Introduction
In the modern day, the ancient Roman Republic is often evoked as one of the early bastions of democracy that eventually exported the practice to the rest of the Western world. Given this fact, it is easy to think that ancient Rome was an egalitarian society where citizens were more or less politically equal, and voted for Senators who would represent the common interest of the people in matters of state.
In reality, ancient Rome was a highly stratified society with legally-defined social classes that would bestow power and privilege on some, while relegating others to lives of servitude; much like many totalitarian societies of the time (and some countries in the present day, of course).
These categorizations could be based on a number of different factors and often overlapped. While some classes were based on hereditary esteem, others were based on status such as land ownership or membership in the Senate.
Unlike many social class systems, most of the classes in ancient Roman society were not immutable, meaning they could be changed if an individual proved himself especially worthy.
Plebeians & Patricians
The division of the Roman citizenry into plebeians and patricians is almost as old as the city itself. In the early days of Rome’s history, most of the land and means of production came to be controlled by a relatively small number of people. Those who had accumulated this wealth became known as patricians, while the rest of the masses were called the plebeians.
Following this initial distribution of wealth, each class was inherited by parentage in each following generation, making it one of the few social classes in ancient Rome that could not be changed.
Over the course of the Roman Republic, the patricians held most of the political power and wealth. Plebeians were mostly farmers and craftsmen who were dependent on patricians for their work and livelihoods. A plebian could enter into a formal business agreement with a patrician to perform labor for them, and secure their own long-term financial security, in what was known as the clientela system.
In addition to this financial dependence, plebeians also were not able to serve in the Senate or own land until much later into the Roman Republican era and, even then, it was rare.
However, as the centuries went by, plebeian families who had made wise networking decisions rose to prominence, while traditionally patrician families who had not done so fell into poverty and ill repute.
By the time of Imperial Rome, this class distinction had little social significance.
Classes Based on Wealth
Another important metric of social distinction in ancient Rome was the amount of property a person possessed. This was not merely a social construction, but was actually instituted by way of legislation.
The highest of these classes was the Senators who served in the Roman assembly. In addition to being elected to their office, a Roman Senator had to prove that he had property totalling 1,000,000 sesterces, which would make them a millionaire twice over in today’s US dollars.
Below the Senators were the Equestrians, who had to prove wealth of over 400,000 sesterces as well as a horse and a full complement of arms. If an Equestrian was elected to the Senate, he and his family would move up to that class, provided he could prove his wealth sufficient.
Gender in Ancient Rome
Like many ancient societies, Rome was a strictly patriarchal society in the legal sense. Every man was officially the head of the household, or pater familias, with legal authority over all of the members of his family. Furthermore, these family members would all share the same social class that their patriarch held.
A young man could only become free to be his own pater familias if his father granted him permission by way of a special ritual.
Meanwhile, women in Ancient Rome had little to no authority outside of their own homes. They were under the legal control of a pater familias: their father, husband, or an older brother. Women were completely excluded from political life except by way of whatever back room influence they could have over their male relatives.
Marriage was also a male-dominated affair, although women could often refuse marriage proposals if they did not want their lover to replace their father as their pater familias. Women also had as much freedom as men did to request a divorce.
Slavery in Ancient Rome
Something most people do not think about when it comes to ancient Rome is how common slavery was in their society. As a result of Rome’s expansive conquests, captured slaves poured into Roman territory. Many of these people served as manual laborers on farms, but some held skills or knowledge that were highly prized by their owners.
Regardless of their skills, slaves in Rome had no legal rights and could be bought and sold just like any other piece of property.
One major difference between slavery in Rome and slavery as we commonly think of it was that Roman slaves were often freed. For example, if a Roman citizen owned as his slave an accomplished scholar who had adeptly educated that Roman's children, it would be common practice to give that slave his freedom after his owner had died as a sign of appreciation.
Another common occurrence was slave owners freeing their slaves simply because they no longer wanted to pay to feed and shelter them. These freed slaves would then become Roman citizens. While they had to enter the Roman social ladder at the lowest rung and be subject to all the discrimination that came with that, no further stigma was placed on freed slaves.
If a freed slave made intelligent business decisions, they could be just as hopeful as any Roman citizen that their children might one day occupy a higher economic station than they did themselves.
