In Ancient Rome, people didn't marry because they were in love. Folks married to carry on the family bloodline and for economical or political reasons. Women were under the jurisdiction of their fathers, so young girls were often married off when they were between the ages of twelve and fourteen. Some young men married at the age of fourteen also.
During the Middle Ages, the practice of youthful marriages continued and women married as early as fourteen. Men generally waited until they were more established in life which was usually when they were in their twenties or early thirties. In 1371, due to the plague, the average age at marriage for men was 24, and for women it was 16. By 1427, the average male of all classes did not wed til he was in his mid-30's, usually choosing a bride about half his age. Rich girls seemed to marry at a younger age than poor girls.
So, lets see, men owned girls and women for a few thousand years, raped them and treated them like **** and so it is all OK?
Are you kidding?
Until VERY recently marriage was a contract between two men with the woman as PROPERTY. Girls and women were treated as animals, traded, sold, bought. A man basically sold his daughter to another man who owned her. In most places throughout history, women had no rights, not even rights over her own body.
Yeah, young girls were purchased. What does this have to do with a civilized society who is just now beginning to treat women as human beings?
And yes, young boys did not have enough money to buy a girl or woman so had to wait until he could afford to do so.
I find it amazing that some folks try to justify cruelty to girls because men in the past were cruel to them. Really weird.
Thank goodness in many parts of the world we are beginning to move beyond this.
(sigh)
~dancer~