Social Structure

Social Structure Pompeii and Herculaneum

The freeborn elite • dominated by a small number of families • lived in expensive atrium houses • displayed wealth • wealth derived mainly from land

Freeborn populace • majority of the population • engaged in small business, trade, shopkeepers, artisans, small farms

Freedmen and Freedwomen • freed slaves • similar social status and employment as freeborn populace but could hold no political office

Slaves • essential to the economy • worked in agriculture, manufacturing and domestic setting • were powerless • their lives were in the hands of their owners

The elite familia • contained all members of a household including the immediate family, relatives and slaves • under the control of the paterfamilias

The power of the paterfamilias • could accept or reject children at birth • power to discipline children even as adults • gave permission to sons and daughters to marry • could annul a marriage • owned all possessions of the family • controlled financial allowances to family members

Patrons and Clients • paterfamilias usually a powerful patron • houses of patrons reflected their social position • clients gathered at house for salutatio– a ritual visit • salutatiobound clients to the business and financial interests of the patron

Women • Role and status should not be generalised • significant gap between lives of elite women, freeborn women, freedwomen, and slaves • many women well educated

Women and the family • under legal control of father, husband or nearest male relative • played a central role in family • importance of producing a legitimate male heir • traditional domestic roles for elite and wealthy women included: • managing domestic budget • supervising slaves • supervision and education of children • organising the provision of meals • spinning

Women and politics • had no formal right to the vote or to political office • played influential informal role through: • politically advantageous marriages • supporting and sponsoring political candidates • endowing public works for political gain eg. Eumachia • playing an active part in election campaigns

Women and the economy • wealthy women manages businesses and agricultural estates • could buy and sell property and make financial decisions • poorer women engaged in family-run businesses

Women and religion • actively involved in public and private religious life • elite women officiated at festivals • elite women held priesthoods • responsible for spiritual life of the family

Slavery • evidence of slavery not prominent in written or archaeological record • identifiable sleeping quarters not been found except in large houses eg. House of Menander • slave tombstones rare • only an approximation of slave life can be reconstructed using slave tools and working • environments in Pompeii and Herculaneum and primary written sources about slaves in general

Slave labour essential to the ancient economy • agriculture • manufacture • domestic service

Quality of slave life depended on master • slaves essentially powerless, punishment could be severe • slaves commodities – could be bought and sold at any time for any reason • servile families could be broken up • manumission (freedom) reward for good behaviour • could be subjected to sexual coercion

Agricultural slaves • large number of agricultural slaves used on agricultural estates • evidence that punishment was harsh – slave skeleton still shackled to stocks found in the Villa of the Mosaic Columns

Domestic slaves • used in upper class and wealthy families • used for a wide range of jobs from menial tasks to trusted dispensator who administered the master’s funds. • educated slaves privileged • not restricted to the house – performed errands around town • could form close personal relationships with family

Slaves used in manufacturing and commerce • extensive slave labour force in small manufacturing • could operate businesses on behalf of their masters

Slaves used in entertainment • Slaves used in entertainment • prostitution • gladiators

Freedmen and Women • a) Manumission – the granting of freedom • as client of former masters, freemen had obligations usually took on master’s names • (b) Freedmen and women played an important economic role • self-employed in commerce, trade, craft industries shopkeepers • could own slaves of their own some very successful • (c) Citizenship depended on status of mother • freedman + slave woman = slave child • freedman + freedwoman = free child with access to highest public office • (d) Could not hold political office • considered an honour to hold highest office available - Augustalis

Key Terms • Domina– the wife of the Dominus and female head of the household • Dominus – the owner and male head of the household • Domus– the house of a single family and the centre of the Roman household • Liberti - freedmen • Lupa– the lowest class of prostitute • Lupanare– a brothel • Manumission – the granting of freedom • to slaves

Social Structure