roman history study guide

Roman History review guide: 

1. Founded 753 BCE

2. Monarchy rome (ruled by kings, ended in tyranny) 753-509 1st one was romulus last was lucious

3. Republican rome 509-31 bce (shared and temporary power) 

4. 31 Bce civil war 

5. 31 bce-14 bce Augustan rome (emperors and given power ran behind the scenes)

6. Imperial rome 14 bce- 476 ce

Foundation myths:

1. Founded by Romulus (son of Mars) and is a descendant from Aneas

2. Aneas-son or anchises and venus

3. Aneas fled and became a wanderer. Visited Macedonia and remarried. His niece was a vestal and said her kids came from god mars. 

4. Had kids put in the cradle down the river. Taken care of by a lupa and then a shepherd. 

5. Went to war against King Amulius

6. Built a city where they were abandoned

7. Romulus killed Remus

8. It was like Rome came first. rome or bust. 

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Roman government:

Las republica- Republic 

Republic- majority vote, one year terms, shared duties

Libertas- freedom

Patricians- rich people

Plebeians- normal classss

Gentes- favored clans

New patrician/plebian elites- nobilitas

Establishment of hierarchy of magistrates and military offices, the cursus honorum

Questor, treasurer, minimum age 30, led to the senate seat

Aedile- 36, wasn’t in setup but was a position of power, in charge of infrastructure

Praeter- 39, governed provinces, was sometimes in charge of citizens vs foreigners. 

Consuls, like 2 presidents, could command men and speak to the gods

Fasces, a symbol with an axe tied by strands meant authority and physical punishment

Lictor- bodyguard

Comitia- ways the voting was determined

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Class

Rank was determined by class, senatorial rank

not determined by class- equestrian rank

Nobiles- the renowned ones

novus homo- new man first to move into senatorial rank

Roman pull tax funded the army

being a boy was better

212- Constitutio Atoninatia- all freeborn people inside rome were granted citizenship. 

Humiliores- the lower sort (poor people_

Honestories- rich elite, veteran soldiers

Tunica- everyday wear

Pilleus- freedmen cap

Toga- the Roman equivelant to a tux

Praetexta- added symbol, a protective one (purple stripe)

Bulla- for boys and was for male heirs. Before the age to wear a toga.

Lunula, a crescent moon and was used to ward off evil spirits for girls

Fascinum-ordanment for infants to ward off spirits (flying cock)

euergetism- public display of wealth

Imago- death masks

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4 KEY LEGAL RIGHTS:

right to own property and make a will

right to have familial relations legally recognized

right to engage in civic life (voting)

righ to be protected by violence

slaves might have better economic conditions but freed have better legal protections

People were enslaved for economic purposes, didn’t create a class, just stripped legal rights, people were either exposed children, piracy, debt bondage, war prisoners, or born into slavery

verna-born a slave

rural- plantation farming (latifundia)

urban setting, did manual labor, and were an entourage for the rich

lived in shitty houses

How did slaves try to get away

run (fugitive)

revolt (spartacus rebellion)

Passive resistance (working slow, faking sick)

try to earn pillean by being loyal

slaves didn’t have legal rights, were subject to forced labor and punishment, were pretty much property, specialized roles

could be freed and turned into citizens

peculium- allowance (could pay their freedom)

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The Roman Household

• Domus – A Roman house, typically belonging to the wealthy. It also referred to the household (family and slaves).

• Insula – Apartment buildings in cities where most lower-class Romans lived. They were often crowded and prone to fires.

• Familia – The household unit, including family members and slaves, all under the authority of the paterfamilias.

Roman Family Dynamics

• Patriarchal Structure – Roman families were ruled by the paterfamilias, the male head of the household, who had legal and financial control over all family members.

• Marriage – A legal contract, often arranged for political or economic reasons.

  • Conubium – The legal right to marry. Required for a valid marriage.

  • Minimum Age – Boys (14), Girls (12), though actual marriages often happened later.

  • Sine Manu Marriage – A marriage where the wife remained legally independent of her husband's control, common after the 2nd century BCE.

Comment Box Follow-Ups

• Spartacus – A famous gladiator and former slave who led a major slave revolt against Rome (~73–71 BCE).

• Delos – A Greek island that was a major hub for the Mediterranean slave trade, with claims of 10,000 slaves traded daily.

The Domus (Household & Space)

• Atrium – The central reception area of a Roman house, often with a skylight and a small pool (impluvium) to collect rainwater.

• Fauces – The narrow entrance hall leading into the house.

• Tabernae – Shops attached to the front of some houses, often rented out for extra income.

• Tablinum – The office of the paterfamilias, used for receiving guests and conducting business.

• Cubicula – Bedrooms, usually small and sparsely furnished.

• Triclinium – The dining room, where guests reclined on couches while eating.

• Peristyle – A garden courtyard surrounded by columns, found in larger houses.

• ‘Open House’ vs. Private Space – The idea that Roman houses were open to visitors, but access was controlled based on social status and relationships.

The Familia (Household Structure)

• Paterfamilias – The male head of the household with full legal authority over family members, including life-and-death power over his children.

• Potestas – The legal power of the paterfamilias over his family and slaves.

• Peculium – A small amount of property or money a paterfamilias might allow a slave or son to control, though it legally still belonged to him.

• Lares – Household gods worshipped by the familia for protection and prosperity.

Marriage & Relationships

• Materfamilias – The legal wife of the paterfamilias, responsible for managing the household and raising children.

• Matrona – A respectable married woman known for modesty, loyalty, and fertility.

• Concordia – The ideal harmony in marriage, marked by mutual respect and cooperation.

• Concubinage – A non-legal relationship, usually between a Roman citizen and a woman lacking conubium. Any children from this union were illegitimate.

• Contubernium – A quasi-marital relationship between slaves, but their children were legally considered the property of the master.

Class Takeaways

• The Roman domus was both a living space and a symbol of social status.

• The paterfamilias had extensive control over the family.

• Roman marriage laws emphasized citizenship and legitimacy.

• Non-legal relationships existed but had fewer rights.

The Roman Household

• Pets: Dogs (for hunting, guarding, farm work), birds, some evidence of cats.

• Robbery Concerns: Locks, strongboxes, and enslaved doorkeepers (ianitor).

• Paterfamilias Death: Sons become their own paterfamilias; daughters and young sons need a guardian.

Marriage & Divorce

• Marriage Process: Betrothal (sponsalia), domum deductio (bride led to groom’s house), flammeum (veil), six-braid hairstyle (sex crines).

• Marriage Proof: No official documents; ceremonies and customs indicated marriage.

• Concordia: Harmony in marriage; wife expected to be compliant (morigera).

• Polygamy & Mistresses: Legal monogamy, but concubinage and mistresses were common.

• Divorce: Acceptable (sine manus marriages), but could harm a woman’s reputation; children stayed with the father; remarriage common.

Childbirth & Women's Lives

• Childbirth Risks: 0.5-2% maternal mortality; high infant mortality before age 5.

• Contraception & Abortion: Limited, mostly herbal remedies like silphium.

• Young Brides & Motherhood: Some teenage girls gave birth, but survival was uncertain.

• Women’s Roles: Household management, wool-spinning, raising children.

Teenage Life

• Responsibilities: Household duties began early; marriage often dictated life direction.

• Education & Social Life: Varied based on class, with elite girls sometimes receiving education.

Augustan Moral Reforms

• Goals: Encourage marriage, childbearing; penalize adultery & childlessness.

• Consequences: Loss of inheritance for the unwed, banishment for adultery.