Essay Example on Today father figures are often viewed as the head of the Household

Today father figures are often viewed as the head of the household They are considered to be the family backbone and generally have the largest influence when it comes to decision making However mothers are almost as equally as important in the family structure as their male counter parts This perception of fathers is not that far off from the role fathers played in Ancient Roman family structures where the father held the power and was also considered to be the head of the family But the roles of mothers and children vary between the Roman empire and present day Similar to today Romans recognized the ranks of father grandfather and great grand father If the great grandfather was still living he was the one that held the power of the family The oldest male was the one who was responsible for all of his direct descendants in the family He was considered to be the pater which might be different from the father However if the great grandfather or the grandfather are no longer living then the father becomes the pater Paters were always the one deciding the fate of their children or grandchildren Roman law permitted paters or fathers to have complete power over their sons and daughters especially when it came to things such as marriage 

The pater was the chief when it came to decision making and handled almost all of the family relations however he did consult with his sons when it came to deciding things such as arranged marriages for his grandchildren Some of these relations included the family assets or businesses as well as the social status of his children Roman paters had the authority to arrange marriages for their children and this often occurred at a very young age If the pater or father arranged a marriage but later decided he wanted his son or daughter to marry someone else he held the authority to force a divorce upon the couple The fathers were also able to pick a life path for their son whether it be selling him into slavery or ending his life early for misbehavior All of these actions were permitted under Roman law and children often had no other choice but to be obedient and adhere to the path their fathers have selected Shelton Women in Rome were considered to be objects and were to belong to someone at all times The owner was typically her father but in the event of his death the duty was handed next to either her husband or another male relative selected by her father or husband The Romans Mothers held very little power in their families and were often the less celebrated at their birth compared to men While it is not explicitly mentioned it is assumed that men preferred that their wives bare baby boys as opposed to baby girls This is suspected because women had no role in society except to bare children Women were unable to support themselves through work and the children they bared did not carry on the family pater as those children would belong to their father Women also required a dowry when it came time for them to marry which was often viewed as a financial burden on the family Often times baby girls were left out in the open to either be claimed by someone passing by or suffer a death from starvation or exposure to the elements If a girl was allowed to live in