Social Relations in Ancient Rome

1. Social Relations in Ancient Rome Heather Pastushok 4/9/08

2. Lecture Outline • Slaves • Class • Education • Burials • Men • Women • Marriage • Family

3. Men in Society • State was modeled on the family structure and the paterfamilias • Cato the Elder, “The husband is the judge of his wife; his power has no limit; he can do what he wishes. If she has committed a fault, he punishes her; is she has drank wine, he condemns her; if she has been guilty of adultery, he kills her.” • Head of household, magistrate • Controlled right to choose marriage partners, control finances, and all other major decisions • Paterfamilias could choose to accept or deny his paternal role; that is, he could deny to recognize his own parenthood in society • By the second century a father’s absolute authority over his children, and a husband’s absolute authority over his wife were two ideas that declined

4. Women in Society • Casa fuit, domumservavit, lanamfecit: She was faithful to her husband, she looked after the home, she spun wool • Laws of Manu: “A woman, during her infancy, depends upon her father; during her youth, upon her husband; when her husband is dead, upon her sons; is she ahs no son, on the nearest relative of her husband; for a woman ought never to govern herself according to her own will.” • Gaius, a jurisconsult, says, “It should be known that nothing can be granted in the way of justice to persons under power – that is to say, to wives, sons, and slaves. For it is reasonably concluded that, since these persons can own no property, neither can they reclaim anything in point of justice.” • Jurist Ulpian says, “Women are debarred from all duties whether civil or public, and thus cannot be judges or hold magistracies.” • Cicero says, “How great will be the misfortune of that city, in which women will assume the public duties of men.” • A woman gained status in her family through her role of reproducing, and her wealth • Influenced children’s education and marriage arrangements • At times, in rare cases, women acted as the “structurally central” family member • Women’s roles seemed to have changed in the Republic and the Empire, but overall women were never truly equal to or above a man’s authority

5. Marriage in Society • In manum vs. sine manu • Sine manu, lived as an equal (Empire) • Depended on father • Liberated • Shared husband’s responsibilities, but still restricted

6. Family in Society • Unlike the Greeks, Romans were strongly attracted to familiy life • Redistribute property and intangibles such as honor and the family name • Family fulfilled economic roles by means of training (senators’ sons by their fathers, etc…) • Familia rustica vs. familia urbana • Materfamilias

7. Slaves in Society • No legal right to marry; de facto marriages. • The law enforced the ideas the slaves could not marry and that they always belonged to their former owner, but also acknowledged the ties they created • Regarded as chattels; subject to will of masters • Cruel freemen, got what they deserved • Relations between slaves and masters differed greatly • Cicero/Tiro, Pliny, Senator Corellius Rufus • “capital crime” for slave castration • Bound to former master • Third generation exercised full citizenship

8. Class Structure in Society • Honestiores and Humiliores • When humiliores broke laws they were subjected to the most severe punishments • Honestiores were spared punishments and had certain privileges • Two highest groups in honestiores were orders, Equestrian and Senatorial • Members of the Equestrian mimimum 400,000 sesterces • Members of the Senatorial minimum 1,000,000 sesterces

9. Education in Society • Boys and girls attended elementary school together • When primary school was finished, girls continued their education at home privately • Women were still expected to maintain their typical role in society; schooling did not get in the way of this

10. Burials in Society • Length of time corpse was displayed dependent on position in society (poor buried same day; emperor exposed for a week) • Funerals of poor and children were rushed at night • Funerals of adults and noble families occurred during the day with great show • If the person had made a great impact on public life, the procession halted in the Forum • Burial within the city was rare

11. Theatre Seating Chart

12. Conclusion • Family life played an important in Roman society and was the basis for many decisions • Women had many abilities although still tied to the man • Slaves were more respected than supposed