Roman Family Summary

The Roman’s family lives were common to all ancient city states.  The community’s survival and prosperity depended on a god or goddess who was thought to take a particular to take a particular interest in its destiny.  The Romans came to see some of these gods and goddesses as wielding worldwide power, though foreigners might worship them under different names and tell different stories about them.  The responsibility for maintaining the peace of the gods belonged to the pontiffs, a group of priests headed by the supreme pontiff, who were leading magistrates of the Republic.  The Romans shared other values specifically with Greek city states.  These values included the belief that it was the right and duty of the men of the community to fight its wars, and also to share in its government.  The men took it for granted that the women of Rome had no right or duty to share in politics and government.  The women needed guardians for all legal transactions.  Many stories were told of the simple country life that such men led, and of their contempt for self-seeking.  Instead of devoting his life directly to the city state as in Sparta, a Roman man belonged first of all to a family and a clan.  Clans and families were held together by fathers, particularly by men who had the status of paterfamilias or family father.  The paterfamilias had unlimited power, including the power of life and death, over the whole household.  The also had power over all sons and daughters who left his household upon marriage.  The Romans revered power of fatherhood not only in family life but also in the community life of their city state.  One of the Republic’s most important deities was Vesta, the goddess of hearth and home.  In every household, the fire in the hearth was scared to Vesta and was only put out if the family moved.  Motherhood was also respected in Rome.  A married women bore to the name of matron which was a title of honor that meant lady mother.  She was supposed to live in subordination to her husband, but through strength of personality and authority with her man, she was also expected to contribute to the community as well as the family.  Women were also expected to help make sure that men had the qualities they needed to keep the Republic strong.