Family Structure.
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In the middle times, the family was still quite similar to that of the ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. The families mainly consisted of a mother, a father and children. However it was also much more common for extended members, such as aunts and uncles, because of the diseases that were at work in this time. Like in many of the ancient cities, marriage was quite similar, 'Parents arranged their children's marriages based on monetary worth. Children were married at a young age; girls were as young as 12, and boys as young as 17.” (Marriage in the Medieval Era). Like in Rome, the parents arranged the marriage, and the two hadn't met each other until the day of their wedding. Divorce was something that also occurred in this time period, however there were perimeters for the divorce to happen. They are as followed, “If either the man or woman were not of legal age, if the husband or wife had previously made a religious or monastic vow or were not Christian, and if the woman, not the man, was incapable of sexual relations the marriage would be dissolved.” (Marriage in the Medieval Era). When it comes to the subject of children, most families, it seems, had a fair number of children. It would be safe to assume that with all the diseases running amuck that the amount of children may have been close to that of the ancient cities, with around 5 children per house. “In the Middle Ages, hardly anyone went to school. Kids worked in the fields, or took care of younger brothers and sisters. A few children, usually from richer families, were given to monasteries or abbeys to be monks and nuns, and these children were sometimes taught to read and write.” (Carr, Medieval People).
Why were the families structured this way in the Medieval Era?
Like the previous era's, this was the best way that people knew how to live. Although the diseases that were running wild throughout the time period certainly played a major role. For example, the young men and women got married earlier than any other of the ancient civilizations. The amount of children was related to the disease because so many children died young. However, the average life at this time, was around 30 – 40 or so, with some even living longer. The diseases were also a large reason as to why families often lived together, “Because people died young from diseases, a lot of kids also lived with other relatives, or just with an older brother or sister, because their parents had died. Most kids never knew their grandparents, who had died before they were born.” (Carr, Medieval People).