Roman Society Flashcards
What does it mean to be a Roman citizen?
Name 3-7 things they were entitled to
-Full protection under Roman law
-Allowed to vote
-Entry to public games
-Free or heavily subsidised use of the public baths
-Free corn paid by state (in Rome)
-Entitled to fair trail
-Exempt from brutal punishments such as crucifixion
Who was and wasn’t granted citizenship?
-Full citizenship only entitled to men
-Slaves could be granted citizenship
-Full citizenship rights not given to women
What did Romans wear to mark their status as citizens
Iron ring
Under what class did most citizens belong to
Below senators and equites
What did most poor citizens join
The legions (the Roman army), only open to citizens
What was the reward for joining a legionary
Cash payment or plot of land, seen as way to climb social ladder
What could non Roman citizens join to gain citizenship
The auxilia (army support), received citizenship after 25 years, children also became citizens
Who was part of the highest class in Roman society
Equites and Senators (0.1%)
Who were the Equites and what roles did they have
Name 3 roles
-Equestrian order, men wealthy enough to own a horse
-Civil roles:
-Managed financial affairs
-Appointed governors
-Engaged in trade and commerce (senators couldn’t)
-Wore a toga with narrow purple stripes with gold finger rings
What were the requirements to become an Equate
-Open to men who’s property worth 400,000 sestertius ($696,000 today)
-Wealthy enough to own a horse
-Often successful businessmen
Who were the Senators and what roles did they have
Name 3 roles
-Highest group in roman society
-Elected magistrates (consols and praetors)
-Governed provinces
-Led armies
-Elected priests
-Wore a broad purple strip on toga
-Roughly 600 senators
What were the requirements to become a Sentaor
-Had to own property worth 1 million sestertius ($1,740,000 today)
-Money must come from land (could not make money through trade)
-had to have been born in the senatorial class
Name 3 types of Roman slaves
-Domestic slaves
-Industrial slaves
-Public slaves
TRUE OR FALSE
only senators were allowed to stand for the role as a magistrate.
True
What were magistrates?
politician who held the main legal and political offices
What were the two most important offices in roman politics?
Consul and praetor
What was it like being a domestic slave (location, work, treatment, etc)
-Private household
-Educated slaves could be tutors
-Slave women did domestic tasks (cooking, childcare)
-Male slaves work for paterfamilias
-Most comfortable slave type
What was it like being an industrial slave (location, work, treatment, etc)
-Laborious tasks; mines, factories, farms, rowers
-Grim & dangerous conditions
-Short life expectancy
-Convicted criminals
What was it like being a public slave (location, work, treatment, etc)
-Owned by state rather than individual
-Upkeep of temples, baths, public buildings
-Public construction or maintenance (roads, aqueducts)
-Gladiators, chariot racers, actors (entertainment)
-Educated slaves worked as scribes in civil service
How were slaves treated in ancient Rome
(3 points)
-Slaves fed well so they were more productive
-Women slaves were domestic slaves
-Lots of slaves wen to gladiator school (eg. Spartacus), kept in good conditions so they could fight well
-Industrial slaves worked hard until death
-If slaved killed their master, all slaves the master owned would be killed
Who was Spartacus
-Strong willed warrior, became a slave
-Desired freedom, escaped, created rebellion army
-Liberated many other slaves
-Synonymous with freedom
What would a slave become after being liberated
Freedmen
How could a Roman slave earn their freedom
(Name 3 things)
-Buy it by saving money
-Become elderly
-Good worker/ Kind master
-Pregnancy
What did a freedman wear to mark their freedom
Felt cap
What rights did freedmen have
(Name 3 things)
-Roman citizenship
-Voting
-Legal protection (fair trials)
-Pass citizenship to children
What were the negatives of being a freedmen
(Name 3 things)
-Political restriction, could not join Senate (senators)
-Social stigma, prejudice
-Obligation to former master (now patron)
-Illegible for military service in legions
What political position could freedmen hold
Augustales
What did Augustales do
(Name 3 things)
-Preserve honour of emperor
-Help lead religious festivals
-Upkeep of temples
What was some benefits of becoming an Augustales
-Wear bordered toga of public official
-Hold high political office
-Show loyalty to empire which freed him
Name a famous tomb of a freedman
The tomb of Naevoleia Tyche
Name 5 features of the Naevolia Tyche tomb
-Heavily decorated
-Elevated like an altar
-Made of marble
-Depicts ships/sailing
-Ceremonial stool
-Located in enclosure
What does the Naevolia Tyche tomb tell us about freedmen
(Name 3 things)
-Freedmen could become extremely wealthy
-Tomb is a symbol of her and her husbands wealth and influence in Pompeii
-Munatis (the husband) was an Augustales, a public figure
-Freedmen could own their own slaves
What were praetors responsible for ?
-Legal system, as a judge
-Command armies
-Governers of provinces
What roles could a senator be appointed to and by who?
the emperor could appoint a senator to a number of other roles:
-commanding a legion of the army
-governing a province, supervising public services in Rome
-holding an important public priest hood
What are the five ways a person may become a slave?
-Born a slave
-Captives of War
-Exposure
-Kidnapping
-criminals
How would a person become a slave through exposure?
Babies abandoned by their parents at birth might be saved and brought up as slaves
