Women's Lives, Roles and Statuses Varied and Changed over Various Early World History Eras and Culture Areas - Essay Example

How have womens lives, roles, and statuses varied and changed over various early world history eras and culture areas? of Institution] How have womens lives, roles, and statuses varied and changed over various early world history eras and culture areas? Ancient history is the field of study that involves written past from the commencement of commemorated account of human to the Early Middle Ages. Thesis statement The thesis digs into the lives of female with respect to their role in the society. It brings into consideration the shifts in their position over the historical cultures, restricting it to the varied status of women in the early Bronze Age and the period prior to that in the regions of Greece, Egypt, Rome and Mesopotamia. The particular roles in consideration include religion, marriage, politics, education and as part of the economic activities. Most of the world societies have been observed to provide an inferior status to women in comparison to men. This perception was justified by the natural distinction in the male and female. For example many societies used to consider women as an emotional entity thus lacking the capability to make decisions. They were also considered to be less creative and intelligent by nature. However, scientific research exhibits that both men and women possess an equal range of creative, emotional, and intellectual capabilities. It has been maintained by various sociologists and anthropologists that women used to perform their roles as trained by their cultures, thus maintaining the negative stereotypes associated with femininity, like the idea of natural inferiority. In most part of the world, women today are considered as an individual equal in all aspects of life to the men. But this liberty has been achieved through struggles of centuries. The most eminent part has been assumed to play by the Womens Movement of the 1900s (Hunt et al. 2009). Ancient Greece Women were considered similar to a property owned by a man in the ancient Greece lacking any legal or social rights. They were considered as a weaker sex and considered as almost a distinct species from man. They were something needed to bear children, but were considered as citizens and protected by law to be sold as slave. A part from this protection they were assumed to be dependent part of the family and were subservient to the males of the family while going through the different stages of life like being a daughter, a wife and a mother. The births of baby girl were not considered a source of merry and mostly were abandoned soon after the birth by placing in clay pots and leaving on road sides. They were not given any attention to receive education except the domestic chores. On marrying a girl, the dowry provided by the girl’s parents was given immense importance which afterwards would become part of husband’s property which was supposed to be returned in case of divorce. Virginity was valued on marrying and after that the women was supposed to be loyal to her husband. Women also performed religious rituals not only at home but also in communities and they even used to dedicate themselves as priestesses. The respect for women in the society was linked to their role as mothers and specifically the mother of sons (Tetlow, 1980). Ancient Rome Like in many other civilizations, a woman was considered subordinate to man. Upon marrying, a girl was supposed to leave her parents and the father’s authority and become subservient to her husband. The law provided her a status similar to that of her husband’s daughter. As the Roman Empire grew, the values and stereotypes associated with women were given less importance. Most of the aspect of a women’s life were similar to other civilizations prior to the growth of Roman Empire which subsequently started changing and by the first century’s end, a freedom level was attained by women not viewed by them till the last 50 years of twentieth century. Women were not allowed to work to earn money as well as they themselves were not interested in working for the very purpose as work was more associated with slaves and people belonging to lower class. Emperor Augustus brought in a series of laws to encourage conventional values but his efforts could not fight with the freedom struggle of the females of societies. Although Roman men considered women as a source of inconvenience yet they valued home, marriages and initiating family life. Women were not provided the right to vote and were not considered as citizens of the state. Woman was supposed to be provided a guardianship and an independent status of a woman were never considered. In the 200 years, women in the Rome were allowed to perform daily purchases, to visit their religious places and even participate in social activities. After 500 years as the Rome became republic, women gained the status to participate in business activities while by the end of this period the status of women after marriage was changes from the subservient of husband to manager of household and family. As the Rome changed into an empire, a considerable amount of freedom was gained by women and legal rights to ownership of land and business were provided to them. Although still dependent to father or husband, legally they could play a role equal to that of males of the society. For example; Cornelia, a Roman matron, acquired respect and fame for her patriotism, managerial skill and good works. (Burns, 2006). Ancient Egypt Although the women were not given equal rights in ancient Egypt with men, yet they were provided many rights that were forbidden in other civilizations. Like they were allowed to choose if they want to marry or not and could not be forced to marry. Once married, they were to fulfil their duties as a wife and afterwards a mother as children were given importance in the ancient civilization of Egypt. Along with doing the domestic duties, they were allowed to take an active part in the business activities and buy, own and sell property on their own. They could be sued and were allowed to sue others. They were also allowed to divorce their husbands if they felt unpleased with the marriage. The dowry was returned to the bride on divorce and her children while if men divorced the women, he had to withdraw from his children, a part of his wealth, and the bride dowry. Mesopotamia Mesopotamia resided the area known today as parts of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey. It is supposed to be the home of the Babylonians (ca. 1900-539 B.C.E.), sumeriaris (ca.2900-2350 B.C.E. and 2112—2004 B.C.E.), and Assyrians (ca. 1900—612 B.C.E.). These all were antediluvians whose civilizations later on lay immersed for many centuries under the heaps and mounds of earth. The family was patriarchal in the ancient Near East as the head and the administrator of the house was considered to be the father who used to exercise his authority over his children and wife till his death. The women role was a dependent individual going thru various stages of life, being a daughter, a wife and then a mother serving as a housekeeper. Thus a woman used to live a life dependent on the males of the family. The most essential role in marriages of a woman was to bear children and specifically the sons considered as the heirs. A son was anticipated to take care of parents in old age and to perform the religious rites after their death. The marriages were usually monogamous, even their gods used to be exhibit monogamy. The number of sons bore by a woman used to increase her respect in her in-laws and society. Although the customs varied in different parts, but the marriage ceremony was completed following engagement, payment of dowry from both sides, the departure of female to her in-laws and then the consummation. The bride was not married to an individual but the family of groom as she was responsible to take care of the whole family. Married women were required to be veiled in public except the prostitutes who were punished on such an act. Divorce was considered a social stigma and females were forbidden to initiate divorce. In case of death of husband, widow if bore sons was given the rank of the leader of the family which was given protection by the ruler of the empire. Each city followed varied tradition relating to succession and inheritance. The sons were given equal shares or in case of death of a son, his male line was given the status of successor. However, in few areas like Emar and Nuzi, females had given legal parity with males. Women may submit themselves to serve the religious gods and goddesses. Although the major role of women in the Mesopotamia was predominantly of a dependent individual however the women was granted a higher status in the reign of Sumerian city-state as they used to give immense importance to goddesses in their theology. A woman hence was allowed to take an active part in the business activities with the permission of her husband. But if the family guardian particularly male is unable to earn then a women was allowed to earn on her own thus can take part in the economic activities. In Nuzi, a provincial town in the Mesopotamia in the second millenary B.C.E, free women used to take part in the court and thus guaranteeing their legal equivalence with men. Women were allowed to purchased, inherit, or acquire land by the royal grant. So women could sue and might have been sued by other in cases of entitlement and ownership of land. It was an important aspect as the land ownership used to guarantee the path to wealth and power. A major role was played by women in the manufacturing and sale of perfumes which was considered an important industry of the region as they were used as medicines, magic, cosmetics, and rituals. Apart from this, spinning and weaving were principally associated with women. Until the era of Hammurabi, women were allowed to brew beer. Prostitution was allowed but not considered a respectful act. Midwifery was also associated with women and women scribes were also referred to this region (Nemet-Nejat, 1999). Conclusion The civilizations of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome deviated in their handling of women. Rome and Greece depict a rather conservative mind of women’s place within the society and they were particularly dominated by men. For instance; in Athens, bout 500 to 300 B.C., women nurtured children and handled the weaving, cooking and spinning within the household. Women having wealth used to assist their slaves in the above mentioned chores, along with performing certain tasks. The women of respect in Athens rarely left their houses. Men were to perform tasks like doing the purchase of items, law making, soldiering, and public speaking. Egypt, on the contrary, was quite ahead in terms of treating women, in its time. Egyptian women were provided with equal rights in almost all the aspects of life in the society. In ancient Roman Empire womens primary function was manage the domestic affairs and was forbidden to hold a public office. In similarity to other civilizations, men were considered dominant. But the system of government in the Roman empires included statesmen, military leaders and the matrons of the ruling families, although the right to vote was not given to even such ladies too. In the Mesopotamia, women along with performing the domestic role of a housewife, priestess and a male dependent individual was allowed to participate in business activities and take part in real estate. They used to work as scholars, scribes, managed estates and businesses, and few even used to take part in the fertility rituals. Weavers, musicians, perfume makers, tavern keepers and beer brewers were usually women. Women in the first millennium were ranked higher in the Babylonia than in Assyria. All of these civilizations share notable similarities in assumed role of female as a housewife functioning to rear children and managing households and the religious priestess, devoted to serve the gods. References Burns, J. (2006). Great Women of Imperial Rome: Mothers and Wives of the Caesars. Taylor & Francis. Hunt, L., et al. (2009). The Making the West: Peoples and cultures. 3rd ed. New York: St. Martins. Nemet-Nejat, K. (1999).Womens Roles in Ancient Mesopotamia. London: Greenwood Press. Tetlow, E.M. (1980). The Status of Women in Greek Roman and Jewish Society. Paulist Press. Read More