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Throughout the history of Ancient Rome, women were considered second to men. They had little official role in public life. Despite this, women played an important part in the culture and history of Ancient Rome.
Women of Rome Source: Costumes of All Nations by Albert Kretschmer
Women's Rights
Women had little official political power in Rome. They were not allowed to vote or hold political office. In general, they were not accepted into political debate or other areas of public life.
Unofficially, some women in Rome held power through their husbands or sons. Wives of senators, and even the emperors, advised their husbands and often had a significant influence on the government and the workings of Rome.
Women weren't completely without rights, however. They could own property and run businesses. Some women became very wealthy and held power through their wealth.
Marriage
Once a woman was married, she had even fewer rights. The husband had all the legal rights when it came to the children. In the early years of Rome, the wife was actually considered the property of the husband. This changed around the time Rome became an empire in 27 BC.
Occupations
Married women ran the Roman household. All aspects of home life were run and managed by the woman of the house. She was called the "materfamilias", which means "mother of the family."
Some women also held jobs outside the home. They worked a variety of jobs including merchants, wet nurses, midwives, scribes, and dancers.
Wealthy Women
As you might expect, wealthy women had a much better life than peasant women. They were often educated and taught to read and write. Once married, they had servants and slaves who did most of the hard work around the house. The wife managed the servants, but still had plenty of time for leisure and planning house parties.
Famous Roman Women
Livia Drusilla - Livia was the wife of the first Roman Emperor Augustus. She was probably the most powerful woman in the history of Ancient Rome. Livia exerted considerable influence over her husband. She also made sure that her son Tiberius was named emperor after Augustus died.
Julia Agrippina - Julia Agrippina was the great-granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus. She was exiled from Rome by her brother, the Emperor Caligula, when she tried to have him killed. Later, after Caligula died, she was allowed to return by her uncle Emperor Claudius. Agrippina then contrived to marry Claudius and become empress. She was a very powerful empress. Some historians believe she poisoned Claudius in order to place her son Nero as emperor. She ruled Rome through Nero during his early reign.
Fulvia - Fulvia was married to three of the most powerful men in Rome. She gained power and control of many gangs in Rome through her first two husbands. Her final husband was Marc Antony. Fulvia raised troops in support of Antony to help him defeat Octavian. Antony lost to Octavian in battle, however, and Octavian became the first emperor of Rome (he changed his name to Augustus).
Octavia - Octavia was viewed by many as the role model for Roman women. She was smart, beautiful, and loyal to her husband. She was the older sister of Octavian (who later became the first emperor of Rome) and the wife of Marc Antony. She tried to keep the peace between the two rivals, but eventually was divorced from Antony when he left her for Cleopatra VII.
Helena - Helena was the mother of Constantine the Great. Her conversion to Christianity influenced her son and had a major influence in bringing Christianity to Rome. Today she is considered a saint and is called Saint Helena.
Interesting Facts About Women in Ancient Rome
A few women worked as priestesses to the goddess Vesta. They were called Vestal Virgins and were not allowed to marry or have children.
Porcia Catonis, wife of Marcus Brutus, was involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar. She later committed suicide supposedly by swallowing hot coals.
Roman girls usually married around the age of fourteen or fifteen.
In 216 BC, the senate passed the Oppian Law which limited the amount of money a woman could own. In 195 BC, Roman women took to the streets to get the law repealed.