The History of Marriage

1. The History of Marriage

2. Overview • Marriage in Ancient Egypt from 8,000 B.C. to 525 B.C. • Marriage in Ancient Rome from 510 B.C. to 25 B.C. • Marriage during the European Renaissance from 1350-1550 • Marriage in America from 1900-2013

3. Marriage in Ancient Egypt

4. Typical Marrying Age • Boys • 14-20 • Usually had an established job before marriage • Girls • Married at the age of sexual maturity • 12-14

5. Sex and Marriage • Sex was considered socially acceptable outside of marriage • Virginity was irrelevant • Once a couple is married, it is expected that they will only have sex with their partners

6. Homosexuality • There is not a lot of evidence of homosexuality of ancient Egypt • Some homosexual relationships between royalty were speculated by historians • An Egyptian myth told the story of the homosexual relationship between two men: Set and Horus

7. Establishing a Marriage • Married for love • The man asked the girl’s father for permission • It is unclear if there was a formal engagement period • Marriages were documented in order to establish the sharing of property • Few social parameters of marriage were established • There was no formal ceremony- the couple just moved in together

8. Married Life • The ancient Egyptians in general were very affectionate and in love with their partners • The marriage established that all possessions obtained before the marriage belonged to the individual, but possessions and property obtained after the marriage should be shared • The majority of people were monogamous, but royalty typically practiced polygamy

9. Children • Little contraception was developed and used • The women typically got pregnant shortly after marriage • The society valued having large families • The average amount of children per family is unknown • In general, both sons and daughters were valued equally

10. Divorce • Divorce was not an unusual occurrence • Both men and women were able to initiate the divorce • All marital properties were as evenly divided as possible • Both could be initiated for many reasons • Incompatibility • Infertility • Adultery • Many divorced people remarried

11. Royal Marriages • Polygamy was common for kings and other men with power • Typically men would have one “principal” wife and as many as hundreds of other wives to ensure a male heir would be born to become the next king • For royalty, it was normal for siblings, cousins and even fathers/daughters to marry each other • The royal class married close relatives to makes their right to rule more legitimate • According to the myth, the ancient Egyptian Gods also married their relatives, so it was viewed as socially acceptable

12. Marriage: Ancient Roman Empire • 3 kinds of Marriages • Confarreatio • Only legal form • Husband became her master • Usus • Similar to common law marriages • Wife stayed in her families name • Coemptio • Families sold daughters

13. Marriage: Ancient Roman Empire • The Ceremony: • Sacrificed an animal and asked for Gods blessing • Written agreement &sealed it with a kiss • Orange wedding veil &orange shoes Belted and Bound

14. Marriage: Ancient Roman Empire • Relating to Society • Marriage brings two household together, new property is introduced, & there is a promise of children • Responsibility of Bride’s family to pay • Once a woman got married: • Incredibly high position • Education • Public games, theatre, religious ceremony, etc. • Testify in court of even defend a case • Managed property & business

15. Marriage: Ancient Roman Empire • Political/Public Affairs • Strictly Monogamous • Unlike today: • Marriage had no legal force • Divorce was as easy as marriage

16. Marriage: Ancient Roman Empire • Ethical Implications: Consequences of (moral) actions • Women who engaged in Extramarital affairs: • Man of the house  Kill both women and lover • If he only killed one  Charged with murder

17. The Renaissance “meaning birth- a cultural movement that began in the late Middle Ages of the 14th century through the 17th century” (D’elia 2004)

18. Women in the Renaissance • The rebirth of 14th century Europe was a men’s revolution • Women were expected to marry to benefit her family’s social standing and to maker her husband proud • Women were basically considered second class citizens with very few rights compared to men

19. Women continued • Women were married as young as 13, and their husbands were 14 years older on average • Women were considered property • Woman had to behave properly so as not to disgrace their husband

20. Marriage • The two main reasons people get married were to • For inheritance • For property • Often a title of nobility together with land ownership was conveyed in the nuptials

21. Marriage laws • Since the Catholic Church dominated culture during the Renaissance, they developed the start of marriage customs • In 1076, it was declared that no man could give away his daughter without a priestly blessing • In the 16th century the Council of Trent decreed a priest was required to perform the betrothal ceremony

22. Marriage laws cont. • The church had made marriage a sacrament • They added to marriage that intercourse was for procreation and not for passion

23. Marriage customs • A bride’s family would present the groom with a dowry • The husband had control over the land, property, or money given by the family • Women often outlived their husbands, and were dependent on them for money and security; woman were however allowed to step into their husbands roles when they died • Many women had control of the wealth of the family until the male children were old enough to take control • If a woman decided to return to her family after her husband died, the children stayed with the husband’s family

24. Marriage customs cont. • The rising costs of the dowry throughout the renaissance caused lower class families to not afford to marry off their daughters • This led to and increase in prostitution in order for the girls to support their family. • In lower class families, when a girl’s husband died, they could not go back to their family and were forced into day labor or prostitution

25. customs • By the late 1500’s, the concept of a marriage license was common • The lower class would still have a small ceremony and not have a license • The license served as a legal way to determine status among the upper class

26. Divorce • Adultery by women was a serious crime and was punished severely by the court of law • Divorce was frowned upon by the Catholic church, which heavily regulated marriage • A couple had to get the permission of the pope to get a divorce, otherwise they were excommunicated from the church

27. Childbirth • Childbirth was a great risk in Renaissance for both the mother and the child • Physicians knew nothing about the female body; it was considered “less formed” than the bodies of men • Midwives were looked down upon because of their lack of training, but were essential in childbirth

28. Childbirth cont. • Next to health, having a baby boy was the most important thing • Well into the 1600s, it was believed that if a pregnant woman looked at the image of baby boys, this would make them have a baby boy

29. Marriage from 1900-2013

30. Late 19th and early 20th centuries • drive to have the wives seen as their husbands equals • Development of contraception changed marriages • More couples are deciding to not have children and can control that because of contraception

31. Start of 20th Century • Started dating in late teens or early 20s Date for a few years before getting married Start a family • Less than 1/3 of women had sex before marriage and if they did it was usually their future husbands • Homosexual relationships were frowned upon • Gay marriages were unheard of

32. Start of 20th Century (cont.) • Divorce was not common • Only way divorce was legal was if adultery had taken place • The social stigma attached to adultery made it very difficult to be social accepted as a divorced person • Custody of children was always given to the father • 1920’s: women were given property and inheritance rights above any children

33. 1950’s: marriage becomes almost universal • Nuclear family is common • 4 out of 5 people surveyed said that choosing to be single is “immoral” and “sick” • 1970’s: views on marriage is more relaxed; as in independent women and social changes mean marriage is no longer “mandatory” • Divorce rates skyrocket • 1980’s: couples started cohabiting (living together) whether or not they were married • 1/3 of children were born out of wedlock • By 1990’s 1/3rd of marriages ended in divorce

34. Today: marriage is the most powerful expression of love • Push for gay and lesbian couples to get the right to marry • More people are continuing to live together before marriage • 1st Civil partnership under the Civil Partnerships Act took place in Europe in December of 2005 • Gay marriage has obviously boomed this past year

35. Conclusions • There is a variety of customs and public opinions towards marriage in all of the historical periods • Despite the diversity among the four historical periods we researched, there are still similarities in all marriages • Divorce was an option throughout history • Marriage was used as a bond for reproduction • Love existed throughout history

36. References • Fathom Archive. Ancient Egyptian Society and Family Life. (Accessed 11/13/13). Http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/21701778/ • Tour Egypt. Marriage in Ancient Egypt (accessed 11/13/13) http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/marriage.htm • Seawright, Caroline. Ancient Egyptian Sexuality: Life in Ancient Egypt. (access 11/13/13) http://www.thekeep.org/~kunoichi/kunoichi/themestream/sexuality.html#.UoRKr-IUaSo • http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/weddings.html • http://www.classicsunveiled.com/romel/html/marrcustwom.html 6. D’elia, Anthony F. The Renaissance of Marriage In Fifteenth-Century Italy. 2004 Harvard College. Pg. 11-83 7. Brucker, Gene A. Love and Marriage in the Renaissance. University of California Press. 1986. pgs. 15-77 8. Huntley, Theresa. Women in the Renaissance. Crabtree Publishing company New York, NY. 2010. pgs 4-20. 9. Najemy, John M. Italy in the Age of the Renaissance : 1300-1550: 1300-1550. Oxford University Press. 2004. 10. “Marriage and Divorce.” Exploring 20th Century London. Web. http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/marriage-and-divorce 11. Psychology Today Staff. “Marriage, a History.” Psychology Today.  1 May 2005: Web. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200505/marriage-history 12. The Week Staff. “How Marriage has Changed Over Centuries.” The Week. 1 June 2012: Web. http://theweek.com/article/index/228541/how-marriage-has-changed-over-centuries 13. Everitt, Lauren. “Ten Key Moments in the History of Marriage.” BBC News Magazine. 13 March 2012: Web. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17351133