Download Roman citizens

Roman citizens
The toga was the characteristic garment of the
Roman citizen. Roman women (who were not
considered citizens) and Non-citizens were not
allowed to wear one.
•
Slaves were considered property and had
only certain very limited rights as granted
by statute. They could essentially be sold,
tortured, maimed, raped and killed at the
whim of their owners. It was the
exceptional feature of ancient Rome that
almost all slaves freed by Roman owners
(freedman) automatically received Roman
citizenship.
•
The natives who lived in territories
conquered by Rome, citizens of Roman
client states and Roman allies could be
given a limited form of Roman citizenship.
This amounted essentially to a second-class
citizenship within the Roman state.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Toga1.png
•
A Roman citizen enjoyed the full range of benefits that
flowed from his status. A citizen could, under certain
exceptional circumstances, be deprived of his citizenship.
•
Women were a class apart whose status in Roman society
varied tremendously over time. While Roman citizen women
would come to enjoy many of the rights accorded to male
citizens, Roman women could not vote or stand for office.
http://www.historylink102.com/Rome/roman-women-marriage.htm
CClarke/ESD/2006
The various methods to obtain Roman citizenship:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Roman citizenship was granted automatically to every child born in a
legal marriage of a Roman citizen.
People who were from the Latin states were gradually granted
citizenship.
The children of freed slaves became citizens.
A Roman legionary could not legally marry, therefore all his children
were denied citizenship, unless and until the legionary married their
mother after his release from service.
Some individuals received citizenship because of their outstanding
service to the Roman republic (later, the empire).
One could also buy citizenship, but at a very high price.
Non-citizen troops were rewarded with Roman citizenship after their
term of service. Their children also became citizens and could join the
Roman legions.
Rome gradually granted citizenship to whole provinces; the thirdcentury the Emperor granted it to all free male inhabitants of the
Empire.
Rights given
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The right to vote in the Republic.
The right to make legal contracts.
The right to have a lawful marriage.
The right to stand for public office.
The right to sue (and be sued) in the courts.
The right to appeal from the decisions of magistrates.
The right to have a trial (to appear before a proper court and to
defend oneself).
Citizens could not be subjected to torture.
A Roman citizen couldn't be sentenced to death unless he was found
guilty of treason. If accused of treason, a Roman citizen had the right
to be tried in Rome.
Even if sentenced to death, no Roman citizen could be sentenced to
die at the cross.
CClarke/ESD/2006
•
Roman citizenship was required in order to join the Roman legions, but
this was sometimes ignored.
CClarke/ESD/2006