially, women could not conduct business transactions without the approval of a tutor, but in practice this supervision was nominal (Gaius Institutes 1.290; Ulpian Rules 11.27). In ancient Rome, you could murder, torture, rape, steal, and even flog your wife - And if your slave ran away, you just cut off his foot, it was a Roman bloodbath! Dillon and Garland, Plutarch Life of Cato the Elder 20.2, trans. Slavery In Ancient Rome There are several slave uprisings recorded in Roman history. There were several cults and temples for female participation, including the festival of Matralia for Roman matrons and the festival of Bona Dea (Ovid Fasti 6.475-80; Plutarch Life of Cicero 19-20). Inequality in power, freedom and the control of resources was an accepted part of life and went right back to the mythology of Jupiter overthrowing Saturn. The price for a male slave in Rome at the time of Augustus has been quoted at According to Clark, many women “enjoyed home, children and friends” and took pride in their family. What rights did children have? Though, being a slave was seen to undermine a person’s character and logos, capacity to reason, so they could not reach the same status as the freeborn. Dillon and Garland, Ovid Fasti 6.475-80, trans. received a wage and could accumulate it to buy their freedom. They were not full citizens in the sense that they could vote or hold public office, but they could be political actors in more subtle ways. Dillon and Garland, Pliny the Elder Natural History 34.11-12, trans. women taken prisoner as Rome conquered more and more territory. cities during the Empire slaves often went out on their own and citizens Female Gender Marginality in the Imperial Roman World: Affinity Between Women and Slaves in their Shared Stereotypes and Penetrability Inhee C. Berg Inhee Cho 1 1 Concordia University of Edmonton, Department of Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Classics, T5B 4E4, Edmonton, Canada However, slaves could be mistreated or worked to death entirely at the master’s discretion. The ancient Roman slaves who had the hardest lives were those who were put to work in the mines. the humanity of the master and there can be no doubt that talented slaves or adopt it: law and society was adamant on this point. At first slaves were the men and Slaves also had none of the legal rights that citizen women had, including the right to freedom from torture. Female slaves usually worked as servants, perhaps as personal maids Chatelard, A. and Stevens, A., “Women as legal minors and their citizenship in Republican Rome,” in: Clio (English Edition) 43 (2016) 24-47, Clark, G., “Roman Women,” in: Greece and Rome 28, 2 (1981) 193-212. The Roman Republic was a deeply conservative and “status conscious society.” The, Women were expected to perform the role of wife and homemaker, though within this role they were honoured and respected. While citizen women had a lower status and fewer opportunities for civic involvement than citizen men, this pales to the distinction between the freeborn and slaves. Whereas citizen women were valued members of society, slaves were social non-entities and could not participate in social life as women could. The slave had no choice in the matter. ancient rome - slaves carrying their master - roman slaves stock illustrations. As child-bearers, women relied upon their children for achievements and status. Girls were expected to accept their father’s choice of husband unless he was “unworthy because of his habits or … infamous character” (Justinian Digest 23.1.4, 12 quoting Ulpian, Women could also gain honour through becoming priestesses or otherwise participating in rituals. 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