by John Brant

Created on: April 07, 2010

As the oldest recorded civilization, Mesopotamia left many institutions that have influenced those of later civilizations down to today.  As one of these institutions, much of the Mesopotamian family will appear familiar to modern students of their history.  But, while they laid the foundation for the western concept of family, many facets of their family life have evolved into our modern concept of family.

As the core of Mesopotamian civilization, the family took on distinct customs that affected the economy, government, and religion of the many Mesopotamian civilizations.  Generally, a family consisted of a husband and wife and their children.  However, the man, especially if wealthy, could also have concubines. 

Women did not share equal rights with men in Mesopotamian society.  Some historians believe that in the area’s earliest history, the city-state’s government consisted of somewhat democratic councils made up of both men and women.  However, women gradually lost their influence as government shifted to monarchy, and women became inferior to men in the sight of the law.

Through most of Mesopotamia’s history, women were either attached to their father or to a husband.  No truly free status existed for women, as the dominant male in their life controlled most of their affairs.  Women usually married after the onset of puberty, and a custom developed in which the husband paid for the right to marry a man’s daughter. 

Almost all marriages were arranged without input from the girl, and once engaged, the law considered her as part of the fiancée’s family.  If the man died before the marriage ceremony took place, she then married one of his brothers.

Women generally learned skills that they used in marriage.  Housekeeping became the most common of the occupations of women, and they spent most of their time taking care of the house, caring for children, and cooking.  However, in wealthier families, women could learn to read and write, and often managed their husband’s business affairs when he left for business or war.

Men generally engaged in a trade fitting their social class.  Most men worked on wealthier Mesopotamian’s farms and had only one wife, since they could not afford concubines. 

Others engaged in trade or military pursuits, and their spouses often ran their domestic affairs while they traveled afar.  Many of these wealthier

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