Unspoken traditions in ancient Rome. Interesting traditions of ancient Rome

Ancient Rome, along with Ancient Greece, is considered the cradle European culture. However, some traditions of that time seem strange even to us, who have seen everything or almost everything.

10th place: The streets of Rome were often named after the artisans or merchants who settled there. For example, there was a “Sandal” street in the city - a street of sandal-making specialists (vicus Sandalarius). On this street August placed famous statue Apollo, which began to be named after the street - Apollo Sandalarius.

9th place: No flowers or trees were planted on the Roman streets: there was simply no room for this. The Romans knew about traffic jams long before the birth of Christ. If a mounted military detachment was passing along the street, it could push back pedestrians with impunity and even beat them.

8th place: The walls of many houses were decorated with explicit images sex scenes. It was not considered pornography, but an object of worship and admiration. Artists were especially valued for their ability to convey to the audience the full intensity of such scenes.

7th place: Rome is generally famous for its free morals. Pedophilia, same-sex relationships and group sex were the order of the day. But noble rich Romans were asked to avoid outside sex with women from high society, since if as a result an illegitimate child appeared, then big problems arose with the division of the inheritance.

6th place: Roman feasts were not a very beautiful sight. Regardless of the size of the room and the number of people dining, the table was very small. One dining companion was separated from another by pillows and cloths. The crowded people, warmed by wine and food, sweated incessantly and, in order not to catch a cold, covered themselves with special capes.

5th place: The Romans adopted gladiator fights from the Greeks. Not only a prisoner of war, but also any free citizen who wanted to earn money could become a gladiator. In order to become a gladiator, it was necessary to take an oath and declare oneself “legally dead.”

4th place: Civil criminals could also be sentenced to the arena. Like, for example, one jeweler who deceived customers.

3rd place: The Romans also had something like a movie. During naumakhiyas, historical battles were played out in great detail. To stage one battle, a huge artificial lake was dug. 16 galleys with 4 thousand oarsmen and 2 thousand gladiator soldiers took part in the performance.

2nd place: Prostitution flourished in Rome. Prostitutes worked almost everywhere and varied not only in cost, but also in the nature of the services provided. For example, bustuaries (“Bustuariae”) were prostitutes who wandered around graves (busta) and bonfires in cemeteries at night. Often they played the role of mourners during funeral rites.

1st place: Roman toilets (in Latin they were called “latrina” or “forica”) were quite spacious - the largest could accommodate about 50 people at the same time. The floors of the toilets were paved with mosaics, usually depicting dolphins, and there was a fountain in the center. Musicians often played in foriki, and those gathered held conversations and shared news. Often one could hear political witticisms and poetry there.

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Interior of a Roman building

Roman house. Reconstruction. Relander.

Interior of a Roman house. Reconstruction.

Roman feast

Mosaic floor of Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli.

Atrium of the House of the Vettii in Pompeii.

Lunch in a Roman house. The table was surrounded by three beds, and the Romans ate their food lying down, leaning on their left hand.

Interior of a Roman villa. English artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Hypocaust - heating system in the houses of Ancient Rome

Baths of Caracalla. Internal view. Reconstruction.

Bath accessories.

Lighting in Roman houses: 1 – silver candlesticks; 2 – bronze lamp; 3 – ceramic lamps; 4 – pendant lamp

Braziers

Silverware from Boscoreale

Silver vessel from the Hildesheim treasure.

Products served on the table in Ancient Rome. Mosaic.

Triclinium floor mosaic depicting food remains.

Image from the tomb of Vestorius Priscus in Pompeii. “When a friend visited a Roman, good manners required that the host

Image from
tombs
Vestoria Prisca in
Pompeii. "When
Roman
some friend visited
rules of good
the tones demanded
to the owner of the house
showed him
most beautiful
things from my
silver
dishes."

Feast scene. Fresco from Herculaneum.

Status of women

The head of the family was called the houselord: he had children, his wife and others in his power.
relatives (in upper-class families family also included slaves and
servant). The father's power was that he could give out at will
daughter to marry or divorce, sell children into slavery, he could also recognize or not
acknowledge your child. Patria potestas also extended to adults
sons and their family; with the death of their father, the sons became full-fledged
citizens and heads of their families.
Fathers of families, as a rule, entered into marriages between their children,
guided by prevailing moral standards and personal considerations.
A father could marry a girl from the age of 12, and marry a boy from the age of 14.
A woman remained a member after marriage old surname, wherein
claimed the family inheritance. This case was not the main one and was more like
for cohabitation than for marriage, since the wife could almost at any time
leave your husband and return home.
A Roman woman appeared freely in society, went on visits, attended
ceremonial receptions. But being involved in politics was not a woman’s business, she was not
was supposed to be present at meetings of the people.
It is important to note that the Romans also made sure that women received
education in connection with the role they had in the family: organizer
family life and children's educator in early age. There were schools where girls
studied with the boys. And it was considered honorable if they talked about the girl,
that she is an educated girl. This point needs to be considered more
in detail

Portraits of women from the Fayum.

Hairstyles of noble Roman women. On the right is Livia, wife of Augustus.

Women's jewelry.

Women's accessories: sewing basket, spindle, vase, basin, dressing table, needle case, casket.

Gold bracelet from Pompeii.

Jewelry

decorations

Women's sandals and handbag.

Female gymnasts

The tunic and toga - the basis of the ancient Roman men's costume - differed in their artistic and constructive design from the Greek chi

Tunic and toga - the basis of ancient Roman men's suit- in your own way
artistic and constructive solution different from Greek
chiton and himation, although they had common features.

A little later, these bulky heavy togas are replaced by a light cloak, reminiscent of a Greek chlamys, which was not fastened at the shoulder,

A little later, these bulky heavy togas are replaced by a light cloak,
reminiscent of the Greek chlamys, which was fastened not at the shoulder, like the Greeks, but at
middle of the chest under the neck. They also wore lazerna - a cloak similar to a chlamys, but made of more
expensive fabrics woven with gold and silver threads.

Stola (lat. stola) was a special form of women's tunic with short sleeves, wide and with many folds, reaching to the ankles, at the bottom

Stola (lat. stola) was a special form of women's tunic with short sleeves, wide and
with many folds, reaching to the ankles, at the bottom of which a purple
ribbon or frill (lat. instita).

Clothes The life of the Romans during the Republican period remained quite strict. The Roman costume was similar to the Greek one, it was also draped

Cloth
Life of the Romans in
republican period
there was still quite a bit
strict. Roman costume
looked like Greek
was also draped,
but an aesthetic ideal
there were no ancient Romans
beautiful human
body, and harsh courageous
warriors and majestic
women. Therefore difficult
Roman costume, which
originally produced
from wool, and later from
linen cloth, attached
static figure,
majesty, some
theatricality. IN
imperial period
clothes become richer and
more magnificent. Appear
imported silk fabrics.

Clothes of Roman patricians: The man wears an embroidered tunic, toga, and calceus shoes. The woman is wearing stola and peplum. Hairstyle with bouffant and extensions

Roman clothing
patricians:
The man is wearing a tunic with embroidery,
toga, calceus shoes.
On a woman - table
and peplum. Hairstyle
with fleece and
invoices
curls.

On a woman: lined cloak-foil, tunic with a border On a man: leather armor with shoulder pads, sagum cloak, calceus boots

The main Roman elements of ornamentation are acanthus, oak, laurel leaves, climbing shoots, ears of corn, fruits, flowers, figures of people and animals, ma

The main Roman elements of ornamentation are acanthus, oak, laurel leaves,
curly shoots, ears of corn, fruits, flowers, figures of people and animals, masks,
skulls, sphinxes, griffins, etc. Along with them, vases, military
trophies, flowing ribbons, etc. They often have a real shape.
The ornamentation also carried certain symbols, an allegory: the oak was considered
a symbol of the highest heavenly deity, an eagle - a symbol of Jupiter, etc.
The Greeks valued art out of love for beauty, the Romans - out of love for
luxury. In the late Roman ornament, oriental patterns gradually intensified.
influence. It outlines the features of the future style of Byzantine culture,
became the successor to antiquity.

During the heyday of the Roman state, its borders expanded greatly, including the territory of modern England, France, Spain, and Holland.

During the heyday of Rome
states its borders are very
expanded to include
territory of modern
England, France, Spain,
Holland and other countries. Rome
has become a huge world
the power that led
endless wars and vast
trade. Loot
wealth, many slaves,
who did all the work, led to
luxury even in everyday life
life. All this was reflected in
character of the ancient Roman
suit.
The Romans dressed in clothes
bright colors: red,
purple, violet, yellow,
brown. Suit white
colors were considered ceremonial, his
worn for ceremonial occasions
exits.

Wall paintings in Pompeii. The woman is dressed in a blue stola, which is fastened at the shoulder with a fibula.

shoes

Kaligi. Boots worn by peasants, cab drivers and, above all, soldiers. Kaliga consisted of a thick sole (about 8 mm) with 80-90 points

Kaligi. Boots worn by peasants, cab drivers and
primarily soldiers. Kaliga consisted of a thick sole (about
8 mm) with 80-90 sharp iron nails; sewn to the sole
a piece of leather cut into strips, forming a sort of mesh around
heels and feet: toes remained open

Sandals. They consisted of a sole, which was secured to the foot with soft straps, while most of the foot remained open. Sandals

Sandals. Consisted
from the sole, which
fastened on the leg
soft
with straps, with
that's most of it
feet remained
open. Sandals
were different colors
soles are different
heights, in winter
time also from
wool. They were worn
like house shoes.
wearing sandals in
in public places
was considered a violation
good manners.
Sitting down at the table
took off sandals or
the slave removed them for them.

Hats. Hairstyles

The ideal of beauty. The Roman ideal of beauty is very different from the Greek. Conquest policy and militarized lifestyle of the male population

The ideal of beauty. The Roman ideal of beauty is very different from the Greek. Invading
politics and the militarized lifestyle of the male population of Rome created a very
a certain ideal of a man: tough, hardy, strong, athletic
physique. A woman was considered beautiful if she was portly, dignified, had
smooth, dignified gait. Small breasts and wide hips were
ideal signs of her future motherhood of many children. Roman facial features
beauties were not supposed to be small: big eyes with large eyelids,
regular almond shape, high bridge of the nose, whimsical mouth shape,
resembling a hunting bow.

She was absolutely liberated and devoid of any sexual taboos. Free Roman society was allowed almost everything that could bring sexual pleasure. For the most part, this was due to the fact that Eastern and Greek trends gradually emasculated the foundations of the harsh Roman military culture.

Sexual life in Ancient Rome is still considered the standard of loyalty to all forms of carnal pleasure. No wonder from Latin language So many sexual terms have come down to us - coitus, cunnilingus, masturbation, fellatio...

Women in Ancient Rome

The Romans treated their wives somewhat differently than the Greeks. It was believed that a Greek would marry in order to have children and a mistress in the house. The Roman was looking for a faithful friend and life partner. The Roman woman was respected at home and in society: in her presence one could not speak rudely or behave indecently. In her house, the Roman woman was the sovereign mistress. The wife could eat food at the same table with her husband and his friends, and was in society.

As for sex, in Rome a woman was equal to a man in the right to receive pleasure from love. Moreover, it was believed that without fully experiencing erotic pleasure, she would never give birth to a healthy child. With the beginning of our era, emancipation flourished in Rome. Women were allowed to inherit the fortunes of their husbands who died in wars. They also received money in case of divorce, which was a real revolution. Wealthy ladies, following men, indulged in erotic leisure.

An orgy in a bathhouse with the participation of three and five ladies became a common event, which was captured in the works of ancient Roman artists.

Prostitution and brothels

Prostitution in ancient Rome took on a truly colossal scale. Roman prostitutes plied their ancient trade with whitened faces and soot-rimmed eyes. They stood everywhere - at the walls of the Colosseum, in theaters and temples. Visit women lung behavior was considered very common among the Romans. Cheap harlots sold quick sex in the old city quarters. Higher-ranking priestesses of love, supported by bath attendants, operated in Roman baths. As in Ancient Greece, Roman prostitution also had its own classification: one name or another indicated the specifics of the libertine. For example, Alicariae or bakers - girls who stayed close to bakers and sold cakes in the shape of male and female genitals. Diobolares are old, worn-out prostitutes who demanded only two aces for their love. Nani are little girls who began to engage in prostitution from the age of six.

As the Roman Empire flourished, the ranks of representatives of the ancient profession were replenished by foreign slaves. There were even so-called “harlot farms,” whose owners bought slaves or raised orphans for prostitution. The slave trade was also a legal source. Pimps bought women and sent them to work. The sexual use of slaves was legal in Rome. Rape of a slave by a pimp was also not punishable. Brothel owners also offered boys.

Roman courtesans

There was also a special kind of prostitution in Ancient Rome. Courtesans who belonged to this class were called "bonae meretrices", which indicated their higher perfection in the craft. In reality, they had nothing to do with ordinary priestesses of love. They all had their own privileged lovers, and they resembled Greek hetaeras. Like the latter, they had a great influence on fashion, art, literature and the entire patrician society.

Since 40 AD. prostitutes in ancient Rome had to pay taxes. Their calculation was based on one act per day. Earnings in excess of this norm were not taxed. All the Roman Caesars held tightly to the tax on living goods, which brought a fair amount of income to the treasury. Even Christian Rome has a favorable tax for a long time was preserved. After 30 years, the prostitute in Rome was almost not quoted. The usual fate of such harlots was drunkenness, illness and early death. It was a rare woman who managed to save some money for her old age.

As for brothels, in Rome the inhabitants of brothels were called “lupae” (she-wolves), and the brothels themselves were called “lupanaria”. There were cheap inns in the city. When the owner asked a visitor whether he wanted a room “with or without,” it meant “with or without a girl.” The invoice of an inn found in Pompeii included: for wine - 1/6, for bread - 1, for roast - 2, for hay for a donkey - 2 and for a girl - 8 aces. In brothels, on each room the name of the girl who lived there and her minimum price were indicated. When she had a guest, she locked the door and hung a sign that said "Occupied."

Ancient Roman baths

In addition to brothels, sexual needs in Ancient Rome were also satisfied in thermal baths or baths. It usually began with the slave rubbing oil into the client's skin. Wealthy visitors to the baths were always offered a choice of several boys to serve. Young men from poor families here often became lovers of elderly clients. In return, they received education and promotion. In Rome alone, the number of baths with erotic services reached more than 900 by the year 300.

Brothels were not allowed to open until four o'clock, so as not to distract young people from their studies. Most the guests were either very young or very old men; the latter preferred young girls. In an era when the slogan “He who does not enjoy cannot please himself” reigned, the need for such establishments was very great. In Pompeii, where there were barely 20 thousand inhabitants, seven brothels were discovered during excavations, some of them also served as taverns, others as barbers. In Vicolo del Lupanare you can still see cave-like rooms with beds made of stone. On the outer walls there are enticing inscriptions: “For loving life sweet as for bees (in these cells).” Another brothel had the inscription “Hic habitat felicitas” (“Here dwells pleasure”).

Sexual preferences of the ancient Romans

Sex in ancient Rome did not imply the presence of any relationship between the two partners. Men and women could do it whenever they wanted. There were no moral or legal obligations between them, and nothing limited the number sexual partners each other. In ancient Rome, oral sex was the cheapest sexual service. It was considered normal for a prostitute or a man of lesser social status(slave or debtor) satisfied the partner. For others it was a humiliating experience. So, for example, freely born women It was strictly forbidden to provide such caresses. Moreover, oral sex was even more shameful than anal sex. The ancient Romans believed that performers of such services had bad breath and were often not invited to the dinner table. Women who practiced it were considered “unclean” in Rome; they did not drink from the same glass with them, and they were not kissed.

In ancient Rome, mass orgies, known to everyone as bacchanalia, were widespread. They became especially ugly during the era of Nero (1st century BC), where almost all types of sexual perversions were practiced: homosexuality, lesbianism, group sex, sadism, masochism, voyeurism and so on. The immorality of the Romans went so far that they involved children in their orgies. Such mass orgies were eventually banned in 186 AD.

Description of an orgy in the ancient Roman novel "Satyricon" by Petronius

"... The slave pulled out two braids from her bosom and tied our hands and feet with them... The girl threw herself on his neck and, meeting no resistance, showered him with countless kisses... Finally, a kined (corrupt homosexual) appeared in green clothes made of shaggy wool, belted with a sash. He either rubbed against us with his spread thighs, or soiled us with stinking kisses... Finally, Quartilla, raising a whalebone whip and belting her dress high, ordered that we, the unfortunate ones, be given a break...".

Bestiality was also widespread in those days. Mass public copulations of animals and people in Ancient Rome are a unique phenomenon in human history. The animals were specially trained for such mating. If girls or women resisted, then the animal attempted rape. For such events, various animals were trained: bulls, giraffes, leopards and cheetahs, wild boars, zebras, stallions, donkeys, huge dogs, monkeys and others.

Homosexual relationships

Sex in all its manifestations between same-sex partners existed in ancient Rome, but without division into sexual orientations. To achieve physical pleasure, it was considered normal to have sex, including with a partner of the same sex. This was completely independent of a person’s sexual preferences in life.

However, there were certain taboos on same-sex relationships between men in Rome. In particular, a man of higher social status was required to take an active role in sex. Otherwise, he was publicly ridiculed and expelled from high society. He was deprived of the right to participate in elections or represent his interests in court. At the top of the social hierarchy in ancient Rome were the so-called "virile" or "Vir" men, who were considered "unpenetrated intruders." "Vir" in Latin means "man" and from this word comes the English "virility", which is translated as "masculinity".

There were also lesbian relationships in Ancient Rome. For example, at the very beginning of spring, the festival of Venus the Fruitful was celebrated in Rome. Married women and adult girls went to Mount Quirinal. There was a monstrous phallic idol carved from lemon wood. The women put him on their shoulders and, while singing erotic hymns, carried him to the temple of Venus of Erica. Then, for several hours, they indulged in love games in the temple, after which they returned the idol to its original place.

Sex and art Ancient Rome

Erotic art reached its peak in ancient Rome. Images of love orgies have become almost the main theme of art. Moreover, frank depictions of copulation in those days were not considered pornography at all. All public places and even the walls of houses were decorated with sexual paintings. Subjects that evoke erotic pleasure were also depicted on dishes and objects home life. During excavations of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, numerous evidence of Roman sexuality was found. For example, the homes of upper-class Romans were decorated with frescoes and works of art depicting people shamelessly participating in sexual orgies. The gardens were decorated with statues of fertility gods with huge phalluses. Taverns and brothels, frequented by lower strata of the population, had their own specific manifestations of sexuality. In particular, various talismans and amulets could be seen there.

Sex has conquered and theater stage. Everywhere in Rome there were performances of acrobatic sex, which the artists performed in the most incredible positions. Such sexual “release” was usually shown during breaks between performances. Performers of theatrical sex were no less popular than serious artists, and pictures of their performances were painted on the walls of taverns. At the erotic show in Rome, actors with huge phalluses that could be seen from afar were especially prized. However, the big dick was not at all familiar male beauty. Ancient Romans and ancient Greeks rather they considered him comical.

Famous Romans

Emperor Tiberius- all his life he enjoyed sex in all its forms. In his old age, he even maintained a personal gym, where all kinds of sexual games were played out before his eyes. As he swam, young boys, whom he called “fish,” moved between his legs, licked and caressed him.

Emperor Caligula- in Ancient Rome, laws against incest, like many other laws, were very harsh. During the formation of the Roman Republic, people who committed this act were sentenced to death. Perhaps the most famous person in ancient Rome who committed incest with impunity is Caligula (12 - 41 AD). He took one of his three sisters, Drusilla, from her husband and kept him as his legal wife.

Valeria Messalina- the most famous nymphomaniac of Ancient Rome. Her name itself is often used as a synonym for nymphomania, the so-called “Messalina complex” (increased sexual arousal and need with corresponding demands on partners). Having an insatiable sexual appetite, she became famous both as a prostitute and as a seductress. At the age of sixteen she married Emperor Claudius. It is believed that active sex life she began hosting at the age of thirteen or fourteen. If she liked any man, Claudius ordered him to submit to her whims (marriage to the emperor gave her great advantages). Dio Cassius claimed that she provided her dissolute husband with maids as sexual partners. She herself often had fun with clients in a local brothel. Once she even staged a sex competition, challenging the most famous prostitute in Rome. They competed to see who could satisfy more men within 24 hours. Valeria emerged victorious, having managed to “accept” 25 men in one day.

Conclusion

The ancient Roman freedom of sex came to an end christian religion, when it began to penetrate into Rome at the beginning of the 4th century. The prohibitions began to grow stronger every day, and sinful pleasures were put to an end. The heroes of the time were stern ascetics - holy fathers who devoted themselves to serving the Almighty. Nobody remembered the unfortunate goddess of love Venus anymore.

1 . In ancient Rome, if a patient died during an operation, the doctor's hands were cut off.

2. In Rome during the Republic, a brother had the legal right to punish his sister for disobedience by having sex with her.

3 . In ancient Rome, a group of slaves belonging to one person was called... a surname

4. Among the first fifteen Roman emperors, Claudius was the only one who did not have affairs with men. This was considered unusual behavior and was ridiculed by poets and writers, who said: by loving only women, Claudius himself became effeminate.

5. In the Roman army, soldiers lived in tents of 10 people. At the head of each tent was a senior person, who was called... the dean.

6. IN Ancient world, as in the Middle Ages, there was no toilet paper. The Romans used a stick with a cloth at the end, which was dipped in a bucket of water.

7. In Rome, rich citizens lived in houses - mansions. The guests knocked on the door of the house with a knocker and a door ring. On the threshold of the house there was a mosaic inscription “salve” (“welcome”). Some houses were guarded by slaves tied to a ring in the wall instead of dogs.

8. In ancient Rome, noble gentlemen used curly-haired boys as napkins at feasts. Or rather, of course, they only used their hair, which they wiped their hands on. For boys, it was considered incredible luck to get into the service of a high-ranking Roman as such a “table boy.”

9. Some women in Rome drank turpentine (despite the risk of fatal poisoning) because it made their urine smell like roses.

10. The tradition of the wedding kiss came to us from the Roman Empire, where the newlyweds kissed at the end of the wedding, only then the kiss had a different meaning - it meant a kind of seal under the oral marriage agreement. So the marriage deal was valid

11. The popular expression “return to one’s native Penates,” meaning a return to one’s home, to the hearth, is more correctly pronounced differently: “return to one’s native Penates.” The fact is that the Penates are the Roman guardian gods hearth and home, and each family usually had images of two Penates next to the hearth.

12. The wife of the Roman Emperor Claudius, Messalina, was so lustful and depraved that she amazed her contemporaries who were accustomed to many things. According to the historians Tacitus and Suetonius, it not only contained in Rome brothel, but she also worked there as a prostitute, personally serving clients. She even set up a competition with another famous prostitute and won it, servicing 50 clients versus 25.

13 . The month of August, previously called Sextillis (sixth), was renamed in honor of the Roman Emperor Augustus. January was named after the Roman god Janus, who had two faces: one looking back - in last year, and the second looked forward - into the future. The name of the month of April comes from the Latin word "aperire", which means to open, possibly due to the fact that flower buds open during this month.

14 . In ancient Rome, prostitution was not only not illegal, but was also considered a common profession. Priestesses of love were not covered with shame and contempt, so they did not need to hide their status. They walked freely around the city, offering their services, and to make it easier to distinguish them from the crowd, prostitutes wore shoes on high heels. No one else wore heels, so as not to mislead those who wanted to buy sex.

15. In Ancient Rome, there were special bronze coins to pay for the services of prostitutes - spintrii. They depicted erotic scenes - usually people in various poses at the time of sexual intercourse.

Last modified: September 30, 2018

In modern Italy, it is not customary to marry at an early age. Italians approach the issue of starting a family very responsibly. The cult of family in Italy is highly valued, and family traditions always come first. I wonder what marriage was like in ancient Rome? What traditions and customs have come down from time immemorial to the present day?

Marriage from ancient Rome: love or calculation

IN ancient times The wedding ceremony was considered sacred, and the family was the support of the entire state, but not all romantic relationships between two loving hearts ended with a magnificent wedding.

The point is that throughout long centuries, the Romans considered the marriage procedure primarily a mutually beneficial cooperation. For noble and wealthy families, this meant the possibility of combining capital, lands, spreading their influence, and the like. Often, the parents of the future newlyweds agreed on the wedding, immediately stipulating all possible benefits of the union for both parties. Very often in such cases one could observe the concept unequal marriages. As a rule, the future groom was much older than his bride, and sometimes even vice versa.

Pope Alexander VI Borgia married his youngest son Gioffre, who at that time was not yet thirteen years old, was matched against the much older daughter of the King of Naples.

Among the common population, there were also often cases of arranged marriages, but there were much fewer of them than among representatives of the upper classes. Despite this attitude towards marriage, in those distant times the very concept of family for the ancient Romans remained closely associated with such moral aspects as mutual respect and honoring each other as spouses.

Laws of ancient Rome on creating a family

In antiquity, there were a sufficient number of rules prescribed by law regarding the creation of a new unit of society. Those who wished to marry first of all had to ask permission from the head of the family, and it depended only on his decision whether the child would be born. new family or not. Today, such a rule does not seem too unusual. Nowadays, there is also a tradition of asking for parental blessings. However, some of the laws that existed in ancient Rome may seem quite unusual.

• Age The optimal age for marriage was considered to be 17 years for girls and 20 years for boys, although laws allowed marriage much earlier. Girls could get married at age twelve, and boys at age fourteen. This was explained not only by the fact that in ancient times life expectancy was shorter, but also by the early mortality of women and children.
• Status The right to marry was granted only to free Romans. The Roman state did not give such an opportunity to slaves and foreigners. In addition, the laws prohibited military personnel and magistrates from creating families.
• Family ties During the republican period, marriages among relatives up to the fourth generation were not only prohibited, but also punished death penalty. Starting from the 1st century BC, marriages between cousins ​​were allowed, and in the 3rd century AD, marriages between an uncle and a niece were allowed.

Marriage registration in ancient Rome

As such, marriage registration, with legal point there was no vision, no one formalized any special papers and did not make entries in civil registers, as is customary in modern society. To enter into marriage, it was considered sufficient to fulfill a number of conditions described above, and also required cohabitation, a desire to recognize each other as husband and wife, and adherence to decent behavior.

Types of marriage in ancient Rome

IN modern world There are only two types of marriage - civil, registered in the registry office (in Italy, marriage is registered in the commune), and church. In ancient Rome, during the early Republican period, the main type of marriage was considered CUN MANUM, which literally means “with hand” in Latin.

In antiquity, all members of the family were under the authority of the head of the family. Wife in in every sense words belonged to the husband, and the children were the property of the father. When a young girl got married, she officially ceased to belong to her parent and came under the protection of her husband. A woman had limited rights in terms of property ownership; she could not manage her dowry and, subsequently, the family budget. However, unlike Greek women, she was more independent and had some privileges. The Roman matron could freely visit theaters and baths, take part in important dinner parties and pursue your education.

For different classes, the wedding ceremony involved completely different rituals:

Confarreation

A ceremonial event on the occasion of marriage, held by the chief priest for representatives of the patrician family. During the ritual, special prayers and petitions were read pagan gods and sacrifices were made: bread made from special varieties of wheat, fruits and sheep. A prerequisite for such a ceremony was the presence of ten witnesses. The dissolution of a marriage concluded in this way was considered unacceptable.

Historical reference

The main priest in Ancient Rome was the Great Pontiff, being the head of all pontiffs. In the 8th century BC. this position was occupied by kings.

Coempito

For Roman citizens of ordinary descent there was a different rite. In the presence of at least five witnesses, the groom bought his bride for a nominal fee. At the same time, he had to ask the girl whether she wanted to become the mother of his children, and she - whether the young man wanted to be the father of the family.

In addition to such official marriage ceremonies, the so-called marriage of habit was common in ancient Rome. Couples who had lived together and inseparably for one year were recognized as legal wife and husband. However, if during this year one of the cohabitants was absent for more than three days, the countdown began again.

In the late Republican period in Rome, the most common form of marriage was SINE MANU, which differed from CUN MANUM in that the young wife did not become the property of her husband, but remained under the protection of her father. In addition, a woman who had more than three children could refuse all protection from anyone and became more free. This meant that she could fully dispose of the property that rightfully belonged to her and, if necessary, file for divorce.