Not at all like the romantic weddings of the modern age, marriage in Rome was an agreement between twofamilies. Like much of Roman society, it was very structured but also very sensible and, in some ways, evenup to date.
Marriage in the Roman era was often not at all romantic. Rather, it was an arrangment between twofamilies. Men would usually marry in their twenties, while women married while they were still in their earlyteens. As they came close to these ages, their family would consult with friends to find suitable partnersthat could improve the family’s standing in the class system.
For this reason, there were specific laws managing marriage. A correct Roman marriage could not takeplace unless bride and groom were Roman citizens, or had been granted special allowences.
At one point in Roman history, freed slaves were not allowed to marry citizens. This law was changed byEmperor Augustus who passed a change in the law in 18 BC called the lex Julia so that, by the first century,freed slaves were only dissalowed from marrying senators.
Augustus insisted on other restrictions on marriage. Citizens were not allowed to marry hookers or actorsand officials were not allowed to marry the local women. Soldiers were only allowed to marry in certai circumstances and marriages to close relatives were not allowed. Finally, unfaithful wives divorced by their
husbands could not remarry .
Assuming that a proposed wedding met all these demands, the process itself was simple. The prospectivebride and groom were committed to marry each other at the betrothal, a formal ceremony between the twofamilies. Gifts would be exchanged and the dowry agreed. A written agreement would be signed and thedeal sealed with a kiss.
The date of the wedding itself would be chosen carefully: some dates were seen as better than others. Ingeneral, June was the most popular month, although weddings took place throughout the year.
Wedding traditions
Unlike today, marriage had no legal force of its own but was rather a personal agreement between the brideand groom. As a result, the wedding itself was a mere formality to prove that the couple intended to livetogether, known as “affectio maritalis.”
On the wedding morning, the groom would lead a procession to his bride's family home, where the bridewould be escorted by her bridesmaids to meet her future husband. She would be wearing a tunica recta — awhite woven tunic — belted with an elaborate "Knot of Hercules.” She would have carefully arranged hair and would be wearing an orange wedding veil and orange shoes.
After the marriage contract had been signed, there would be an large feast. The day ended with a noisy procession to the couple's new home, where the bride was carried over threshold so she would not trip — an especially bad omen.
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Roman Orgy
Roman Orgy
Roman Orgy
Roman Orgy
Roman Orgy
