3.2 Roman home and family

• familia

  family
• paterfamilias

  male head of the roman family
• materfamilias

  female head of the roman family
• filius, filia

  children
• patria potestas

  the power of the father in the roman family
• responsibilities of a paterfamilias

  -responsibility of life and death

  -provide for his wife

  -raising children

  -arranging marriages for his daughters and providing a dowry

  -religious head of family
• who did the paterfamilias have responsibility over life and death?

  his wife, slaves, children, grandchildren up to adulthood
• exposure

  abandoning a child so it is exposed to the elements and died
• why might a child have been exposed?

  -disability or deformity

  -illegitimacy

  -if it was a girl and the family already had a number of children
• when were men expected to marry?

  between the ages of 25-30
• who introduced a law encouraging marriage and having children?

  Augustus
• why was divorce an easy process? what were the disadvantages?

  the man could just order his wife to leave, but he would have to return the dowry
• how did the paterfamilias have to raise his children?

  raise them to be good citizens of Rome and oversee their education, especially his sons
• when would girls be married off?

  from puberty, so from 12 onwards
• why were marriages often created?

  to create business or political alliances
• what would the paterfamilias do as the religious head of the family?

  -lead worship of family shrine where the Lares resided

  -oversee offerings to gods at important moments (births, marriages, funerals, festivals)

  -undertaking sacrifices
• responsibilities of a materfamilias

  -being loyal, modest, ensuring her reputation is maintained

  -overseeing social events

  -helping educate and bring up her daughters

  -managing household slaves and domestic chores

  -completing appropriate tasks like weaving

  -taking a role in events such as funerals and births

  -providing her husband with children
• what happened in a failure to reproduce?

  divorce
• responsibilities of a plebian woman

  -caring for the children

  -doing domestic chores without help of a slave

  -weaving cloth for family events

  -working (shopkeepers, nurses, seamstress)
• patron

  a roman who gives financial or other support to a client in return for work or favours
• client

  a roman who would attach himself to a wealthier patron in order to boost his income or business opportunities
• patronage

  the system of clients and patrons in ancient rome
• sportula

  a handout given to a client of food, goods or money
• responsibilities of a patron

  -protect his client

  -help his client with problems if asked

  -provide them with sportula

  -welcome them into the house

  -invite them to dinner
• responsibilities of a client

  -go to patrons house every morning to greet him

  -complete requested tasks

  -be respectful: address him as domine

  -do the patron favours such as campaigning in an election or accompanying him to the forum

  -attend dinner parties if requested
• where was the client inscription?

  Pompeii, Vicolo di Balbo
• why is the client inscription significant?

  shows a client supporting his patron in an annual election campaign
• why was the patronage system so important?

  -assisted the poor in a world with no benefit system

  -way for individual gaining useful financial and legal advice for free

  -making business connections

  -rising up the social ranks

  -supported a slave once they were freed
• when did clients meet their patrons?

  first thing in the morning
• how could you become a client?

  being the son of a client
• what kind of places would clients accompany their patrons to?

  forum, baths, law courts
• how is the client treated at dinner and why?

  sat away from the host and given less impressive food as he is inferior to the other guests
• how did the patron client system change over the years?

  the sportula became a small hand out of money
• what did the client inscription say?

  Thalamus, his client, elects Publius Paquius Proculus duumvir with judicial power
• In early roman times how were boys taught?

  at home by their father
• what would fathers teach their sons?

  -their trade

  -basics of reading and writing

  -being a good roman citizen

  -roman values (pietas)
• what did mothers teach their daughters?

  weaving

  managing a household
• Pietas

  a sense of duty and loyalty to your family, the gods, the state and those under your command
• where might have a teacher taught?

  hired space like a small apartment or back of shop

  public spaces like pavements and squares
• what changed the roman education system?

  the influence of the greeks