Rome Notes - The Roman Family

Vocab

Paterfamilias: the male legal and religious head of a household

Familias: a large family unit containing one or two families, clients, slaves, and servants

Paedagogus: an educated slave who taught children

Lararium: family shrine

Lares: household gods and ancestors

Penates: spirits of the larder

Client: a poorer man, who would attatch themselves to a wealthier man (a patron), and attend to them, vote for them, and accompany them to events in exchange for money or gifts

Denarii: currency

Manumission: the freeing of slaves

Freedman: an ex slave, not a citizen but with more rights than a slave

Triclinium: a dining room for social gatherings

Cena: supper, dinner party

The Paterfamilias

• Legal and religious head of the familias: this means they controlled the finances, marriages, education. Ect of their household.

• Responsible for the welfare of their familias;

  • Oversaw the education of his children, esp. Sons

  • Arranged marriages, esp. Daughters

  • Managed finances

  • Managed purchase of slaves

• Religious head of the family;

  • Led worship of the lares at the lararium every morning

  • Led prayers and offerings

  • Offerings to the penates before a meal

  • Led rites and offerings at marriages, deaths, and births

• Usually the family’s breadwinner; often a patron

Roman Women

• Legally minors

  • Unable to vote or hold office

  • Under guardianship their entire lives, usually the paterfamilias or their husband

• The paterfamilias would arrange marriages, and could force one without the permission without the consent of the woman, but this was rude

  • Marriages were made to cement position in society of both households, but ti was common to arrange marriages to people who were only expected to do well in life

• Married women were responsible for upkeep of the household

  • Assigned slaves to roles

  • Managed spinning and weaving

  • Brought up children; saw to the education of their children, taught daughters.

• Women very often died in childbirth

• The treatment, level of freedom, and education of women was variable and very connected to their individual families and social status

  • Wealthier women were often better educated, but offered much less freedom.

  • Poorer women were often entirely uneducated, but allowed relative freedom, and often worked with their husbands

Slaves

• The empire relied heavily on slaves, and it’s success is often tributed to them. Some estimates put the number of slaves…