Homework...
Suzanne Hanson
History 295, Section 802
Wives, Warriors Witches
Chapter Summary pages 142 – 159
Tacitus, a Roman senator wrote in his book Germania that “the woman must not think that she is excluded from aspirations to many virtues…that she enters her husband’s home to be a partner of his toils and perils, that both in peace and war she is to share his suffering and adventures.” Germans regarded their women highly and even believed them to have great spiritual powers. According to Tacitus, Germans were monogamous and husbands and wives were very loyal to each other. During warfare, women were often present on the battlefields offering support, food and care for their men.
Three types of marriages were recognized by Germans; a free marriage where a woman contracted her own union, a marriage through the man abducting a woman and forcing her to marry him (not my idea of romance), and finally marriage through purchase. Marriage through purchase involved the husband and wife buying gifts for each other. Typically, the husband presented his wife with horses, livestock and the wife gave him the gift every man wants-weapons! The husband also gave the wife weapons which was symbolic of how they shared everything, including the hazards of warfare.
As the German cultures living on Rome’s borders gradually moved into Roman territory, the people began adopting Roman ideas that drastically altered the status of Germanic women. Roman ideas of law and property, along with the adoption of Christianity among Germanic tribes contributed to the evolution of gender roles. According to archeological excavations, men accepted the Roman ways quicker than women. While women were wearing traditional German-style-tunics, the men were wearing clothes of Roman fashion. Peter Wells, an archeologist, believes that German women clung to their Germanic identity as a way of resisting Rome.
German-Roman relationships were disrupted in the fifth century when the nomadic Huns conquered and enslaved the Germans. Those lucky enough to escape the Huns fled south and westward to the Roman border. This led to conflicts with Rome, especially after Roman Emperor Valens allowed a group of Germans called the Visigoths into his empire. The Visigoths and the Romans immediately clashed and a Roman princess (Galla Placidia) was captured. In an interesting turn of events however, Galla Placidia married Athaulf, the Visigoth king. Within a year Athaulf died and Galla Placidia went back to Rome and married the emperor.
Eventually, Germanic peoples conquered the majority of western Europe and a society that combined both Roman and German cultures spread. German leaders became kings and parroted Romans in terms of ruling. They used law codes in an effort to expand their authority and social and gender hierarchies were emphasized. Wergelds were German monetary values and kings and warriors had the greatest wergelds. Women obtained wergeld through social status and childbearing
In the fifth century, the German law code known as the Salic Code did not allow women to inherit property. Roman influence is seen later in the sixth and seventh century when the Salic Code is revised to give Frankish women rights to correspond with Roman women. While married, their husbands were in control of their property but at least they could inherit. Widows even have the right to any goods acquired during the marriage.
History 295, Section 802
Wives, Warriors Witches
Chapter Summary pages 142 – 159
Tacitus, a Roman senator wrote in his book Germania that “the woman must not think that she is excluded from aspirations to many virtues…that she enters her husband’s home to be a partner of his toils and perils, that both in peace and war she is to share his suffering and adventures.” Germans regarded their women highly and even believed them to have great spiritual powers. According to Tacitus, Germans were monogamous and husbands and wives were very loyal to each other. During warfare, women were often present on the battlefields offering support, food and care for their men.
Three types of marriages were recognized by Germans; a free marriage where a woman contracted her own union, a marriage through the man abducting a woman and forcing her to marry him (not my idea of romance), and finally marriage through purchase. Marriage through purchase involved the husband and wife buying gifts for each other. Typically, the husband presented his wife with horses, livestock and the wife gave him the gift every man wants-weapons! The husband also gave the wife weapons which was symbolic of how they shared everything, including the hazards of warfare.
As the German cultures living on Rome’s borders gradually moved into Roman territory, the people began adopting Roman ideas that drastically altered the status of Germanic women. Roman ideas of law and property, along with the adoption of Christianity among Germanic tribes contributed to the evolution of gender roles. According to archeological excavations, men accepted the Roman ways quicker than women. While women were wearing traditional German-style-tunics, the men were wearing clothes of Roman fashion. Peter Wells, an archeologist, believes that German women clung to their Germanic identity as a way of resisting Rome.
German-Roman relationships were disrupted in the fifth century when the nomadic Huns conquered and enslaved the Germans. Those lucky enough to escape the Huns fled south and westward to the Roman border. This led to conflicts with Rome, especially after Roman Emperor Valens allowed a group of Germans called the Visigoths into his empire. The Visigoths and the Romans immediately clashed and a Roman princess (Galla Placidia) was captured. In an interesting turn of events however, Galla Placidia married Athaulf, the Visigoth king. Within a year Athaulf died and Galla Placidia went back to Rome and married the emperor.
Eventually, Germanic peoples conquered the majority of western Europe and a society that combined both Roman and German cultures spread. German leaders became kings and parroted Romans in terms of ruling. They used law codes in an effort to expand their authority and social and gender hierarchies were emphasized. Wergelds were German monetary values and kings and warriors had the greatest wergelds. Women obtained wergeld through social status and childbearing
In the fifth century, the German law code known as the Salic Code did not allow women to inherit property. Roman influence is seen later in the sixth and seventh century when the Salic Code is revised to give Frankish women rights to correspond with Roman women. While married, their husbands were in control of their property but at least they could inherit. Widows even have the right to any goods acquired during the marriage.
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