Rome is a very close neighbor of Greece, the habits and custom of whom are also more or less similar to those of Greek. We are also going to have a look at this next civilized nation that how woman was treated by them? As we go on and study this one, we come to understand that here it is even worse than that of the Greek Civilization. These people have worse and evil ideas about woman. The situation of Woman is like the situation of a child playing with its doll and this was their main purpose that they looked after them. It was the duty of her husband by name who kept her and looked after her. He took her guardianship only for the purpose that she would be useful to him in some ways.
“During those days if a woman married, she had her property passed on to the power of her husband. Not only this, but he also exercised every right over her. When she did anything wrong, it was he who had full right of passing judgement on her. He had the right of even sentencing her to death”[1].
A husband thought that he has bought his wife like a good from the bazaar and there fore she was like a property of him and nothing more.
“A Roman wife was something like a purchased property of her husband’s. Thus was like a slave acquired solely for her lord’s benefit. She was not allowed to take part in any civil or public affairs: that is to say; she could not be a trustee, a witness or stand surety for another or even be a tutor. She was just like a piece of furniture to decorate a man’s abode”[1].
These are not the only things they did or thought about woman, but a wife was not only a wife to her husband, moreover she even was not free after the death of her husband. When her husband in name died, she became the heritage property of her sons, or sons in law, brothers of her husband and (etc). The poor thing[1] had no such type of right to claim that she was free after the death of her husband to do anything according to her own wishes.
“When Romans emerged from darkness on the bright horizon of history, their social traditions recognized man as the Chief of the family unit, passing full authority and power over the members of his family; so much so that he could take the life of his wife”[1].
The poor woman thought and thought about her position and situation, but felt giddy and could not understand indeed that what she is? Wether she was a humanbeing like man and if so, why then she was so cruelly and mercilessly treated by men? The developed and civilized nation thought woman as if she was not a humanbeing, but rather they thought she was the source of evil doing and bad deeds.
“When Roman Democracy was at its Zneith, their women did not observe Pardah like like the woman of Greek nobility, but the womenfolk and youth were kept under an unrelenting family decipline, chastity, specifically of the family was highly valued and considered as a criterion of the nobility of character. They had such a high moral standard that when a Roman senator once kissed his wife in the presence of his daughter, it was considered derogatory to the national moral character and a vote of consure was passed against him on the floor of the house”[1]
[1] Purdah and Status of Woman in Islam by Sayed Abul Alaa Maudoodi (Page # 7)
[1] “Thing” I have mentioned here instead of woman, is because of the bad behaviours of the Ancient Romans.
[1] Woman in Islam, by Sayed Abduyllah – Sief – Al – Hatimy (Page # 2)
