The Roman empire was one of the most significant civilizations in history. Having lasted from 27 BCE to 476 CE in the west and 1453 CE in the East, the Roman empire covered large parts of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The Roman empire was known for many things such as its strong army and respectable architecture, it left a lasting impact in many aspects such as language, law, and more.
While we can go on about the history of the Roman empire as well as its many good and bad qualities, there is one aspect that is less talked about - probably not even discussed - and that is reproductive rights during the period of the Roman empire.
As we are all aware, reproductive rights are important and are considered by many a fundamental right. The right to abortion recently becoming unconstitutional in the US due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade has sparked major backlash and debates saying that we are evolving ‘backwards’. Taking that claim at face value, this article seeks to explore the presence, relevance, and significance of reproductive rights in the Roman empire.
In the Roman empire, women’s rights were limited but when it came to abortion, there was a level of bodily autonomy. In the roman empire, most fetuses were not thought of as independent beings with separate rights from the mother’s body. Hence, abortion was promoted as a choice in the case of unwanted pregnancies, especially in the scenario where the pregnancy puts the woman’s health at risk. At the time, the idea that life began at conception instead of birth was not widespread. Instead it was more commonly believed that the foetus would grow into a living being, an idea advocated for by Aristotle.
It is also noted that at the time, the Romans were not were not particularly invested in ‘saving’ the fetus. In cases where there was an objection to the abortion, it was typically because the father of the fetus did not want to lose a child which they felt they were entitled to.
There is also known Roman medical literature which include descriptions of different methods of abortion. Such methods included poison, medicated baths, surgery, and more. It was also understood back then that abortion was a dangerous process for the patient.
Legal limitations and restrictions which were known to have existed at the time were there with the intention to control women’s reproductive potential. Laws that existed against abortion in the Roman empire stated that abortions were prevented in the circumstance where the father would be deprived of an heir. This allows us to understand that abortions were not illegal because it was a form of murder but rather existed due to the perspective that both the woman and her unborn child were property of the husband.
Later on, it was also encouraged for families to have more children which in turn discouraged the use of abortive herbs. These policies were however in place to increase the birth amongst the patrician class which had been steadily declining. Despite it all, abortion was never outlawed and was a commonly used method of family planning.
In this article, we have taken a look at reproductive rights in the Roman empire. Through this, we can understand that for one, societal norms and bodily autonomy have changed over quite a bit time. While the rights of women were limited in some aspects, abortion was a relatively common occurrence and was accepted in most circumstances. This was largely due to their view that the foetus was not an independent being and saw abortion as a practical means of family planning.
With the Romans, abortion rights were viewed more or less as a paternal right. When looking at the abortion rights, more often than not, it was up to the father and how he wanted to go about carrying his lineage which is a big difference from the discussions we see today. The points we’ve discussed today have also allowed us to get a feel for how social, political, and economic factors can influence reproductive rights.
Taking a look at how reproductive rights were perceived and treated during the Roman empire additionally allows us to reflect upon our ongoing struggles with abortion rights. We can see that many of the same issues persist while a number of new problems have arisen. Learning from the Romans, we can conclude that reproductive rights are strongly connected with our cultural and legal systems and will require our continued efforts to spread awareness, to protect, to advocate.
-Written by aditi jomen bhardwaj, an 11th grade highschool student.
Sources:
Comments