VII.12 On the tutelage of women among the Romans

The Romans’ ins­ti­tu­tions pla­ced women in per­pe­tual tute­lage unless they were under a hus­band’s autho­rity.¹ This tute­lage was assi­gned to the clo­sest rela­tive through the males, and it appears from a popu­lar expres­sion² that they were clo­sely wat­ched. That was good for the repu­blic, and was not neces­sary in a monar­chy.³

It appears from various codes of bar­ba­rian laws that women among the early Germans were also in per­pe­tual tute­lage.⁴ This cus­tom pas­sed into the monar­chies they foun­ded, but did not sur­vive.