Household Flashcards
What were the main responsibilities of the paterfamilias?
- Bringing in an income through the family business
- Looking after the family religion
- Patron to clients
- Promoting the family image in public
- Purchasing slaves
- Arranging the marriage of his daughter
- Overseeing the education of his children
What were the paterfamilias’ religious responsibilities?
Every morning he would gather the household together at the family shrine, the lararium, where the spirits of the family’s ancestors, the lares, were worshipped. The spirits of the larder, the penates would also have to be worshipped. He would lead the family in prayers and offerings.
What were the paterfamilias’ responsibilities to his clients?
If he was wealthy enough, then he might be a patron to some clients. Poorer Romans in need of money would attach themselves as clients to a wealthy man, the patron.
What were clients expected to do?
Clients were expected to appear at the patron’s house at dawn every morning; later, they might be required to accompany him to the forum and/ or the baths.
In the city they acted as their master’s supporters and were expected to vote for him if he ran for political office.
How see women viewed in a Roman society?
Women were regarded as inferiors in Roman law - they had the same status as children. They could not vote, and were under the control of the paterfamilias their whole life.
What did a woman’s quality of life depend on?
A woman’s life depended on the social status and the character of her husband.
What were the main duties of a woman?
- spend much of her time at home and manage the household
- this did not necessarily mean she was confined to the house, she could visit friends, visit the market or baths.
- she was expected to assign slaves to their duties in the house, such as cleaning, cooking or fetching water.
- managing the spinning and weaving in the house
What part did women play in the bringing up of the children?
- oversee nursing of infants
- ensure that sons went to school
- ensure that daughters learned duties as a Roman woman
How did social background affect a woman’s status?
Women’s lives depended to a great extent on their social background - poorer women would work on market stalls or in industries such as washing and cleaning.
Richer women either had slaves to dress them.
What restrictions were there on a Roman woman’s way of life?
She was under the control of the paterfamilias, could not vote, was not free to choose her husband, had not right to her children after a divorce, was not allowed to make a will or own slaves or property.
Who was the paterfamilias?
The male head of the Roman household; this included the family and all of the slaves.
