Eva Peterson
Ms. Ogg
Global Studies 1
14 January 2014
Rome’s Rights for Women
Compared to todays society, roman women had little to no rights. They were not considered equal to men at the time. Most received little to no education and as a result there is much less information on them then there could have been. They were always ruled by a man whether it was their father or husband, who controlled what they did and when. The Husband would have legal rights over the children even though the women were the ones doing all the work! However, by the 1st century AD, women's rights began to improve a little. They then had more freedom to manage their own business and financial affairs if they desired. Nevertheless, not all women had these abilities. If a women married ‘En Manu’ which meant she was controlled by her husband, she did not have any of these rights. In reality, whether or not a women had these rights also had to do with her class and wealth. Some women ran their own businesses like hairdressers and sometimes even doctors, but it was not common. Widows who were wealthy were completely independent, however, no women had the right to vote so they could never truly make a difference. Even so, that didn’t stop them from trying. A women named Hortensia once gave a speech that made an impact about how women were being treated unfairly. When the MEN screwed up and needed more money for a war, they imposed a tax on over 1500 roman women who had nothing to do with the war whatsoever because they were not associated with politics in the slightest! In the end her speech was effective, only 400 women were taxed and the rest was borrowed from men. Although the women of ancient Rome did not have equal rights to men, they still managed to assert themselves in times of need.
Works Cited
- 176. Hortensia's speech. Rome, 42 B.C. (Appian, Civil Wars 4.32-4, 2nd cent. A.D. G)
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