Role of Women

The role of women has changed dramatically over the last few thousand years, and some things are now very different for women from what they were before. However, in both the Roman and Han China societies there are many similarities as well as differences when it comes to the part that women had in society, such as the expectations they were to meet, and the laws

they were to follow.

Women in both Han China and the Roman society have very similar expectations that they were to uphold. A big expectation for them was that they were to bear legitimate children preferably at around twenty years of age. They were also required to do all sorts of house work such as cooking and cleaning while the man of the family was out working on other things. In terms of public life, women were not allowed to attend, speak in, or vote at political assemblies. They were not allowed to hold any position of political responsibility, nor did they have a say in any type of family matters with the exception of those related to the raising of their children. In terms of laws that they were to follow both Han China as well as the Roman society had some alike. In both societies, the woman was to succumb to the man of the family and if they were not yet married they were to then succumb to their father doing anything and everything they were told. Another Law of the women in these societies was that they were to give birth to children for them to later carry on the name of the family.

Though both societies had many things in common they had many things that were quite contrary to the other. In terms of the expectations of child birth, in the Han Dynasty one of the traditions was that a newborn girl must be placed under the bed in order to signify the submission and role in society to that of man, whereas in the Roman society women were just pregnant there was no traditions that followed. Although many longed for a baby boy in hopes that