In 195 BC, Roman women took to the streets in protest an ancient law affecting them morally, making a powerful statement in a society that was deeply patriarchal.

The issue at hand was the Senate’s debate over repealing the Lex Oppia, a wartime austerity law enacted during the Second Punic War in 215 BC. At that time, Rome was facing a financial crisis, and several austerity measures were imposed, including higher taxes and restrictions on personal property.

Lex Oppia specifically targeted women by limiting how much gold they could wear, also banning them from wearing colorful garments - especially purple - and forbidding them from riding in carriages within a mile of the city.

For Roman women, these restrictions went beyond mere fashion choices. In a world where they had little to no role in public life or business, when property and wealth were controlled by fathers or husbands, personal adornment was one of the few ways they could express their status and identity, asserting some level of control over their lives.

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It was also a language of power and recognition - the dowries women brought into marriages could influence the way their husbands treated them, as wealthier wives could pressure their husbands to maintain their pre-marriage lifestyle.