A Short History of Women´s Rights by Eugene A. Hecker - HTML preview

CHAPTER I

WOMEN'S RIGHTS UNDER ROMAN LAW, 27 B.C.-527 A.D.

Originally women were always under guardianship--But under the Empire

the entire equality of the sexes was recognised--Women in

marriage--Their power over their property--Divorce--

Women engaged in all

business pursuits--Instances of women suing and pleading in

law--Partiality of the law towards women--Rights of inheritance--Rights

to higher education fully allowed--Provision made for poor children to

be educated--The Vestals--Female slaves--Remarkable growth of

humanitarianism towards slaves under the Empire--Sources CHAPTER II

WOMEN AND THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Christ laid down ethical principles but not minute regulations--The

Apostles affected by Jewish and Oriental or Greek conceptions of

women--Examples of these--St. Paul and St. Peter on the position of

women--The Church Fathers elaborated these teachings--

Examples of their

contempt for women--Mingled with admiration for particular types of

women--Their views of marriage--Their strictures on unbecoming

dress--Summary of their views and how the status of women was affected

by them--Sources