week 5

First and foremost, kudos to the Romans for giving woman at least a little bit of freedom. It was a great stride in society for there to be no segregation for the ladies. Despite not being able to participate in public life, woman were able to own businesses and own controls.  So long ago!  It's also neat that divorce was so easy to acquire, less than a hundred years ago divorce was looked down upon in our society, so it appears that the Romans were slightly ahead of their time.  

It seems that if family was the center of roman life, the father wouldn't want to exercise his power so heavily that his son would want to poison him.  Also strange that a culture that seems to be at least slightly liberal for it's time would allow the father to sell of his children and murder his wife.  Divorce is allowed, however adultery, at least for the woman, was punishable by death.  Strange moral compasses.  Also abortion?  We just barely made that legal in the last century.  

Also, interesting that liberal arts in education and medicine being practiced as a career were introduced so early in history.  Rome was very advanced, they had a government, census, taxes, medicine, various types of education, it's so strange to think of such a developed civilization so long ago.  I sure wish Boise would provide me with bread, wine and entertainment.  

It's unfortunate that Domitian followed Titus, it seems that for Rome, every time there is something good, such as a good ruler, it is followed by something or someone who is troublesome. 

It seems to me that it is a good idea, that the "five good emperors had"  occasionally co-ruling.