Dr. Moore
History 8
December 7. 2016
Ancient Rome Paper
Before the rule of Augustus in ancient Rome, gender played a substantial part in one’s role in society. Gender and age were the deciding factors in one’s purpose in ancient Roman culture, which decided what they were and were not able to do with their lives.
Families in Rome were primarily controlled by the oldest living males, who were called the paterfamilias, or the father of the family in Latin. The paterfamilias had near unconditional authority over their families, and could change a member of his family's professional and personal affairs. If the paterfamilia’s family irritated him, he had the legal right to “disown his children, sell them into slavery or even kill …show more content…
Although Roman women were given significantly less power than the Roman men and paterfamilias, they were still given certain power.
A woman’s extent of power primarily relied on her wealth and social status. By the first century, women could manage their own personal financial and professional affairs, however, no matter their wealth, women still could not do many things that a man could, including running for office and owning land.
Roman boys were often taught by their fathers the skills they would need to be successful in life. These skills included hunting, proper manners, and basic reading and writing. Girls were taught by their mothers how to cook, spin yarn, and make clothes. Essentially, girls were prepared for their lives as homemakers. Once schools were created, only Roman boys and a small selection of girls could attend. All those who attended were sent at around the age of 6 or 7, but only boys would continue until their late teen years. Boys were taught how to read and write, as well as study mathematics, politics, and public speaking. These subjects would prepare boys for government life. But, school was very intimidating; boys would often be whipped for making the slightest …show more content…
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