10 Proofs that the lives of women in Classical Antiquity were not at all glamorous as shown in the movies

Without a doubt, being a woman in Ancient Rome and Greece was very different from today. Certain things that we take for granted today were almost unthinkable at the time. And here it is not just about rights and freedoms, but also about everyday practices and customs.

We, from awesome.club, we delve into the past and discover some facts that help us understand what the daily life of women was like in Classical Antiquity. Check out!

In general, the life of Roman women was not to be envied, especially before the reign of Emperor Augustus, when they came to have social status. If the lady belonged to the lower social classes, she had much more freedom of movement (like walking in the streets, for example) than the women of the upper class. But she certainly had work to do—and a lot more. If she lived in the countryside, she would help out on the farm.

On the other hand, if she lived in the city, the woman had many more job options, and could be a midwife, wet nurse, hairdresser, perfumer, basket maker, seamstress, street vendor, actress, waitress, cook or even work in the field. entertainment as a dancer, juggler, among others. The upper-class ladies devoted themselves entirely to the care of the home.

Probably, in antiquity women did not menstruate as often as they do today. And the main factor for this was the diet. However, the Romans and Greeks believed that menstrual flow should be abundant, as they feared suffering health complications if part of it remained in the body.

As a rule, women stayed at home during their period and used to use cotton, wool or any other fabric remains as protection in their underwear, which could then be washed and reused. In addition, historians believe that during the most critical days women also wore the subligaculum – a kind of leather panties.

According to Roman law in force at the time, there were three types of marriage. The confarreatio, common among the patricians — the Roman high class — and characterized by the sharing of bread. The coemptio, which consisted of marriage “by purchase”. And finally, usus.

In the third type, a woman who lived permanently in a man’s house for a period of one year was considered by law to be his wife. However, if she did not appear at home for three consecutive days at least once a year, the woman would avoid marriage status and get rid of the unwanted spouse.

Compared to other ancient cities, Ancient Rome had a high level of hygiene. The urban centers had a well-developed sewage system, public toilets and still had hot springs. These public baths could even contribute to the personal hygiene of the Romans, however, on the other hand, they were an excellent place to contract some disease. Therefore, when visiting a spa, citizens should be careful.

Despite this, public baths also had a positive side. They were a kind of meeting place. Roman women used to frequent them to talk to acquaintances, listen to poems and meet lovers. Although it was not common for men and women to share the same bathing place in ancient Rome, it was later forbidden for women to bathe naked. So they had to wear special togas even inside the spa.

Upper-class Roman women did not breast-feed their children. Newborns were given to wet nurses. Soranus, an influential Roman physician, argued that a mother was too exhausted from childbirth to still have to breastfeed her baby for days afterward.

Moreover, the doctor also believed that there was an advantage in this: if the wet nurse was Greek — as he usually recommended — she would pass the gift of her mother tongue along with the milk to the baby.

On average, Roman women tended to marry between the ages of 12 and 20. And noble women married even earlier. According to ancient Roman law, the eldest living male in the family was considered its head and had absolute rights over the other members.

He was entitled, for example, to arrange the marriage of his daughter or son long before he reached maturity. Despite this, the daughter could refuse the marriage if she could prove that the potential husband had a bad character.

In general, Ancient Rome is known for having quite free moral values. And while marriages based on mutual love did indeed exist, Roman poets often exalted the relationship between lovers most. And it was more common for men to have mistresses, as infidelity was considered indecent for women.

The government interfered with intimate relationships only if the relationship threatened one’s status. However, there were times in the history of Rome when infidelity on the part of women was punished criminally.

In the early Roman Empire, the daughter remained under the father’s control even after marriage, the husband having, on the other hand, no legal power over her. At that time, a daughter was expected to always be faithful to her father, even if it meant turning against her own husband. So much so that the woman kept her last name when she got married.

Even in Ancient Rome, women did not leave self-care aside. At that time, pale skin without porosity was valued. One of the most popular face mask recipes contained lanolin, an oil obtained from sheep’s wool. Its smell, however, was not the most pleasant, being the reason for frequent complaints by men. The Romans still used other strange ingredients, such as plant juice, animal excrement, sulfur, vinegar, ground oysters, onions with bird fat and donkey’s milk.

To pale the skin, aristocrats used crocodile dung and snail ash. The Romans even made artificial teeth out of ivory.

For most of ancient Roman history, women did not have proper names. They were named after their family surname (for example, Cornelia of the Cornelia family), and if there was more than one daughter, ordinal numerals were added to the name or the comparative adjectives “older” and “younger”. Also, newborn girls were named after their father’s name (eg Vipsania daughter of Vipsanius).

Later, women began to receive two names, combining, for example, the father’s last name with the place of their birth. As early as late antiquity, ladies began to be named after their mothers or other women in the family, who, in turn, were often named after saints.

What characteristic of women’s lives in Classical Antiquity most caught your attention? What others do you know and would you add to our list? Tell us in the comments section.