Women in the Ancient World
Driving Question: How did the roles of women differ in ancient Rome and Han China?
The Roman Empire and Han China might have been separated by a continent and thousands of miles, but they still shared several characteristics in common. In this lesson, you’ll examine the role and rights of women in each society.
- Explain and compare the roles of women in classical societies such as Rome and Han Dynasty China.
- Use a graphic biography as a microhistory to support, extend, or challenge the overarching narratives from this time period.
- Use close-reading skills to analyze the roles of women in classical societies.
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- Based on their written rules, which belief system gave more rights to women, Confucianism or Daoism? Give some examples.
- What does “kinship” mean?
- What factors determined differences between women’s lives within Chinese society?
- How were Imperial Rome and Han China similar in their treatment of women? How were they different?
Evaluate
- Some historians argue that historically, Paleolithic societies had high levels of gender equality. As societies became larger and more complex, gender equality declined. Do you agree that the evidence supports this assertion always, or predominantly, or that it doesn’t? Why or why not?
Comparative Roles of Women in Rome and Han China
Khan Academy World History Fellow, Eman Elshaikh, compares the roles of women in Rome and Han China.
Key Ideas
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- What were the arguments that Hortensia used against the triumvirate’s taxes?
- What was it specifically about this war that made Hortensia unwilling to pay for it?
- How is this speech evidence of how Roman women’s role in politics compared with other societies?
- How does Ban Zhao’s writing differ from Hortensia’s speech?
- How does Ban Zhao’s writing challenge the arguments that Ban Zhao herself was making?
After you watch
- Do you think these two sources are sufficient to evaluate the role of women in these two societies? Are there any elements of Roman or Han society that they leave out?
- Ban Zhao and Hortensia were elite women. How much can their lives tell us about the lives of average women in their societies? What kinds of sources do you think we would need to know more about average women in Rome and Han China?
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Guiding Questions
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Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads for Graphic Bios – Introduction activity.
Observe
Skim the full comic, paying attention to things like prominent colors, shapes, and types of text and fonts. How do you know where to start and which direction to read? What’s in the gutters (the space between panels)? Who is the focus of the comic? What big questions do you have?
Understand
- Where was Babatha born and who ruled this region for most of her life?
- Babatha was in court a lot. What was she fighting for?
- What kind of law did Babatha use to support her arguments, and how did she later change her strategy?
- To what degree was Babatha successful?
- How does the artist use art and design to distinguish between Roman law and Jewish law in the balloons in the center panel of the page?
Connect
- How does this biography of Babatha support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about communities and their impact on the people who lived in them during this period?
