CitizensThe most important group in Ancient Rome were the citizens. To be a citizen of Rome, a man had to meet several criteria. The first was that his father was a Roman citizen. The second that his father was legally married to his mother. The third was land ownership. If he met these criteria then his position would depend on how much land he owned and the social status of his father.
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Non-CitizensThe least important group in Ancient Rome were the Non-Citizens. They were people who were female, foreigners, or women. Foreigners were men who were born outside of the city, but were part of the Roman Empire. In the early part of the Republic it also included all of the men born in Italy, but outside of the city of Rome.
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Patricians |
Women |
Patricians were the elite of Roman society, with many being able to trace their family history back to the earliest days of the Republic. Patrician families usually had large amounts of land in the family and were quite wealthy. Throughout the early parts of the history of the Roman Republic, the Patricians wrote, interpreted and implemented the laws.
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Roman women were technically citizens, however, they were considered by many to be less than Roman men. Women had to obey their husbands, and were not allowed to own property or have money. Anything they did own would automatically belong to the husband. Over time women began to gain power, but this was taken away by Imperator Augustus.
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PlebeiansPlebeians were the non-ruling citizens of Rome. They made up the majority of the Roman population and many Plebeians served in the army. The richest Plebeians were those that were merchants and traders. Their voice in government came from the Citizen's Assembly, but the Patricians had limited the power of the Assembly, so it had little impact.
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SlavesSlaves in Ancient Rome were not considered to be citizens and had no rights. If a male slave was freed, he was considered liberti (Free man), which was a full citizen with limitations. The sons of liberti were given the status of Roman citizen. Many slaves within the Republic, and Empire, came from the territories and armies of conquered nations. Many became gladiators or worked in the mines.
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All people Must
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Create a visual display about one of the different Roman social groups that you have been investigating (Slaves, Patricians, Plebeians, Women). Explain why they were important to Roman society and explain how they were treated. Choose one famous member of your chosen social group to investigate.
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Most people Should Complete |
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