IL RUOLO DELLA DONNA NEL MATRIMONIUM IUSTUM ROMANO
THE ROLE OF WOMAN IN ROMAN MATRIMONIUM IUSTUM

Summary/Abstract: Marriage was undoubtedly one of the most important institutions in Roman society. Following the origins of the Roman matrimonum iustum we can say that it originated in its initial form even before the legendary "abduction" of the Sabine women, starting with the legendary marriage between Aeneas of Troy and Lavinia, who are credited with the founding of the Roman race, as well as the relationship between Rhea Silvia and the god Mars whose descendants Romulus and Remus, will be the founders of the city of Rome. The “marriage relationship” constructed according to the rules of Roman law is an inexhaustible source of information about the position and role of feminae in the family relations. Even the expression matrimonium derives from the term mater, because of the fact that the ancient Romans had understood the marriage primarily as an instrument through which unmarried women would become mothers. Although socially marginalized, it seems that in the marriage, starting from the preparations and the way of establishing it, the focus is still on the woman. For those reasons, this paper, analyzing all significant aspects of the position of women in the marriage union, will be a mirror of the true place of feminae in Roman society.

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