Social Ladder
Social Ladder
SOCIAL LADDER IN ROME
Our word society comes from the Latin word societas. Our word citizen comes from the Latin word civis. The Roman world was divided into those who were citizens and those who were not.
So, people were not equal. Some were rich. These people owned houses and land and they had the right to vote. Many people were very poor and led miserable lives and didn’t have the right to vote.
Roman society was divided into strict social classes: Patricians, Equites, Plebeians, women, slaves.
PATRICIANS were rich, upper class nobles. They held top positions in the army and government, and owned the best land. People were born into this social class. Fewer than one percent of people were in this class.
EQUITES were originally a group of knights who rode horses. They were businessmen. As Rome expanded her empire they became a wealthy class of men through trade and financial activities. You had to be wealthy to belong to this class.
PLEBEIANS were the common people who were also citizens of Rome. They were ordinary people- tradesmen, farmers, shopkeepers and freed slaves. Many were poor or unemployed, and if they had no work they often lived a very harsh life.
WOMEN were part of each of these social groups, but did not have the right to vote.
SLAVES had no rights or freedom.They usually came from captured lands. They were the property of the owner, so if they ran away they were guilty oftheft, as they had taken the property of their master (themselves).
Patronage
The different social classes of Rome were bound to one another by a system of lltyyoa and duty. Every Roman man received advice and protection from a man better off and more powerful than himself. He owed this man loyalty and service.
The man who offered support to lower ranking men was their patron and they were his client. The patron might be the client of an even more powerful man. The patron’s clients might have clients of their own.
Our word society comes from the Latin word societas. Our word citizen comes from the Latin word civis. The Roman world was divided into those who were citizens and those who were not.
So, people were not equal. Some were rich. These people owned houses and land and they had the right to vote. Many people were very poor and led miserable lives and didn’t have the right to vote.
Roman society was divided into strict social classes: Patricians, Equites, Plebeians, women, slaves.
PATRICIANS were rich, upper class nobles. They held top positions in the army and government, and owned the best land. People were born into this social class. Fewer than one percent of people were in this class.
EQUITES were originally a group of knights who rode horses. They were businessmen. As Rome expanded her empire they became a wealthy class of men through trade and financial activities. You had to be wealthy to belong to this class.
PLEBEIANS were the common people who were also citizens of Rome. They were ordinary people- tradesmen, farmers, shopkeepers and freed slaves. Many were poor or unemployed, and if they had no work they often lived a very harsh life.
WOMEN were part of each of these social groups, but did not have the right to vote.
SLAVES had no rights or freedom.They usually came from captured lands. They were the property of the owner, so if they ran away they were guilty oftheft, as they had taken the property of their master (themselves).
Patronage
The different social classes of Rome were bound to one another by a system of lltyyoa and duty. Every Roman man received advice and protection from a man better off and more powerful than himself. He owed this man loyalty and service.
The man who offered support to lower ranking men was their patron and they were his client. The patron might be the client of an even more powerful man. The patron’s clients might have clients of their own.
- DUTIES OF PATRONS TO CLIENTS
- Help out with money
- Give legal advice and support
- Invite client to dinner or give food
- DUTIES OF CLIENTS TO PATRONS
- Pay respects every morning
- Support in politics with vote
- Be part of impressive crowd attending patron in public