Both the Roman and Chinese empires were powerful and had numerous similarities and differences in their governance, including the treatment of women. However, a notable contrast existed in how women were treated. While both Chinese and Roman women experienced social inequality compared to men, their treatment diverged significantly. In China, women endured harsh treatment and were expected to constantly obey their husbands while serving them dutifully.
Following the passing of Confucius, Chinese women saw a reduction in their liberty and position due to his teachings promoting equality. Conversely, Roman women were highly esteemed and worshipped as deities. They had prescribed roles as homemakers and mothers, with Roman men taking great measures to protect them. Thus, it is clear that women in both the Chinese and Roman empires encountered unique treatment compared to men.
The primary difference in how men and women are treated in China stems from the unequal status between them. In Chinese society, women were not regarded as equals to men but rather confined to pleasing their husbands and obeying male authority. Their main obligations revolved around managing the household while their husbands provided financial support. Conversely, Roman women also assumed the role of housewives but experienced relatively greater freedom when compared to Chinese women.
Chinese women worked equally hard as their husbands, taking care of the household and ensuring it was stocked with groceries while their husbands were at work. On the other hand, in Rome, women received more considerate treatment and were even granted certain liberties like participating in sports competitions. Nonetheless, women played minor roles in both societies and were never regarded as equals.
Both Chinese and Roman women faced societal limitations and were considered inferior in many aspects of life. Lower-class Chinese women were often sold as servants by their own fathers to higher-class families, while Roman women lacked agency and the right to vote. Although both societies viewed Chinese women as inferior, they had some authority in religious practices as monks at a lower level. In contrast, Roman women had opportunities in religion but were never granted substantial power or allowed to hold office positions. Despite having more freedom than Chinese women, Roman women were still seen as inferior and always accompanied by a male guardian. On the other hand, Chinese women endured slave-like treatment and unquestionably obeyed their husbands. While Roman husbands cherished and protected their wives from interactions with men outside their immediate family circle for the sake of purity and loyalty.
In contrast, Chinese women faced even greater hardships compared to the women in Rome. While Roman women were denied political positions and restricted in their freedoms, Chinese women were primarily seen as mere tools to please their husbands. They were treated as slaves, deprived of education and property ownership. The severity of their lives was such that fathers even considered them inferior to their sons. In fact, an old Chinese proverb likened raising daughters to raising children for a different family (Ramirez et al 229).
Both the upper-class women in both empires were subject to less severe treatment. Nevertheless, the lower-class women in China faced even harsher treatment. While Roman women were allowed to work as shopkeepers, lower-class women in China could be sold by their fathers as servants to higher-class families. In comparison, Chinese women endured treatment akin to that of slaves, in contrast to the Roman women who were cherished as precious gems by their husbands.
