How were women and children treated in Rome?

The Romans did not reserve many rights for children or women. The Romans did not think of children as cute little kids, or even necessarily that any kid could have potential in life, like we do today. They just looked at the child to see if he/she would be of any use to them. If te child was deformed, they considered it unneeded. In the Twelve Tables, it is said: "IV. 1 "A dreadfully deformed child shall be killed."" Women were not treated much better. They had more laws restricting them than the men did, and they were considered a man's property, whether it be her husband or her father. Women were not treated with respect. For example, "VI. 2 Marriage by `usage' (usus): If a man and woman live together continuously for a year, they are considered to be married; the woman legally is treated as the man's daughter." The woman is just automatically the man's property. Also, the women were not supposed to show public displays of emotion: "X. 4 "Women must not tear cheeks or hold chorus of `Alas!' on account of a funeral."" Overall, women in Rome were not treated nearly as well as women are treated today.

Source:
"THE TWELVE TABLES." California State University, Northridge. Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .