From SRP author Tracy Cooper-Posey:
A reader recently said she could tell I prefer ancient history over medieval history from my books. She’s right. And, bless her, she even seemed intrigued by my bias—which set off a bit of a rant on my part. Twice.
Because I do have strong opinions about history. And no, I’m not ashamed of them.
So, buckle up. This one’s personal.
Let’s just put it out there: the medieval period depresses me. Between the plagues, the Church having its nose in everyone’s business (and its boot on everyone’s neck), the laughable civil wars about who gets to be “top dog,” and fashion that included pointy shoes and codpieces—I’m sorry, but I’ll take my history with fewer pustules and more aqueducts, thank you very much.
Why I’m Firmly in the Ancient Camp
Ancient history—especially British and Roman—just feels more alive to me. These were people building big things: empires, yes, but also roads, libraries, philosophies, and governments. They were tackling astronomy, medicine, and mathematics like they meant it. They weren’t just surviving—they were reaching.
And yes, I’m fully aware life back then was no picnic. But brutal though it could be, it had a kind of raw momentum. A curiosity about the world. The medieval period often feels like one long rainy season of cultural regression.
And Then There’s the Woman Thing.
This is where I really dig my heels in.
Because despite what you may have learned from Robin Hood stories and knights on white horses, medieval women had it rough. Unless you were born into the aristocracy—and even then, yikes—you had about as much autonomy as a goat. A male goat. Owned by someone else.
Let’s look at the receipts:
- Marriage = Legal Erasure: Under “coverture,” a married woman ceased to exist as a legal entity. She couldn’t own property, sign contracts, or even go to court on her own behalf.
- Land Ownership? Ha! Unless you were a widow or very lucky, forget it. Even noblewomen often needed a male “guardian” to conduct business.
- Labor with no rights: Peasant women worked the land, raised children, spun wool, baked bread, and were still considered dependents or worse. And let’s not even get into how their sexuality was regulated like it was church property. Spoiler: it kind of was.
Yes, the Church occasionally “protected” women—usually by locking them up in convents. Which sounds less like empowerment and more like a soft-focus prison.
Meanwhile…Back in Ancient Britain
Now, before Rome’s tidy roads and even tidier laws stomped across the land, Celtic Britain was something else entirely. Recent research (yes, real archaeology, not just my feverish reading) reveals some pretty revolutionary facts:
- Matrilocal societies: In a burial site from 100 BC–AD 200 in Dorset, DNA evidence showed two-thirds of the remains shared a maternal line. That means women stayed in their birth communities—and likely inherited and held land—while men married in.
- Real estate queens: This suggests not just female stability, but real power. Control over land and lineage? That’s not just equality—that’s a society rooted in womanhood.
- And then there’s Boudicca: Queen of the Iceni, legendary leader of a revolt against the Roman Empire. Not symbolic. Not “queen in name only.” She led troops. She sacked cities. She terrified Rome.
- Cartimandua, too: Another Celtic queen, who ruled the Brigantes and played political chess with the Romans to preserve her territory. It didn’t end well, but let’s give her points for strategy.
- Women as warriors, druids, property owners: Across the ancient Celtic world, women could inherit, divorce, make contracts, and lead troops. You know, be people.
I told my reader that in Celtic society, women could even take lovers without stigma. If anyone was shamed, it was the husband—because clearly he wasn’t doing his job. (Let’s just pause and appreciate that cultural twist for a second.)
So, No—I’m Not Apologizing for My Bias
I get it. The idea that ancient times were more “progressive” than the Middle Ages seems to upset Google. When I looked it up, the top answer basically tut-tutted at me and gave me a lecture on “cyclical history” and how we shouldn’t judge the past by modern standards. All fair points.
But what that Google answer didn’t do was address the question I was actually asking: how were women treated?
And on that front, I’ll say it plainly:
Ancient Celtic and sub-Roman societies were, on balance, far kinder and more empowering to women than the feudal shackles of medieval Europe.
There, I said it.
I’ll happily give the medieval period its due—universities, cathedral architecture, and monks who preserved ancient texts. Great. Gold star.
But if I had to pick a time to drop one of my heroines into? It’s going to be ancient Britain every time. Better yet, ancient Britain with just a hint of Roman order, but before the Church decided women should be silent, invisible, and preferably barefoot.
And maybe, just maybe, wearing a really excellent torc.
Tracy Cooper-Posey
SRP Author
