Ancient Roman Politics

Ancient Roman Politics

The rich and powerful people of ancient Rome were the patricians, who governed the city from the Senate ( the Senate was Romes governing body during the republic voted into office once a year by an Assembly of citizens ), and the equites, or men of property. All the social and most political power was in the hands of a few ancient families, such as Cornelii, the Julii ( the family of the Caesers) and the Aemilii. The Senate lost most of its power under the emperors, but the patrician families still led public opinion.

Most patricians had, beside their house at Rome, a family farm in the country and a number of villas in pleasant spots of Latium in central Italy or in the south. Town and contry houses alike were beautifully built and designed for their owner's comfort.

The Romans believed in making their sons fine soilders so after he became a Roman citizen he was enlisted on his first military campaign. On his return from military service the son of a patrician almost always entered into politics, and the sons of equites sometimes did the same. A young man first stood for election as an aedile, or city councillor. The aediles looked after the corn supply and public amusements. The next office was that of the quaestor, or a secretary of the treasury. The next step was to be elected praetor, or judge. After that, if he where lucky, a man might be offerd a province to govern ( in the days of the Empire ) or stand for consulship. Under the republic the consuls were magistrates who had the greatest power in Rome.

At any time a patrician could stand for election as a tribune, or political leader, generally one who championed the rights of the common people against the Senate. A tribuneship was a dangerous post because its holder was often in conflict with powerful nobles, but for an ambitious man it was the quickest way to success.

In Rome a successful patrician spent his days somewhat as follows. He rose at daybreak and spent an hour or two in the atrium, interviewing people who had come to him for help. In the late Republic and in the Empire these people where mostly his freed slaves and their children. The patrician felt it his duty to help out in any way he could and to plea for them in the law courts if necessary.

After a light breakfast the patrician went down to the Forum, acompanied by all the friends and clients he could assemble. The day was spent pleading in the law courts or sitting in the Senate. In the evening he ate the chief meal of the day and invited guests to it. The men reclined around the tables on couches as they ate, but the patricians wife only took her meals with him if he was alone.

Early years:

600 BC to about 1c AD - Before the Imperial Age, in very early Roman times, families were organized rather like mini Greek city-states. Everybody in one family lived in one home, including the great grandparents, grandparents, parents and children.

The head of the family was the oldest male. That could be the father, the grandfather, or perhaps even an uncle.

Each family had slightly different customs and rules, because the head of the family had the power to decide what those rules were for his family.

He owned the property, and had total authority, the power of life and death, over every member of his household. Even when his children became adults, he was still the boss.

But, he was also responsible for the actions of any member of his household. He could order a kid or a grown-up out of his house, but if they committed a crime, he might be punished for something his family did.

In poor families, the head of the house might decide to put a sick baby out to die or to sell grown-ups in his family into slavery, because there wasn't enough food to feed everyone.

A women had no authority. Her job was to take care of the house and to have children.

The Imperial Age: Late 1st century AD to about 500 AD:

Things changed very rapidly towards the end of 1st century AD. Although families still lived in one home, during the Imperial Age, women could own land, run businesses, free slaves, make wills, be heirs themselves, and get a job in some professions.

The ancient Romans tried to help their family grow through marriage, divorce, adoption, and re-marriage.

After a divorce, ex-in-laws were still important, as were their children. Adopted children had the same rights as any of the other children, rights based on their sex and age.

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