CLASSICS 2K03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Infant Mortality, Pater Familias
2 Feb 2016
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The ideal roman woman was a wife. Stayed out of the men"s world (politics, law courts, the baths when the men were present) Was a faithful wife who did nothing to harm her reputation or her husband"s. Women got engaged and married at a young age. Pregnancy was early and often because of high infant mortality. Young children were typically raised largely by the mother, with help of the household slaves, while the father was out of the house. It was common for romans (both men and women) to be quite fond of their mothers. Genuine parental affection can be seen in many surviving epitaphs. Weddings were expensive and lavish affairs and often involved significant symbolism (eg. torches) All that was necessary was a public declaration that the man and the woman were married and then they were conidered married in the eyes of the law.
