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Roman Weddings
Roman Weddings - the
Wedding Ceremony
The first part of the
ceremony took place at the house of the bride's family. The
bride's parents would, of course, watch for omens and if all
looked well, they would hand over the bride to the groom.
There would be some verbal exchange to the effect of "Ubi tu
Gaius, ego Gaia," "Where you are Gaius, I am Gaia." The
pronuba, the matron of honor, would then join the couple's
hands.
The new couple would offer up a sacrifice which was
usually a pig. The tabulae nuptiales, marriage contract,
which had been drawn up beforehand, would be presented by
the auspex, who was both the priest and the best man. The
marriage or wedding contract would then be signed by the
required number of witnesses. Farreum was a form of
marriage, in which certain words were used in the presence
of ten witnesses, and were accompanied by certain religious
ceremonies. The cena, wedding breakfast
which was paid for by the groom, was eaten. Wedding gifts
were given; and preparations for the wedding procession were
made.
Roman Weddings - the
Wedding Procession
In the evening the wedding
procession moved from the bride's home to the groom's home.
The wedding couple and guests would enact the scene of the
seizure of the Sabine women - the bride would clutch her
mother's arms, but be ripped away by the groom. Three boys
with both parents living, escorted the bride while the other
guests shouted "Talasio," "hymen hymenaee," and other
obscenities and jokes. One of these boys would carry a spina
alba, a special wooded torch lit from the bride's hearth.
Walnuts were thrown, symbolizing the hoped-for fertility of
the bride. The groom took part in singing the Fescennine
verses and lighting the torches. Since the groom had to be
at his house before the bride arrived in order to greet her
there, the procession itself split. The bride was conducted
to her future home, preceded by the priests, and followed by
her relations, friends and slaves carrying presents of
various domestic utensils.
Roman Weddings - 'Stepping
over the Threshold'
The door of the
bridegroom's house was hung with garlands of flowers. When
the procession arrived at the groom's house, the torches
were traditionally thrown away. Next, the bride rubbed the
doorway with fat and oil and wreathed it with wool,
reinforcing her role as domestic wife. She was then lifted
over the threshold, or gently stepped over, it being
considered ominous to touch it with her feet, because the
threshold was sacred to Vesta the goddess of Virgins.
Roman Weddings - the New
Home and the Wedding Feast
When the bride entered her
new home the keys of the house were given to the bride, to
denote her being entrusted with the management of the
family, and both she and her husband touched fire and water
to intimate that their union was to last through every
extremity. The bridegroom then gave a great supper to all
the company. This wedding feast was accompanied with music
and dancing, and the guests sang a nuptial song in praise of
the newly married couple. The marriage chamber was decorated
with symbols of fertility, such as flowers, greenery, and
fruit. The pronuba, or matron of honor, led the bride into
the bedroom and prayed with her for a blessing on the
marriage. The pronuba then helped the bride undress and
remove her jewelry and then put her into the bed. Only then
would the groom enter, either alone or escorted by others.
The pronuba would offer a sacrifice and then leave. Whilst
consummation was not actually necessary for a Roman marriage
to be legal, it was expected to happen on the wedding night
because of the Roman emphasis of bearing children in
marriages. The next morning, the bride emerged from the
bedroom a matrona. She was part of a new family now and
would take part in their religious cult. Later that day,
there would be a repotia, a dinner and drinking party which
concluded the wedding nuptials.
Roman Weddings
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