The Roman Household / Roman Religion

Question 1

Roman Male Names

Answer 1

• Three Names signified the Patrician Class
  Carius Julius Ceasar or C. Julius Ceasar on official Roman Documents.

Question 2

What was the symbolism of the first, second and thirds name?

Answer 2

-First: Praenomen, had a few first names that was circulated. In roman documents only the first letter was used. A = Aulus, Q= Quintus
-Second: Nomen, the clan someone came from (gens). Julius (singular) = Julii Clan (Plural)
-Third: Cognomen, name used to identify individuals from those who had similar names. Usually nicknames or honorific. Cesear = Curly hair, Magnus = Great.

Question 3

Why would a Roman Male have a fourth name?

Answer 3

• Agnomen, honorific names bestowed on individuals by the magistrates. P. Cornelius Scipio Africanus (Conqueror of Africa.
• In some cases, also an adoption or marriage. Adopted children would keep their clan’s name but have their adopted fathers name on the end.

Question 4

Roman Female Names

Answer 4

• Their names reflect the clan they come from. Julia = Julii clan
• Younger sisters add a lil in their name. Julia (older sister) and Julillia (younger sister)

Question 5

What is a Paterfamilias and what role do they have in the Roman family?

Answer 5

• The Males are the Paterfamilias which is the head of the Family.
• They had absolute authority over their household called patria potestas.

Question 6

What is Manus?

Answer 6

• Paterfamilias had manus which is complete disciplinary control over their sons.

Question 7

What lessons were taught by the Paterfamilias?

Answer 7

• Be the best at everything (very important)
• Obedience
• Respect for the Elders
• Pietas (sense of duty and obligation to family, state and Gods)
• Loyalty
• Courage
• Resilience.

Question 8

What was Roman marriages used for?

Answer 8

• Political alliance between two Patrician families.
• Can be engaged at a young age.

Question 9

Why did Romans divorce?

Answer 9

• If the two families are not on the same political side anymore and therefore the marriage is not needed.

Question 10

Why were children unwanted?

Answer 10

• Sick or malformed
• If they had girls (doweries too expensive)
• If they had boys (threat to power)
• Lifestyles of the parents (merchants moved around a lot)

Question 11

What is Exposure?

Answer 11

• When parents leave their child out to die or to be adopted
• They would put their child on their doorsteps for animals to kill it or someone comes by and takes the child.

Question 12

What is a Patron and Client relationship?

Answer 12

• Patron is a Patrician and Client is a lower class of Patrician or Pleb
• It is a hereditary agreement and allows both parties to support each other.

Question 13

How do the Patrons and Clients support each other?

Answer 13

• The Patron will protect the client in the Judicial system and assemblies, will lend them money, provide food and allow the clients to work on their farming estates.
• The Clients will give the Patron political support, help with doweries, work on a lesser wage and protect the patron in war.

Question 14

What is the Morning Greeting or Salutatio?

Answer 14

• Meeting at dawn were the client goes to the patron’s house and ask what is needed for the day and the client can make request.

Question 15

What were the Early Roman Religion beliefs?

Answer 15

• Spirits inhabited the nature surrounding them, streams, trees and mountains.
• These spirits did not have human qualities.

Question 16

How did the Etruscans influence Roman religion?

Answer 16

• May have been the Etruscans who introduced the personification of Gods

Question 17

Who are the Capitoline Triad?

Answer 17

• They are the 3 main Etruscan Gods
• Tini (Chief God), Uni (Tini’s Wife) and Menrva (their daughter)

Question 18

How did the Greeks influence Roman Religion?

Answer 18

• Also introduced the personification of Gods.
• The Romans worshipped spirits similar to the Greek Gods and adopted their Gods and their roles, but to suit their own culture.

Question 19

What Similarities does the Greek religion and the Roman religion have?

Answer 19

• Gods have same roles
• Have similar stories like Romulus and Remus to the Greeks Castor and Pollux

Question 20

What differences does the Greek religion and the Roman religion have?

Answer 20

• Gods have different names
• Romans do not use mythology but rather historical writing (pose)
  -Do not use poems life the Greeks.

Question 21

Who are the three main gods of the Roman religion?

Answer 21

• Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus.

Question 22

How did the Romans acquire new Gods? And why?

Answer 22

• When at war the Romans would ask the foreign Gods to come to Rome.
  -They thought it would make the enemy weaker and Rome stronger, but also did not want to offend the Gods by killing their worshipers.

Question 23

What were the Priestly Colleges and Who were a part of it?

Answer 23

• They were colleges made up by priest to fulfil their religious obligation to the state.
• There were different parts of the priestly colleges, and they were mainly Patricians but later in 300 BC plebs were a loud to join.

Question 24

Who are the Pontiffs? What was their role?

Answer 24

• Apart of the priestly college, there are 16. Nominated for life.
• Plebs allowed to join in 300 BC
• Advise chief Roman Magistrates on all religious matters, interoperated divine law and romans criminal and moral code and looked after the Roman Calander.
• Could not be persecuted.

Question 25

Who is the Pontifex Maximus?

Answer 25

• He was the chief priest, the administrator for all priestly colleges and lived in the Forum.

Question 26

Who are the Fetailes? and what is their role?

Answer 26

• A part of the priestly college, there are 20 of them and are elected for life.
• They interoperate any sacred laws connected to international relations (like war)
• Conduct rituals and accompany the army to the field. They would throw a spear into the enemy’s land and claim it was now Roman sacred land.

Question 27

Who are the Flamines? and what is their role?

Answer 27

• There are 15 Flamines who are in charge of the 12 main gods of Rome and their cults.
• 3 main flamines look after the cults of Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus, the other 12 (plebs) look after the smaller cults.

Question 28

Who are the Augers? and what are their roles?

Answer 28

• 16, elected for life.
• The Augers conduct rituals and sacrifices to determine the divine will of the gods before every major event (games, wars, senate meetings)
• Looked into omens and readings of the sacred chickens,
• Could be paid off to by someone to manipulate the outcome of a certain reading

Question 29

Who are the Vestal Virgins? and what was their role?

Answer 29

• Not a part of the priestly colleges and were 6 females chosen from the age of 6-10 and remained until age of 30. They had to remain virgins.
• Their job was to keep the sacred fire of Rome burning and they lived in the Forum with the Pontifex Maximus.

Question 30

What were Roman Festivals?

Answer 30

• Holidays for the Roman people to conduct sacrifices and rituals.
• There were 160 in a year.

Question 31

What type of Roman festivals were there?

Answer 31

• Fariae Stativae: Annual festival; fixed dates for Gods
• Ferie Conceptivae - annual festival; days set by the magistrates
• Fariae Imperativae- Commemorations of past events declared by senior magistrates

Question 32

What were the Games?

Answer 32

• Religious festival in honor of Jupiter (god of war)
• Games included gladiator fighting, chariot races, horse races etc.