Mr. Bowden ª Teleos Preparatory Academy ª 8th Grade Medieval History ª 2013-2014

Name Section Date Roman Society Reading

Social Class Roman society was divided into classes. The most notable classes were Patricians and Plebeians.

Patricians were bestowed special status as Roman citizens. They were the wealthy, ruling class of Rome, and had the most power. Their status was based purely on birth. They were able to serve in the Roman Senate and other assemblies, and were allowed to determine the actions of the Roman government. Only Patricians could serve as priests.

Other free citizens were Plebeians. Shopkeepers, crafts people, and skilled or unskilled workers might be plebeian. From the 4th century BC or earlier, some Plebians were able to become wealthy.

Slavery Slavery in ancient Rome differed from its modern forms in that it was not based on race. But like modern slavery, it was an abusive and degrading institution. Cruelty was commonplace. In hard times, it was not uncommon for desperate Roman citizens to raise money by selling their children into slavery.

When the Romans conquered the Mediterranean, they took millions of slaves to Italy, where they toiled on the large plantations or in the houses and workplaces of wealthy citizens. The Roman economy depended on abundant slave labor, with slaves constituting 40 percent of the population. Enslaved people with talent, skill, or beauty commanded the highest prices, and many served as singers, scribes, jewelers, bartenders, and even doctors. One slave trained in medicine was worth the price of 50 agricultural slaves.

Roman law was inconsistent on slavery. Slaves were considered property; they had no rights and were subject to their owners' whims. However, they had legal standing as witnesses in courtroom proceedings, and they could eventually gain freedom and citizenship.

Slaves worked everywhere - in private households, in mines and factories, and on farms. They also worked for city governments on engineering projects such as roads, aqueducts and buildings. As a result, they merged easily into the population. In fact, slaves looked so similar to Roman citizens that the Senate once considered a plan to make them wear special clothing so that they could be identified at a glance. The idea was rejected because the Senate feared that, if slaves saw how many of them were working in Rome, they might be tempted to join forces and rebel.

Another difference between Roman slavery and its more modern variety was Manumission - the ability of slaves to be freed. Roman owners freed their slaves in considerable numbers: some freed them outright, while others allowed them to save money to buy their own freedom.

Questions (Answer on your own paper, in complete sentences) 1. What were Patricians able to do that other classes were not? 2. How was slavery in Rome different from slavery in the United States? 3. What does Manumission mean? 4. Why do you think Ancient Rome had these systems of social class? 5. Are these systems a good idea? Why or why not? Mr. Bowden ª Teleos Preparatory Academy ª 8th Grade Medieval History ª 2013-2014

Education In Rome, formal schools were established, which served paying students; very little that could be described as free public education existed. Both boys and girls were educated, though not necessarily together.

Following various military conquests in the Greek East, Romans adapted a number of Greek educational precepts to their own system. Roman students were taught (especially at the elementary level) in similar fashion to Greek students, sometimes by Greek slaves who had a penchant for education. But differences between the Greek and Roman systems emerge at the highest tiers of education. Roman students that wished to pursue the highest levels of education went to Greece to study philosophy, as the Roman system developed to teach speech, law and gravitas.

In a system much like the one that predominates in the modern world, the Roman education system that developed arranged schools in tiers. The educator Quintilian recognized the importance of starting education as early as possible, noting that "memory ... not only exists even in small children, but is specially retentive at that age".

A Roman student would progress through schools just as a student today might go from primary school to secondary school, then to college, and finally university. Progression depended more on ability than age with great emphasis being placed upon a student's ingenium or inborn "gift" for learning, and a more tacit emphasis on a student's ability to afford high-level education.

We should recognize important contrasts to formal education from as we know it today. In the modern world, a student generally pursues higher levels of education to gain the skills and certifications necessary to work in a more prestigious field. In contrast, only the Roman elite would expect a complete formal education. A tradesman or farmer would expect to pick up most of his vocational skills on the job. Higher education in Rome was more of a status symbol than a practical concern.

Government Initially, Rome was ruled by kings. As Rome became more powerful, it became a Republic. This means that more people had power to influence the government to make decisions. Patricians still had most of the power, but Plebeians also had some say. There were two assemblies, and some of their members were elected by the people. In some ways, the most powerful group was the Roman Senate, which was a group of powerful Patricians. No one person had all the power in the Roman Republic.

Later, it became the Roman Empire, which was ruled by an Emperor who was the supreme power for the entire large nation. Even though they were unelected, and were the highest authority in the land, Roman emperors refused to be considered "kings", instead claiming to be leaders of a republic. Emperorship would sometimes be passed down to an Emperor’s son, but only if the son was a suitable candidate.

Questions (Answer on your own paper, in complete sentences) 1. What were schools in Ancient Rome like? How was it different from today? 2. How did most children in Rome learn? Who got to receive higher education? 3. What is the difference between the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire? 4. What was the Roman Senate? 5. What do you believe are the positive components of the Roman Empire?