Studied by 2 peopleWhat did Athenians often do to their children ? (Athens)
They exposed them so left the child to die on a hill
Who was more likely to be exposed and why ? (Athens)
Girls as they were a greater financial burden
Why wasn’t it morally wrong for them to expose their children ? (Athens)
It was seen as the babies life being left in the hands of the gods
What happens if the girls hasn’t been exposed in the first 10 days ? (Athens)
She becomes under the kyrios’ control
Were girls educated ? (Athens)
No most could not read or write except the rich
some rich girls would be taught to dance and sig or play a musical instrument
Why were girls not educated ? (Athens)
Men saw educated women as dangerous
What did their mothers teach them ? (Athens)
how to be a good kyria
weaving
cooking
Learnt athenian morals to pass onto their own children
When would you get married ? (Athens)
As soon as puberty started and the husband would be much older
What were you expected to be when you married ? (Athens)
A virgin and the man expirenced
How was the husband chosen ? (Athens)
By the kyrios used to move up in society
What was a dowry ? (Athens)
The money paid by the father to the husbands family meant to pay for the burden of taking on another woman
Also an incentive not to get divorced as you would have to pay it back
What was the engue ? (Athens)
The betrothal and it could take place years before the actual marriage
It would be a ceremony in front of witnesses where the kyrios and husband shake hands
from this they are legally married
What happens during the proaulia ? (Athens)
Day 1
bride spends a last meal with female relatives at home
makes offerings to artemis
Thanks her for protection during childhood and asks for luck as an adult
may also make offerings to hera and aphrodite
What are the offerings given to artemis during the proaulia ? (Athens)
A lock of hair and old toys
What happens during the gamos ? (Athens)
bride has a ceremonial bath to purify her and improve her fertility
dressed in fine clothes and a veil
kyrios hosts a feast for both families
at nightfall a torch lit procession to the grooms house
groom drags the bride away into a cart away from her mother
torches lit to keep evil spirits away
women throw fruit and flowers
grooms mother greets them at home carrying a torch
bride is taken to the hearth and the carts axle is broken
couple go to the bedroom
What happens all night of the gamos ? (Athens)
Guests sing songs and bang on the door all night to keep away evil spirits
WHat happens at the auralia ? (Athens)
Female attendants and male relatives stay outside till morning
carry on singing songs
give gifts to help the bride in her new life e.g clothes perfume jewellery
Who decided if a child would be exposed ? (Sparta)
Elders
What did school focus on ? (Sparta)
Sports and strength, no academics even with boys
They did competitions exercise and swam with the boys
What did you have to do in order to get married ? (Sparta)
Pass a fitness test at 18
At what age did girls and boys marry and why ? (Sparta)
girls 18 - 20 so they are stronger for childbirth
boys 25 but lived in the barracks till 31
Were you legally required to marry ? (Sparta)
Yes
What was the main focus of a marriage ? (Sparta)
To have kids there were no dowries so no financial aspect
What happened on a wedding night ? (Sparta)
bride shaves her head and puts on men s clothes and hides in the dark on her bedroom floor
groom has a normal dinner at the syssiton
He sneaks out without being caught
he captures the bride and takes her to bed to consummate then returns to barracks to sleep
The sneaking out would continue too 31
What did a married women look like ? (Sparta)
short hair with a veil ( not focused on appearance )
What did the midwife do after the birth ? (Rome)
Placed the baby at the feet of her fathers
What did the father do with the child ? (Rome)
If she was accepted he lifted he in the air
if she wasn’t lifted she would be exposed
If a girl was accepted who would they leave a couch out for ?
Juno
What happens after the 8th day after the birth ? (Rome)
naming ceremony
have a party
give offerings
baby receives a bulla
How are girls named ? (Rome)
She got the female version of her father’s family name
What did mothers teach their daughters ?
domestic skill for being a wife and mothers
pass down roman morals and values
weaving
cooking
managing house and slaves
Who taught girls ?
A litterator
What did girls learn ?
basic reading writing and maths
Where there schools ? (Rome)
Yes co-ed primary schools until puberty
What was the life of a rich girl like ? (Rome)
some cared for more by slaves than mums
often used wet nurses to breastfeed
slave sent with girl to school
What were good skills for a rich wife ? (Rome)
be good at dinner parties
recite poetry
sing or play music
Who was Maesia and what was her nickname ? (Rome)
A woman who defended herself in the law courts but was nicknamed Androgyne
What was the normal age for marriage ? (Rome)
men - 20
women - 12-14
Who chose who married who ? (Rome)
the paterfamilias chose daughters groom
both bride and groom had to consent t marriage
girls could only object it man was a bad person
What was sponsalia ? (Rome)
It was a official betrothal ceremony
groom gives gifts to girl ( a ring ) girl gives 3 coins to symbolise dowery
Who oversees the sponsalia ? (Rome)
A pronuba joins their hands
What is a cum manu marriage ? (Rome)
Husband is in control of the wife, she becomes part of the husbands family and inherits husbands property
Any children belong to both man and woman
What is a sine manu marriage ? (Rome)
Bride stays in legal control of her paterfamillias
Most common form of marriage = better for the brides family as she still inherits from her father and no dowry required
What are the 3 types of marriage ?(Rome)
Usus , coemptio , confarreatio
What happens in a coemptio marriage ? (Rome)
Cum manu
woman is ceremonially sold to husband by paterfamilias
needs 5 witnesses and a man holding a set of scales
paterfamilias gave one coin and put it on the scale
What does the bride say in a coemptio marriage ?(Rome)
Ubi tu gaius ego gaia
where you are gaius i am gaia
What happens in a confarreatio marriage ? (Rome)
cum manu
oldest type of marriage
only used by the patricians
honours Jupiter
At least 10 witnesses including the pontifex maximus
ceremony lead by pronuba
couple offered a ceremonial wheat cake
shared cake and recited verses
very difficult to divorce from
What is a Usus marriage like ? (Rome)
sine manu
does not involve a formal ceremony
they just said they wanted to marry and moved inn together
most common form of marriage
children only belong to fathers family
would change into a cum manu if the woman stayed at her husbands house for a year without a night away
What does the wedding look like ? (Rome)
day before the bride makes sacrifices to the lares
offers her bulla and childhood toys
morning of the wedding
puts on wedding dress with a knotted wool belt - only the groom is allowed to unknot the belt
wears a flame coloured veil and wears hair in 6 seperate locks and both bride and groom wear flower crowns
Afterwards a big feast and procession to grooms house
groom grabs the bride from her mother
guests accompany the couple singing wedding songs and carrying spindles
groom throws nuts and fruit to the crowd
bride carry 3 coins
groom carries bride over the threshold
wife lights hearth using a wedding torch
For a cum manu marriage where is the wedding held ? (Rome)
Brides fathers house
Who are the 3 coins the bride has for ? (Rome)
1 for her husband
1 for janus god of transition
1 hor husbands lares
What does the bride do at the grooms house ? (Rome)
Wraps wool around the door posts to symbolise her domestic role
Note 
Flashcard (20)