Introduction: The role of women in ancient Rome is not easy to categorize; in some ways they were treated better than ancient Greek women, but in other areas they enjoyed only a very modest degree of rights and privileges. One thing that seems clear is that as the city-state of Rome evolved from its beginnings into a more complex society; women were not always limited to secondary roles. In some areas of Roman society, women had more freedoms than in many other ancient civilizations. Research: This article will explore historical research that indicates what roles women were allowed to play in Rome, including Ellis's manual for some of the basic facts. . Additional research information comes from another book by Bauman which contained more detailed information on the topic of the role of women in government and politics in Rome. I also used three websites, one of which is an encyclopedia (Wikipedia) for general information, and the other two are well-respected organizations, PBS and BBC. I also accessed two articles from the EBSCO Academic Search Complete library databases, which helped me understand some of the complexity of trying to explain the role of women in Rome. Personal Conclusion I was surprised by some of the facts I discovered while researching this topic. This is not a simple “black and white” answer topic; explaining the role of women is more complicated than that. During the early years of Rome, the role of women was minimal; However, as Rome evolved, so did the place of women in Roman society. Rome and its men came to understand that women could be useful and, in fact, more than that, they could be working partners in a middle of paper ......udies [online series]. January 1981;8 (1/2):189. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed December 22, 2011. Dixon, S., Roman Women: Follow the Clues, accessed December 23, 2011. Ellis, E. and Esler, World History Connections to Today; Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1999. GREECE AND ROME. Archeology [online series]. November 1987;40(6):18. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed December 22, 2011. The Roman Empire in the 1st century, Accessed December 23, 2011. Vivante, B., The roles of women in ancient civilizations, a reference guide; Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut • London, England, Women in Ancient Rome, accessed December 24, 2011.