Date of Award

6-1927

Degree Type

Bachelors Essay

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

History

First Advisor

William M. Magee

Abstract

In Roman times as in our own there were constant changes and developments in the customs the rights and the obligations of woman. Their education, their attitude toward marriage and its various forms, their duties to­ ward husband and household, their regard for law and morality,--all varied and changed; some, even, were for­ gotten. As century after century in our own late history alters and abolishes habits and practices of our ancestors, so succeeding centuries then, revolutionized old practices and made new and different ones. Instances of this are found especially in regard to marriage. Four and five cen­turies before Christ, Romans adhered strictly to religious and civil ceremonies. Stringent laws kept patrician and plebeians apart; marriage ceremonies of the· latter were utterly scorned by the former, yet toward the end of the Republic, when ideas of marriage had altered, the plebeian form "Usus" was universally adopted. On the other hand, like ourselves the Romans had customs observed without var­iation, year after year, for centuries. For that reason it is necessary, in considering the position of woman in the Roman family and state, not only to regard those customs which changed in accordance with time, but also those which remained unaltered.

Comments

A Thesis submitted partially to fulfill the requirements for The Degree of Bachelor of Arts

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