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