Introduction: the role of women in ancient Rome is not easily classifiable; in some ways they were treated better than women in ancient Greece, but in other matters they were afforded only a very modest level of rights and privileges. One thing that seems clear is that as the city-state of Rome evolved from its early days into a more complex society; women were not always limited to supporting roles. In some areas of Roman society, women were allowed more freedom than in many other ancient civilizations. Research: This article will explore historical research indicating what roles women could play in Rome, including the Ellis textbook for some of the key facts. Further information on the research comes from another book by Bauman which contained more detailed information on the topic of women's role in government and politics in Rome. I also used three Internet sites, one of which is an encyclopedia (Wikipedia) for general information and the other two are highly respected organizations, PBS and BBC. I also had access to two articles from the EBSCO Academic Search Complete library databases that 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. In the early years of Rome, the role of women was minimal; however, as Rome evolved, women's place in Roman society also evolved. Rome, and its men, eventually came to understand that women could be helpful, indeed, more than that, they could be working partners in a su...... middle of newspaper ......udies [serial online]. January 1981;8 (1/2):189. Available from: Academic Research Completed, Ipswich, MA. Accessed December 22, 2011. Dixon, S., Roman Women: Following 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 serial]. November 1987;40(6):18. Available from: Academic Research Completed, Ipswich, MA. Accessed December 22, 2011.The Roman Empire in the First 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.