Daily Life of the Patricians



Name______________________________ Date_________

Mr. Pefanis Rome

Daily Life of the Patricians

 

        The patricians were the upper class of ancient Rome.  They made up only 10 percent of the population, but they were the most powerful people in Rome.  Patricians owned much land and belonged to the oldest families of the city. Rome was a Republic. This meant that people could elect their officials to represent them, however only Patricians could vote, and only Patricians could be Senators who propose laws. The leader of the Republic was called a Consul. The Consul had to answer to the Senate but in times of crises a Dictator could be chosen who had to answer to no one and could serve for only 6 months.

        Rome was a male – dominated society.  The father was the head of the family and was called the pater familias.  A typical day for a male patrician would involve business in the morning; the public baths in the late morning for exercise, a massage, and the latest news; and home to his luxurious villa for the main meal of the day, which started between two and three in the afternoon and lasted for up to four hours.

        A patrician woman was expected to be efficient and dignified.  She usually had little schooling and was in charge of the servants.  Her days were spent with servants dressing her and arranging her elaborate hairstyle; preparing the day’s menu and shopping list for the slaves; overseeing the children; and performing as a gracious hostess for the evening meal.

       

Daily Life of the Plebeians

 

        Ninety percent of the people living in ancient Rome did not belong to the wealthy patrician class.  These were the plebeians, or working class of Rome, as well as soldiers and slaves.

        Plebeians were workers, farmers, and shopkeepers.  They could not hold important government offices or marry into the patrician class.  Since they did not own land, they were not citizens and could not vote in the Senate until tribunes were elected to represent them in 494 B.C.E.

        Life for plebeians was not easy.  Up at dawn, the entire family ate a meager breakfast of bread and water and then went to work in the shop or fields.  Only the wealthy could afford to educate their children, so plebeian boys learned a trade from their fathers and girls learned household skills from their mothers.  They worked until mid-afternoon and went home to a simple meal of wheat porridge with vegetables or fruits.

        Plebeians lived in crowded tenements, or apartments, above shops in the city.  Entire families were forced to live in one room, with no privacy or running water.  Fire was a constant danger because so many people lived and cooked their foods in such crowded quarters.

|Patricians |Plebeians |

|What type of background did Patricians have? |What is a good description for a Plebeian’s background? |

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| |What were rights that Patricians had that Plebeians did not? |

|What type of positions in government did Patricians have? | |

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| |How would you describe the daily lives of Plebeian men and women? Give |

|How would you describe the daily lives of Patrician men and women? Give |three details. |

|three details. | |

Plebeians want Change!

Problems faced by Plebeians

-Owned little or ________

-Had no ______________

-Were taken advantage of by the ____________________

Patricians agree to Changes

-Checks and balances were created. Each group in Rome would have control over the other so that one would not get too _______________________.

|Consul- __________ in Rome |Senate-elected to make_______ for Rome |Tribunes- ___________ allowed in the Senate |

|-Leaders of Rome |-Elected _____________ |-Only were allowed to veto laws of the |

| | |_____________ |

|-Controlled the ___________ |-Could __________ or reject actions and requests | |

| |of the Consuls |12 Tables- laws _______________ in the Rome forum |

|-Only ________________ elected to a two year term | |(market) for all to see. |

|Patricians |Plebeians |

|What type of background did Patricians have? |What is a good description for a Plebeian’s background? |

| | |

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| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| |What were rights that Patricians had that Plebeians did not? |

|What type of positions in government did Patricians have? | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| |How would you describe the daily lives of Plebeian men and women? Give |

|How would you describe the daily lives of Patrician men and women? Give |three details. |

|three details. | |

Plebeians want Change!

Problems faced by Plebeians

-Owned little or no land

-Had no political power

-Were taken advantage of by the Patricians

Patricians agree to Changes

-Checks and balances were created. Each group in Rome would have control over the other so that one would not get too powerful

|Consul- 2 Rulers in Rome |Senate-elected to make laws for Rome |Tribunes- Plebeians allowed in the Senate |

|-Leaders of Rome |-Elected consuls |-Only were allowed to veto laws of the Senate |

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|-Controlled the military |-Could veto or reject actions and requests of the |12 Tables- laws were written down in the Roman |

| |Consuls |forum (market) for all to see. |

|-Only Patricians elected to a two year term | | |

| |-Patrician class | |

Similarities between Roman Republic and US Gov’t

1. People vote on others to represent them and not on individual laws.

2. Separation of power-power is not in the hands on one person or group it is divided.

3. Checks and balances- each branch of gov’t can stop the actions of the other branch to prevent abuses.

THE STORY OF CINCINNATUS

There was a man named Cincinnatus who lived on a little farm not far from the city of Rome. He had once been rich, and had held the highest office in the land; but in one way or another he had lost all his wealth. He was now so poor that he had to do all the work on his farm with his own hands..

Now there lived among the mountains, not far away, a tribe of fierce, half-wild men, who were at war with the Roman people. They persuaded another tribe of bold warriors to help them, and then marched toward the city, plundering and robbing as they came. They boasted that they would tear down the walls of Rome, and burn the houses, and kill all the men, and make slaves of the women and children. At first the Romans did not waiver, they were proud and brave, but one morning five horsemen came riding down the road from the mountains bearing bad news. "Only yesterday," they said, "our army was marching through a narrow valley between two steep mountains. All at once a thousand savage men sprang out from among the rocks before us and above us. They had blocked up the way; and the pass was so narrow that we could not fight. We tried to come back; but they had blocked up the way on this side of us too. The fierce men of the mountains were before us and behind us, and they were throwing rocks down upon us from above. We had been caught in a trap our army destroyed.

"What shall we do?" said the white-haired Fathers. "Whom do we have left but the guards and the boys? Who is wise enough to lead them, and thus save Rome?" All shook their heads and were very grave; for it seemed as if there was no hope. Then one said "Send for Cincinnatus. He will help us." Cincinnatus was in the field plowing when the men who had been sent to him came in great haste. He stopped and greeted them kindly, and waited for them to speak. "Put on your cloak, Cincinnatus," they said, "and hear the words of the Roman people, you must lead the boys to battle." Reluctantly Cincinnatus agreed and led the rag tag army of boys and old men. He was crowned dictator and given the power to do anything he wanted.

Cincinnatus left and only but a few days afterward there was great joy in Rome. There was good news from Cincinnatus. The men of the mountains had been beaten with great loss. They had been driven back into their own place. And now the Roman army, with the boys and the guards, was coming home with banners flying and shouts of victory; and at their head rode Cincinnatus. He had saved Rome.

Cincinnatus was the dictator and could have easily made himself King; for his word was law, and no man dared lift a finger against him. But, before the people could thank him enough for what he had done, he gave back the power to the white-haired Roman Fathers, and went again to his little farm and his plow. He had been the dictator of Rome for sixteen days.

1. What type of problems did the early Romans have?

2. Why did the Romans call on Cincinnatus? What was he doing when the Romans came asking for his help?

3. What did Cincinnatus with the power he acquired leading the Romans to victory? Why was it such a remarkable thing to do?

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