The Role Of Marriage In Ancient Rome

In ancient Rome society, marriage is one of the most significant parts of everyone’s life, especially for women. In general, the Romans praise the harmonious marriage relationship. They also have distinct and specific expectations about husbands’ and wives’ obligations. The Romans usually honor these responsible wives and set them as outstanding examples of pietas. Turia, for instance, is an excellent model who manifests wives’ good behaviors and their loyalty to husbands. The inscription, written by Turia’s husband, indicates different components for ideal marriages, such as women’s good personalities and duties, husbands’ love to wives, and family financial management. Her story also contains several features that contradict with the typical

In Rome, the interpretation of a perfect marriage is a peaceful relationship. Because marriages are arranged by family members, the purpose of them is often pragmatic. Wives and husbands don’t have romantic love between them, instead they try to establish a stable and permanent shelter for living and working together. According to Pliny the Younger, Letters 8.5.1 and 2 (Shelton, p.45), Macrinus and his wife live together for thirty-nine years, and they respect each other without any dispute. Macrinus expresses his sorrow and distress after his wife’s death. Turia’s husband shows his intimate affection to Turia by describing his assumption for their marriage. In CIL 6. 1527, 31670 (Shelton, p.292), Turia’s husband hopes their marriage will last for forty-one years and end with his own death. Tuira, however, dies before her husband, and he grieves for a very long time. Neither husbands speaks out their love for wives directly, but both of them really admire and rely on their wives through their expectation for longer-term marriage and their melancholy for

However, when Turia suggests her husband to divorce her and to marry another fertile woman, her husband refuses. He writes: “How could you talk of a dissolution of our marriage before it was demanded by fate!” (CIL 6,1527, 31679, Shelton, p.294). Turia’s husband’s reaction shows his decent love for Turia. Not every man is willing to sacrifice for his wife like Turia’s husband, even worse, some husbands disrespect and insult their wives. Based on Rome’s laws, beating wives is not a crime (Shelton, p.48). Valerius Maximus, in Memorable Deeds and Words 6.3.9 (Shelton, p. 47), complains the unfair treatment of Egnatius Mecenius and his wife. Because Mecenius’ wife drinks some wine, he beats his wife to death using a stick. Nevertheless, Egnatius Mencius does not receive any punishments or rebukes. Therefore, Turia’s husband’s decision not to divorce should considered as rare among the entire Roman society.

In conclusion, Turia and her husband are good but not typical examples for roman ideal marriage. Their love for each other supports them become a responsible husband and women, as well, let them disobey some ordinary opinions of reproduction and divorce. The requirements of Roman ideal marriage may be described as strict and straightforward from present’s perspective because contemporary marriages are more