Are you newly married? or looking for a job?
So, your new life as a wife to a Roman has finally begun. Are you nervous? Not sure what you're sopposed to do exactly? Well, I got that all covered here. In this section, I'll cover topics that range from potential job positions, to your rights as a Roman woman.
I must admit however, that being a woman in Roman society during this time does mean that you are going to be very busy. But don't worry, your entire schedule isn't filled with just work. There is plenty of time for play too (that is unless you choose to be a priestess, but more on that later).
Jobs
Women can't hold political positions, so there are primarily only 4 career paths that a woman can have at this time.
- A housewife
- A Vestal Virgin
- A Freedwoman
- A Prostitute
Out of the four listed, the most common job to hold was the position of a wife and mother. The position of Vestal Virgin was something that you had to be chosen for, after applying with certain credentials. A freedwoman was almost like a servant, but one who had flexible hours, and negotiable terms that could be decided on with the employer. Finally, the lowliest job, being a prostitute, was a job one would take out of despiration (more on all of these jobs in the next column and page.
The most common "job" that a Freeborn woman would have would be the duties of a housewife. If you were married, you would have to stay at home, care for the family, and manage the household. However, women's power in the housefold was not very limited. Even though the fathers/husbands, called paterfamilias had legal power over he family, women have a very large say in what goes on in the family. That's not all. You'd also often handled the family finances. But the most important job for a woman though, is to bear children for her husband. That is your primary job as a married woman, to bear and raise a family so that the husband’s blood line could continue.