I think of the Roman republic with some admiration in so far as Rome was (for a time) able to conquer vast amounts of territory and give a fair measure of representative rights to its male citizens. At the same time, however, I remember reading that married women were very much in the power of their husbands, and that in theory at least a father could put his sons to death. By the time of Augustus, it seems that women had a little bit more freedom. Just how much freedom did Roman women enjoy, to marry, and divorce freely, own property, and so on in the 1st century A.D.?
While you're waiting, the FAQ section on women and marriage might help, as well as this previous answer on divorce:
Divorce seems remarkably casual in ancient Rome. Is this because we have a primarily aristocratic view on the subject? Were women as empowered to initiate proceedings as men? Could they expect to emerge financially and socially intact, or did Rome share other societies stigma for experienced women? by /u/Emperor_Pupienus and /u/jdwright1989