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| Introduction | Patricians, Plebeians, Slaves and Clients |
The
hate for Tyrants and Kings | Senate, Assembly and Comitia Curiata |
Magistrates,
Consuls, Tribunes and Praetors | The Army and the State |
Roots of Social Unrest
in Rome | Evolution and Structure of the Roman State |
The structure of society in Rome changed, as you might expect, over the course of its 1000 year history. Although the underlying classes of Slave-Plebeian-Equestrian-Patrician essentially remained the same, the divisions between them became increasingly blurred. Similarly, the position of women in Roman society also developed towards increasing levels of freedom and independence.
To this we have to superimpose the structural changes in the form of government which clearly had an impact on the relative importance of the social classes with respect to ruling power. The hate of kings and the consequential shift from Kingdom to Republic brought about the emergence of Magistrates and bureaucrats whilst the shift to an Empire with totalitarian regime brought a shift in the importance and meaning of these positions. The hole left by the reduced meaning of voting was filled by "Panis et Circensis": bread and circus games. The Roman calendar came to have as many as 180 days of festivities. Almost half the population lived off social security.
The four images below give an outline picture of the structure of society and government throughout ancient Rome's history...
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| Roman society and government during the Kingdom | Roman society and government during the Republic | Voting during the Republic | Roman society and government during the Empire |
| Introduction | Patricians, Plebeians, Slaves and Clients | The hate for Tyrants and Kings | Senate, Assembly and Comitia Curiata | Magistrates, Consuls, Tribunes and Praetors | The Army and the State | Roots of Social Unrest in Rome | Evolution and Structure of the Roman State |
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This page about Structure of Society in Ancient Rome was written by Giovanni Milani-Santarpia for www.mariamilani.com - Rome apartments