Government/ Social Structure

Question 1

What is the Cursus honorum and what does it mean?

Answer 1

course of honors- steps you take to make it to the highest jobs (from bottom to top- quaestor, praetor, consul)

Question 2

consul

Answer 2

two men – executives – elected yearly

Question 3

praetor

Answer 3

judges (8 elected yearly)

Question 4

quaestor

Answer 4

treasurers (20 elected yearly)

Question 5

aedile

Answer 5

in charge of roads and public games

Question 6

censor

Answer 6

2 elected every five years for 18 months- in charge of taking the census and public morals

Question 7

magister equitum

Answer 7

master of the horse/ calvary- assistant to dictator

Question 8

dictator

Answer 8

had absolute power during war and 6 months was their maximum time to serve

Question 9

senator

Answer 9

must be a praetor to enter – elected for life

Question 10

tribune

Answer 10

only plebians can run- can veto the senate- 10 people elected yearly

Question 11

patritians/ optimates

Answer 11

highest class

Question 12

equites

Answer 12

business class

Question 13

plebians/populares

Answer 13

lower class

Question 14

patron

Answer 14

patron

Question 15

cliens

Answer 15

client

Question 16

salutatio

Answer 16

visit of client to patron’s house

Question 17

sportula

Answer 17

cold food basket given to cliens at the home of the patron

Question 18

deductio

Answer 18

patron leads clients to forum

Question 19

paterfamilias

Answer 19

head of family (family includes wife, children, slaves and property)

Question 20

patria potestas

Answer 20

power (of life and death in early times) of paterfamilias over family

Question 21

who were agnati

Answer 21

people who shared common lineage through males to a common ancestor

Question 22

cognati

Answer 22

people related by blood, through males or females

Question 23

adfines

Answer 23

people related by marriage only

Question 24

dominica potestas

Answer 24

power of paterfamilias over his property and slaves

Question 25

manus

Answer 25

authority of paterfamilias over his wife

Question 26

emancipatio

Answer 26

process by which sons of paterfamilias become heads of new houses

Question 27

adrogatio

Answer 27

process of one paterfamilias adopting another paterfamilias (had to be approved by pontifices and
comitia curiata)