In the Mosaic law divorce was a privilege of the husband only, the vow of a wife might be disallowed by her father or husband and daughters could inherit only in the absence of sons and then they must marry into their tribe. There was much legislation dealing with offences against chastity and marriage of a man with a captive heathen (slave). Second marriages were not forbidden; it was the duty of a childless widow to marry her deceased husband's brother.

In India, subjugation was a cardinal principal. "Day and night must women be held by their protectors in a state of dependence,: Says Manu.

In Roman law a woman was even in historic times completely dependent. If married, she and her property passed into the power of her husband. The wife was the purchased property of her husband, and like a slave, acquired only for his benefit.If unmarried she was (unless a vestal virgin) under the perpetual tutelage of her father during her life. A woman could not exercise any civil or public office. A woman could not continue a family, could not be a witness, surety, tutor, or curator. She could not adopt or he adopted or make a will or contract. On the other hand  a woman was privileged on some counts, out of pity for her weakness and mental incapacity. She could plead ignorance of the law as a ground for dissolving obligation, which a man could not do; she could accuse only in cases of treason or witchcraft. And she was in certain cases exempt from torture.
With the influence of Christianity some improvements were made to the laws (generally, but not always); wives were better provided for. Women could more easily enter religious professions and celibacy and childlessness were looked upon more favorably.

The Canon law, looking with disfavor on the female independence prevailing in later Roman Law, reversed things. The Decretum specially inculcated the subjugation of the wife to the husband and obedience to his will in all things.  The chief differences between canon and Roman law were in the law of marriage, with the introduction of a formalities like a kiss and a ring. The woman was to be veiled curing the ceremony. The ceremony so sacred that it could only be performed once.

The early law in the northern parts of Europe is interesting for the different ways in which they treated women. An example: with respect to inheritance: "The position of women in these barbarous systems of inheritance varies greatly. Sometimes they do not inherit, either as individuals or as classes. Sometimes they transmit a right of inheritance through male issue. Sometimes they succeed to one kind of property, often immovable, (home) because they had a greater part in taking care of it. But confine land to male heirs."
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