The Roman Marriage

 735-509 B.C.E

* Girls were permitted to marry at a young age (12+) while men waited until around 30.

* For a marriage to be legally valid, both parties have to be Roman citizens. you would lose your legal rights otherwise.

* The parents of the girl usually provided a dowry.

* The women were expected to be loyal, obedient, modest.and to bear children, as many as they can. Poor women were expected to have at least 10 children because of the high infant mortality.

* Either party in a marriage could obtain a divorce by declaring "I divorce you" 3 times!

* If the husband declared a divorce without a reason, he was required to return the entire dowry but if the wife was guilty of adultery, the husband could keep one-sixth of the dowry.

* After the divorce, the children went to the father and a divorced woman had no right to see them again.

* Children were taught at home. The girls were taught household economy and spinning wool to make the family clothes while the boys were taught law, history and were engaged in physical training to be prepared for the military.

From the book: Making Europe, Volume 1