Roman society Flashcards
Who could only have full citizenship?
Roman men
What citizenship were women given?
A limited form of citizenship and were regarded as minors in Roman law
What were benefits entitled to citizens?
Free entry to public games and free or heavily subsidised use of baths
What were poor citizens given?
Free corn paid by public funds
What class did the majority of citizens belong to?
Classes beneath the senators and equities - mostly poor, ill-educated and engaged in trade and roles for money
Who belonged to the highest group in the Roman class structure?
Senators
How did a man qualify to become a senator?
- Had to have been the son of a senator or elevated to the senatorial class by the emperor
- Own property worth over one million sesterces
What rights and responsibilities did senators have?
- Not engaging directly in trade and commerce
- Obtaining wealth from their property (as you weren’t paid to be a senator)
- Give time to politics and public service
What were the key senatorial roles?
Magistrate
Consul
Praetor
Who was a magistrate?
An elected politician of Rome
Who was a consul?
The most important public official in Rome after the emperor - two consuls were elected annually
Who was a praetor?
The second highest category of public official in Rome, responsible for the law courts and imperial administration.
Who were the equites?
The second elite group in Rome. In early Rome, it applied to men who were wealthy enough to own a horse. They later grew to mean men who had property worth 400,000 sesterces
Why were the equites often successful businessmen or wealthy?
- They could engage in trade and commerce ( unlike senators)
- They were used b the emperor to fill roles in civil service or the provinces eg: financial affairs
- Could be appointed governors of small provinces
How could Equites signify their rank?
They could wear a toga with a purple toga and a gold ring. They could also be promoted to the senatorial class if a vacancy came up and they had enough property wealth
What were the different ways to become a slave?
Born a slave Captives of war Exposure - abandoned by parents at birth Kidnapping Criminals - made a slave as punishment
What were the 3 main types of slaves?
Domestic slave
Industrial slave
Public slave
What were the roles of a domestic slave?
- An educated slave tutored the children.
- Women would perform domestic tasks like childcare, cooking, weaving and shopping
- Men would usually work for the paterfamilias doing accounts, accompanying him to the baths or running errands
What were the roles of an industrial slave?
Strong male slaves would do challenging and dangerous tasks. This included mining, factory work or rowers on galleys. The conditions were grim and usually resulted in a short life expectancy.
What were the roles of a public slave?
They were owned by the state so would perform jobs for the city like upkeeping temples, baths and other public places. Work on public construction or maintenance for public facilities like roads or aqueducts. Educated slaves would act as scribes in the civil service.
What power did masters have over slaves?
Slaves were legal property to their master who would hold power and choice over the slaves’ rights and way of life. This included the power of life and death.
Masters could brand or collar slaves to prevent them from running away.
What rights did slaves hold?
A slave had no legal or political rights, they couldn’t marry or own property and their quality of treatment depended on the master’s character. Some masters were kind but some were very cruel and would physically and sexually abuse their slaves.
Who was a freedman?
People who were slaves freed by buying it, serving for a long time or by the choice of their master. They were Roman citizens and could wear a special felt cap to symbolise their liberty
What rights did a freedman hold?
Although they were Roman citizens they couldn’t run for public office, become a member of the senatorial or equestrian classes despite the fact they may earn enough money to be eligible. The son of a freedman would be eligible to have full Roman rights and citizenship
