Expert: Maria - 9/16/2009

Question
Dear Maria, even a very short answer is appreciated to my question on the differences among the forms of families in ancient Rome, Greece and East.

Answer
Hello,

As I've already said, this is a very broad question since it regards the way of life as well as the laws concerning women, children, and the family in Ancient Greece and Rome.

Briefly, I have to point out that either in Ancient Greece or in Rome both family and society had a  patriarchal structure where the father’s authority was in force so that the wife and the children  had to obey.
Marriage and the dowry, adultery, divorce, widowhood, and prohibited and non-legal unions were regulated by precise laws, social norms and customs which is impossible to list in this context.

As for East, this is not my field of expertise, of course!

To conclude, to acquire an "understanding of the importance of historical perspective, and how social norms and customs,and the construction of family, are products of time, events and context in Ancient Greece and Rome",you could read the following  books:

1-"Families in Classical and Hellenistic Greece: Representations and Realities"  by Sarah B. Pomeroy

2-"The Roman Family"  by Suzanne Dixon

3-"Women's Life in Greece and Rome" by Mary R. Lefkowit

4-"The Roman Household: A Sourcebook" by Jane F. Gardner


Regards,
Maria