WOMEN UNDER POLYGAMY
Luther, when approached by Philip of Hesse-Cassel, gave a hearing to his plea for permission to marry a second wife while cohabiting with the first. A council was called, and they decided that, as the Gospels do not distinctly command monogamous marriage, and that as more than one wife was allowed in the days of the Patriarchs of Israel, the plea should be granted.
In the Hellenic and Roman civilisations there were instances of plural marriage. Polygamy was, however, very rare among the Greeks, and some writers have ascribed to this fact the comparatively high status of women in ancient Greece. Certainly the Greeks had forsaken plurality in marriage at a period when the custom flourished among the Jews. The Romans also enforced monogamy, and in the early days of Rome divorce was unknown.
Sir Henry Maine is of the opinion that Roman women enjoyed far greater liberty than the women of the Hebrew race, and that the canon law of the Church brought about numerous sexual inequalities.
Until 1060 A.D. there was no authoritative mandate of the Church against polygamy.[1] Even after this prohibition there were instances of polygamic marriage and of concubinage in Christian communities.
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