![]() In 1215, marriage was declared one of the church's seven sacraments, alongside rites like baptism and penance. As the church's power grew through the Middle Ages, so did its influence over marriage. But when the empire collapsed, in the 5th century, church courts took over and elevated marriage to a holy union. In ancient Rome, marriage was a civil affair governed by imperial law. Until two centuries ago, said Harvard historian Nancy Cott, "monogamous households were a tiny, tiny portion" of the world population, found in "just Western Europe and little settlements in North America." The idea of marriage as a sexually exclusive, romantic union between one man and one woman is a relatively recent development. Polygamy is still common across much of the Muslim world. "We say, 'When and where?'" The ancient Hebrews, for instance, engaged in polygamy - according to the Bible, King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines - and men have taken multiple wives in cultures throughout the world, including China, Africa, and among American Mormons in the 19th century. "Whenever people talk about traditional marriage or traditional families, historians throw up their hands," said Steven Mintz, a history professor at Columbia University. But that basic concept has taken many forms across different cultures and eras. Pair-bonding began in the Stone Age as a way of organizing and controlling sexual conduct and providing a stable structure for child-rearing and the tasks of daily life. Has marriage always had the same definition?Īctually, the institution has been in a process of constant evolution. ![]()
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