Daily life of women (household economics)

The life of woman during Celtic Britain

In Celtic Britain, both men and women worked in the fields. Men usually ploughed, while women weeded the crop. Other farming jobs included combing sheep, caring for sick animals, milking cows, collecting eggs, repairing thatched roofs and fetching water.

The basic unit of Celtic life was the clan rather than an individual family. Parents usually sent their sons and daughters to live in other households. In this way, the children could establish close friends with other families in the tribes and could also learn extra skills.
Boys would be trained to become warriors. Girls from rich families were also brought up by foster families until they got married.

In Celtic society, women were generally treated better than in most other societies of that time. They were equal to men. They could own property and choose their own husbands. They could even become war leaders, as in the example of Queen Boudicca. Refer Image 1

At home, women often threshed grain, ground flour on querns, spun wool, wove cloth and made cooking pots from clay. They also prepared meals, baked bread and made cheese. Mealtimes were important in Celtic culture. During mealtimes, the Celts sat on the floor, ate food with their hands and drank ale. Refer animation

The life of women during Roman Britain

During the Roman occupation of Britain, women had fewer rights and their places were limited to the home. The Romans believed that women were the weaker sex. Women were not considered as citizens and could not vote in Roman Britain. They had few legal rights, and were dependent on their fathers or husbands. Men usually worked while most women were expected to stay at home. Men were also the leaders of the family, and were given the title pater familias, meaning 'father of the family'.

In many ways, women were treated similarly to slaves, who also could not vote and were dependent on their masters. Roman women, however, did have the right to own and inherit property.

Female slaves suffered more than male slaves. Females were expected to do household chores, and were often made to breed child slaves for their masters. The master had the legal right to control a female slave and was the only person who could grant her the right to marry. Refer Image 2

Most Roman women were expected to become wives and mothers and run the household, rather than receive an education. Girls from upper class or wealthy families could go to school but the highest level of education they were allowed to reach was elementary.

In Roman Britain, when a girl reached 13, her family usually arranged a marriage for her. A wife was expected to be quiet, loving, obedient and completely devoted to her husband. At home, women spun and wove yarn to make clothes. Women were regarded as homemakers and guardians of the home. It was the responsibility of men to provide money.

Among the common peoples, women were more equal to men in their work. They worked as fruit-sellers, butchers, bath attendants, fishmongers, polishers and porters. Under Augustus' rule, some women could become teachers, doctors, nurses, waitresses, midwives, weavers, and food vendors. Women performed other jobs such as jewellery making, leather working, and ceramics alongside their husbands in family businesses. These types of jobs were not very popular, however. Poor women helped their husbands at work, in the fields or in their workshops.

Women of wealth and status were allowed more freedom and could become priestesses. As most of their housework was done by their slaves, the only duties of wealthy women were to take care of their children and ensure that the slaves did their jobs properly. They could spend their time discussing poetry, law and literature.Women were taught Greek and Latin literature and learned how to dance, sing and play a lyre (stringed musical instrument).

In Rome, men held political power. Roman aristocratic women, however, could be indirectly influential in politics. They could accompany their spouses to meetings and functions, often in foreign provinces. Nevertheless, women of high class still could not serve as magistrates, senators, or military commanders.

Women wore dresses called stolas and cloaks called pallas,which were made of wool or linen. Wealthy women wore silk from China, and cotton from India. In ancient Rome women were also permitted to use the public baths, but not on the same days as the men. Refer Image 3

In Roman society, male children were usually preferred to female children. Because of this preference, poor families sometimes abandoned infant daughters in the countryside. This practice of allowing baby girls to die, called female infanticide, had an impact on the population of Roman society, and continued in Britain until the first century AD.