The legal situation of the women of ancient Rome was extremely complex and since there was no sharp distinction between free woman freedwoman and slave the defi... » 

The legal situation of the women of ancient Rome was extremely complex and since there was no sharp distinction between free woman freedwoman and slave the definition of their legal position is often heard. Basing her livelyanalysis on detailed study of literary and epigraphic material Jane F. Gardnerexplores the provisions of the Roman laws as they related to women.Dr Gardner describes the ways in which the laws affected women throughout theirlives in families as daughters wives and parents as heiresses andtestators as owners and controllers of property and as workers. She lookswith particular attention at the ways in which the strict letter of the lawcame to be modified softened circumvented and even changed pointing outthat the laws themselves tell us as much about the economic situation of womenand the range of opportunities available to them outside the home. «