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A Brief History Of Marriage
Does it even make sense today?
6 min readFeb 12, 2025
A Brief History of Marriage and Marriage Arrangements
Ancient & Early Civilizations
- Prehistoric & Tribal Societies — Marriage was likely informal, based on pair bonding for survival and reproduction.
- Ancient Mesopotamia (circa 2350 BCE) — The earliest recorded marriage laws in the Code of Ur-Nammu and later the Code of Hammurabi, emphasizing patriarchal control and dowries.
- Ancient Egypt — Marriage was seen as a contract for economic and social stability, often between close relatives, including siblings among royalty.
- Ancient Hebrew (Biblical Era) — Polygamy was common, bride prices (mohar) were paid to the bride’s family, and marriages were arranged by parents.
- Ancient Greece (circa 800–300 BCE) — Marriages were arranged for political and economic alliances, with women given minimal rights; dowries were customary.
- Ancient Rome (circa 509 BCE–476 CE) — Marriage evolved from arranged political unions to more consensual ones, though fathers still…
