The concept of marriage in Roman law and the position of a woman in it

This paper aims to present comprehensions about marriage and its various forms that existed in ancient Rome. The Roman legal tradition has lasted for more than a millennium and marriage, as a legal institute, has undergone changes in its manifestations, from cum manu marriage to sine manu marriage until Justinian’s changes. Since the institution of marriage is directly related to the position of the woman, the paper presents the rights and obligations that the woman had in relation to each of these forms of marriage. This is primarily related to her social status and property rights in connection with marriage and dowry. Historically, the importance of Roman law is in the fact that it represents the foundation of all the rights of the continental legal system, and we see the results of that evolution today, among other things, in our positive marital and family law. Forms for marriage, consent of wills, property relations arising from marriage and other legal regulations under Roman law all significantly imply positive legal solutions. Although the social position of a woman and her position in marriage was, in principle, poor, it changed for the better over time, as a result of the emergence and influence of Christianity, drastic changes in the economy, and the disappearance of patriarchal morality.