Family and pro-family politics in ancient Rome
Family and pro-family politics in ancient Rome

Summary/Abstract: A Roman family consisted of the pater familias, his wedded wife, two or three children, house slaves, freedmen, friends and customers. In ancient Rome, the husband ruled the family and his wife was subjected to him. Was marriage a relationship similar to today’s marriages? An analysis of source materials will bring answers to those questions. Family – related politics applied by Roman emperors, marital law, paternal authority and protective law will be presented. Romans attributed the following features to women: modesty, weakness, lack of endurance, unfamiliarity with state affairs, and also purity and faithfulness to the husband. In ancient Rome, wives and mothers were supposed to manage the household and raise children. A fully valid marriage for Romans was a relationship called matrimonium legitimum, and only such relationship had social and legal impact. Legal marriage existed in Rome as either a marriage with authority over the wife, this was the cum manu relationship, or as matrimonium without the authority of the husband – the sine manu marriage.

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