Social Inequality In Roman History

Social Inequality in Roman History Throughout the course of Roman History we see the development of the patron/client relationships that affect both the political responsibilities of the patrician class toward those who are under their jurisdiction, along with how society interprets their roles and rights determines the actions of those who benefit. In order to understand how the systems of inequality played out into the political and social aspects or Roman life is it important to know a few definitions. In Rome there were two main categories of people. There were the plebeians and the patricians. The patricians were the 7-10 percent of the population who were the upper class, came from families with longstanding prominence and residence in Rome, and were granted full civil rights. There were also the plebeians who were everyone else including the slaves. The earliest enduring social structure in Rome was the patron client relationship. IN these relationships, the stronger man (in this case, almost always the patrician) would offer protection and representation for their client in offer for labor or services. The weaker man was often taken advantage of in these relationships, and it took year for him to pay off for the protection he was given. Another important idea to understand is that of a paterfamilias. The paterfamilias was the head of a

They were so expectant of these revoults that they came up with an idea. They thought, “Hey lets make some laws, and put these slaves in place.” These laws were called the Law of the Twelve Tables. They were harder on the weak and impoverished. For example, the punishment for robbing a poor man was much smaller than that of a rich man. This is just one example of the inequalities dealt with in the Roman Empire. Throughout time, various emperors and leaders took steps toward achieving equality for Roman