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The Roman and Barbarian World and the Emergence of
Early Medieval Society
Roman Empire, 2d Century, CE
Emperor Augustus
Emperor Constantine
Venus or Dione
Roman Matron
Flavian Amphitheater
Amphitheater: Colisseum
Colisseum
Roman Society to ca 300
• Terms of marriage favor groom; he is significantly older than his bride
• Small numbers of children preferred, investing heavily in education.
• Tolerance of sexuality outside marriage;
• A sense the world is old...
Rome Divided
Roman Society post ca 300
• Terms of marriage become more balanced; ages of groom and bride converge.
• Adults may forego marriage
• Small numbers of children preferred, investing heavily in education.
• Tolerance of sexuality outside marriage; Christians value chastity and celibacy
• A sense the world is old...
Germanic Invasions
Barbarian Society
• Organized into tribes, sipps or septs - of roughly 100-250 households each, ruled by a petty king
• Pagan religious traditions
• Isolated communities
• Warrior culture
Barbarian Society
• Non literate culture• Sexual promiscuity evident; Resource
polygyny practiced (the gathering of women into the households of powerful men)
• Many children raised, relatively little investment in their upbringing.
Similarities between Roman and Barbarian Traditions
• Noncommensurate households across social spectrum
• Patriarchal organization of society
• Tolerance of sexual promiscuity
• Post 300: vulnerable to warfare and disruption
• Cognatic conceptions of lineage: descent from both male and female lines (vs agnatic lineage of descent through male line)
Differences between Roman and Barbarian Society
• Level of civilization– literacy– technology– state structure
• For our purposes….– Practices of education of children – Conceptions of the appropriate number and
value of children for a household
Christian Impact on Households• Christianity set goals of
– imposing order on disordered societies– monogamous marriage– reducing sexual promiscuity and raising a standard of
chastity and sexual loyalty for both men and women
• The Church sanctifies or blesses earthly rulers, and expects their support.
• The Church teaches morality for children, blesses marriages, enforces behavior through confession and communion.
After 700…
• The demise of ancient slavery
• The development of new patterns of landholding and therefore household organization: Feudalism and Manorialism
• Rule of exogamy and monogamy in marriage
• Example: The households of St. Germain des Pres