ROMAN
WEDDINGS
In ancient Rome girls received a diffrent education from that of boys. Girls
were trained for marrige and homemaking rather than for public affairs.
A baby girl recieved her name on the eighth day of her birth, girls commonly
were given such names as Julia, Cornelia, Livia, and Claudia, which were simpley
the farther's nomen in his feminine form. Occasionallythey bore such names as
Lucia and Gaia, the feminine form of the fathers praenomen. A name such as Secunda
indicatesd order of birth.
During the first six years of her life, a girl received much the same training
as a boy. but after that she attened school for a shorter period. The greater
part of her education was recieved at home and consisted of training in the
mangement of a home. In close companionship with her mother, she learned to
spin and weave, to sew, to arrange meals, and in well-to-do homes to superintend
the slaves. As a rule Roman girls married early often at fourteen of fithteen.
The marige was usually arranged by the parents. It was generally, but not necessarily,
preceded by a formal engagement. June was consisdered a lucky month for weddings.
A Roman girl, like girls in many parts of Europe today, brought her husband
a drowry of money or other possessions. It was considered a moral duty for the
girls father to provide the drowy.
On the evening before her wedding, the bride dedicated to the gods of her home
bulla , toys aand girl's dress. The next morning she was arrayed in a long white
robe. Her hair was pianted with a spear bint into six strands so that three
curls might hang downdown each side of her face. Her veil, hair-net and shoes
were of a bright saffron color.
After the bride has been dressed, the groom escorted by his relatives and friends,
came to her house. The couple entered into the main living room, where the simple
wedding cerenony took place. This consisted of a clapping of right hands berfore
at least ten witnesses . No preist or public offical was necessary.
The wedding feast continued through the day. then another important feature
of the wedding ceremony began the procession that escorted the bride to her
new home. This was always a grand occasion. In front walked a boy bearing a
torch; many of the guest, too, carried torches. Flute players and singers aaccompanied
the party.
When the bride reached her new house she anionted the door with oil and prayed
for a life of plenty. Then she was lifted over the threshold. In the atrium
the bride's groom presented her with fire and water; these symblolized the home
antheir life together.
The next day the young wife offered her first sacrifice at the family shrine
at the new home.