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The Romans

Society

Patrician House

The Roman population was divided into two groups: patricians and plebians.

The patricians were the descendants of the most ancient and powerful families (nobles), they were landowners, lived in large houses, like the one pictured left, and they had political power in the senate.

The plebians were mainly artisans or peasants who worked the patricians' land; they lived in apartments and they had no political rights.

The two classes were quite divided: the patricians married and did business only with the people of their class. The plebians could only narrow the gap between the two classes in one way: by becoming clients (obedient servants) of a patrician family. They offered their services and so received the protection of the head of the patrician family, who became their patron.

Society in the Era of the Empire 27BC – 1453AD

During the Empire, social classes changed to include nobility, the middle class and the army.

Among the nobles there was a change; many of the new rich people of the Provinces had become members of the Senate. The signs of their richness were their houses and sumptuous feasts.

Emperor and nobles

In the cities of the Provinces, there was an active middle class: landowners, traders, professionals and state officers.

In the Roman middle class we can include the artisans who owned flourishing workshops and were grouped in associations called "collegi".

Roman Soldiers

Many people from the Provinces joined the army and at the end of their period of service, received Roman citizenship. Being in the army did not only mean fighting, but colonizing, building roads, bridges and fortifications. The soldiers founded the first settlements of future cities and supervised their civilization and security.

The condition of the Roman plebians, did not change. The State had still to pay for the support of about 200,000 idlers with free food. However the Emperors could gain the plebes' favour in this way.

The Senate

The Senate was a council originally made up of three hundred members, chosen among the leaders of the people, former judges, etc.

It received foreign Ambassadors and signed treaties with the former foreign countries, appointed the Province governors, controlled the public administration and made the laws.

Given its great experience and authority, the Senate had been the main organ of the Republican government for a long period.