What Is De Stabilizing to the Family Unit?

Ancient greece and rome were both highly patriarchal cultures. Most women live their whole lives under the control of a curios in ancient greece, or pater familius in ancient Rome. Wives and other women in a man's household were also entirely dependent on men for their food, shelter and financial well being. Some women fell outside of that paradime - hitire courtesans who could control their own money and have their own households. But hittire were dependent on men, wealthy clients for their income. And this could be de stabilizing to the family unit.