Marriage in Greece and Rome

purpose of marriage in athens

1- children, who needed two athenian parents to be a citizen

2- considered good for women eg. health- regular intercourse stopped the women from wandering around the body

purpose of marriage in rome

-legitimate children

-political audience

marriage in athens

-arranged by Kyrios

-young bride, between 13-14

-husbands usually mid to late 20s

-arrangements made during symposium

-dowry

what happened during a wedding in athens

-proaulia (pre wedding ceremony). Bride would make offerings of her childhood toys to artemis. Sacrifices and prayers to Hera and Aphrodite too]

-the gamos (wedding). Bride has ritual bath and dressed in a veil. Feast and procession to new home after wedding

-Epaulia (post wedding ceremony). Friends sing song outside bedroom and gifts were given

Marriage in Rome

-usually arranged by paterfamilias, husband needed his permission

-both parties had to be willing

dowry was common

cum manu (roman)

bride is transferred from fathers power to husbands

sine manu

bride remains under patria potestatis of father, husband has no legal power over her

Sine manu scholarship by Emile Stocquart

‘sine manu marriage leads to a wife being entirely independent of her husband; … the only tie between both parties is simply cohabitation.’

weddings in rome

• The couple simply declared themselvesmarried, and the wife being carried into hernew husband’s home completed themarriage. ​

• There might be a celebration, involving asacrifice, reading of omens, a feast, and aloud procession to the new home.​

• The bride wore a yellow robe and brightorange veil.

Divorce in athens

• Man could send his wife back to her family with her dowry.​

• Most common reason - failure to produce a male child.

• Women could legally divorce their husbands by going back to their family’s home. Dowry would be kept by the husband so was uncommon​

• Children stayed with their father.​

• Athenian men were legally obligated to divorce their wife if she had been caught in adultery.

Divorce in rome

• Very easy to achieve – simply the intention tonot be married anymore!​

• Sine manu marriages made divorce eveneasier – the woman could just return to herfather. ​

• Wife could keep the dowry in certaincircumstances – e.g. if the husband initiatedthe divorce. ​

• Husband usually kept the children.

Augustan reforms

-passed lex Julia in 18BCE

-aimed at encouraging marriage between citizens, birth of children and modest behaviour

-all men ages 25-65 had to be married

-all women ages 20-50 had to be married

-widows had 2-3 years to remarry

-single women couldn’t inherit property

-marriages between classes was banned

-men or women caught in adultery faced very strict punishment, either exile or death.

-Adulterers had to be divorced, of not adulteree could face charges of pimping