Family
WomenIn ancient Rome, family was extremely important. The whole family lived together in one house or apartment, depending on their status, e.g., plebeian or patrician. The family included the unmarried sons and daughters and married sons and their wives. Married daughters went to live with their husband's family. Women had no rights under the kingdom or the republic. A woman's role was to teach her daughters how to behave, and to bear and raise children. Under the empire women received some rights. They could own property, inherit, even get a paid job.
The PaterfamiliasThe family was ruled by the paterfamilias, the eldest male in the family. This could be the grandfather, father, uncle, or the oldest brother. The eldest male was the absolute ruler of the family. The paterfamilias owned all the family's property and had the power of life and death over every family member. He could legally exile members of the family, sell them into slavery, or even kill them. However, the paterfamilias was expected to treat his family with fairness and compassion. If he did not fulfil those that person would be shunned by the rest of Rome. The paterfamilias was responsible for all the actions of the family. If someone in the family got in trouble, the paterfamilias had to pay the consequences.
Children |
In ancient Rome, children were loved, and were educated to the best of a family's ability to do so. The paterfamilias taught all the younger males academics, trades, and manners, e.g., how to act in society. A child in ancient Rome would be allowed to play and have friends, but he would also be trained to obey elders. A child would never talk back to an elder or to his family, and if he dared to do so, it could get him thrown out of his house, exiled by the paterfamilias, and he would never be allowed back.