Monogamy and Polygyny in Greece, Rome, and World History

Scheidel, Walter

doi:10.2139/ssrn.1214729

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Monogamy and Polygyny in Greece, Rome, and World History

Walter Scheidel

Stanford University

June 2008

Abstract:
In what sense were the ancient Greeks and Romans monogamous, and why does it matter? This paper summarizes the physical and anthropological record of polygyny, briefly sketches the historical expansion of formal monogamy, considers complementary theories of mate choice, and situates Greco-Roman practice on a spectrum from traditional polygamy to more recent forms of normative monogyny.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 17

Keywords: Monogamy, Polygamy, Polygyny, Marriage

JEL Classification: J12

working papers series

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Date posted: August 10, 2008

Suggested Citation

Scheidel, Walter, Monogamy and Polygyny in Greece, Rome, and World History (June 2008). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1214729 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1214729

Contact Information

Walter Scheidel (Contact Author)

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305-2145
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www,stanford.edu/~scheidel