Pater Familia

What were the basic constitutional and social constructs of the early Roman Republic?

The family, religion, the government, class and the army formed the basic building blocks of the early Roman Republic.

The family forms the basis of any stable society.  Rome was no different.  The Roman father stood at the head of the family.   No one in his family could do anything without his consent.  It did not matter if the adult children reached adulthood.  His word was law as long as he lived.  Neglected by most historians was the Roman matron.  Roman matrons, Aurelia Caesar, Caecilia Metella and Sempronia reaffirmed the ancient adage that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.   The good and dutiful son brought honor and renown to his father and his family.  The eldest daughter tended the hearth.  She kept the home fire warm, a virgin until her thirtieth birthday, she like her mother abided and advocated Roman morals.   In addition to nuclear family obligations, the Roman had familial obligations to his clan and his tribe.  This was the patron client relationship that grew and grew.

Though not a clerical people, religion played an enormous role in Roman society harmonizing society, interpreting what was good and what was bad and discerning the will of God.  Hierarchy and complexity manifested themselves in the occupancy of the various offices:  Pontifex Maximus, Priests of Jupiter and the college of augurs.

The Roman replaced the monarchy with Lycurgus’ balanced constitution of rule shared by the Magistracies (limited and distributed monarchy), the Senate (oligarchy) and the Assemblies (democracy).  Various elected magistrates, Censors, Consuls, Tribunes, Praetor, Aediles and Quaestors, held term limited power over various jurisdictions.  The Senate consisted of 300 former magistrates and patricians provided the members met minimum property restrictions.  The people participated in the assemblies.

In the early Republic, Romans saw themselves as either patrician or plebian.  A patrician was one of the original one hundred wealthy men designated by the first king Romulus.  One could become ennobled when his father held the office of praetor or consul.  Later, when the Republic became more prosperous, an equestrian class or middle class would come to play a more important role in Roman society.

The last institution was the Army.  Though it was a militia force only levied for a season within the Italian peninsula, the Army was always on campaign. 

The Army, Class, the Government, Religion and Family formed the constituent parts of Roman society.