1. Culture

2. Roman Society and Values
Obligations to gods and other people
Mos Maiorum v. res novae
Ancestral values v. new things
What shape did they take?
Virtus (virtue):
manliness; all aspects of a person’s character
knew and protected the good,; country first, family second, person last
Pietas (piety): respect the order of life
Dignitas (dignity): self-worth
Fides (faithful): keep obligations, pay debts, justice based on social ranking
Rural myth: best life is the farm life (Cincinnatus)
Public Status
Ius imaginum (right to images): wax heads of prominent ancestors
The values of the Romans concerned obligations to the gods and other people
The gods demanded sacrifices and rituals but didn’t really care how the people treated each other. They would protect people as long as they received their worship. Of course, it was a guessing game to figure out why the gods weren’t blessing them.
Why would the people value each other if there wasn’t any value placed on each other by the gods. Largely, it wasn’t until the advent of a God to which you could ascribe actual qualifications that humanity could truly value one another. In other words, God is good- an unchanging quality- therefore since God is good and places value in humanity, humanity has something to work towards. I am valued therefore I can value.
So what allowed the Romans to value?
Mos Maiorum
Values of the greatest/majority
The belief that the ancestors had it right. There were almost divine values that were incorporated into the fabric of history and the material world. These values worked in the past and would keep working. They were the first traditionalists and conservatives.
3. It promoted traditional virtues and patriarchy.
4. Distrusted self-indulgence, excessive independence, and foreign (including Greek) influence. So Greeks as effeminate.
5. These virtues discouraged improper public behavior, and excessive indulgence inpleaures, and even theatrical performances.
What shape did these values take in Rome?
The romans learned that certain actions would gain certain personal beneficial results. The values were tied into the concept of quid pro quo. Their ancestors learned that certain laws governed human behavior and they would mutually benefit all if followed. This included both the material world and the spiritual. So they needed to act in given ways towards others and the gods.
They were obsessed with public status and could lose status according to how well they behaved.
Private virtues
Virtus:
Manliness: this would encompass all aspects of man’s character in both the public and private settings.
protected the good, put country first, family second, and person last, knew good vs. evil
Women just had to marry and raise virtuous children (prudential)
Pietas:
Respect for the order of life and the role that everyone plays in it. A person would also be aware of the impact that one would have on others in their own respective role which would check their behavior.
Fulfill obligations to the gods so they would bless you, your family, and the city
Fulfill obligations to the ancestors or their values so you would continually be blessed as well
Livy provides a dramatic example of a deficit in pietas. He describes the newly elected consul, Gaius Flaminius, who enters into battle against Hannibal without fulfilling his consular responsibilities prior to departing. The result is a dramatic Roman defeat at Trasimene Lake.
In contrast, an extraordinary example of Roman duty was demonstrated by Publius Decius Mus. Decius Mus was a consul during the Latin Revolt. While leading Rome’s forces in battle, a moment occurred when it appeared the tide was about to turn against Rome. Decius Mus realizing this critical moment summoned a priest, took off his armour and put on his consular toga. He then prayed to the gods and devoted his life as a sacrifice if the Romans were to win the day. With the prayer compete he charged into the enemy force sword unsheathed. He left his armour behind wearing only his purple trimmed toga of a consul as he urged on and inspired his soldiers. The Roman forces emerged victorious, and Decius Mus survived the battle and became a figure of legend.
Dignitas: (Lucretia)
Self-worth, purity of mind and physical health (happier and healthier equals more productive) People would receive honors in public rewards for their dignity
Helped inspire self-control, set purpose in life
Material and social rewards for adhering to Roman values
Election to high gov. positions, public recognition
Bearing children and educating them for women
Men could command other younger men if they were respected in the society
Gravitas
Understanding the seriousness of the situation which relied on self-control and discipline
Mercy is also a part of discipline…Scipio showed mercy to enemies and thereby won them over. Showed that he could swallow pride and give mercy.
Social
Fides:
Keeping obligations, keeping words, paying debts, treating people fairly based on social rank
Women: be a virgin and faithful wife
Mutual respect, loyalty, gratefulness, putting others first
Rural Myth
After defending your country, the best life was one of hard work in the fields. You supported your family next. Cincinnatus is an example of a recalcitrant farmer called upon to be a dictator. He left after his duty was down and went back to farming his poor land. He valued hard work rather than status.
Public Status
Ius imaginarum
Those men who had a lot of ancestors as magistrates created ius imaginum (right to images) and displayed them in their homes. Those who didn’t have any were the Novus homo.
The more a house had the more status a family had.

3. The Power of the Father Familia Basic unit Included extended family
Pater familias (senior male: master of the family)
Patria potestas (father’s power)
Life, death, and property
Women
Managed and own property
Raised virtuous young
The family unit
The pater or father was in charge. In Indo-European cultures the men were dominate.
Patriarchy, patriotism, patron, patronize, paternal Are all English derivative of pater/patronus.
“father” is a cognate of pater
Family was sub manu or under his hand
Power to sell son or kill him.
Rarely occurred unless it was treason or deserting the army.
Father made all the decisions over what happened to the family members
Slaves were included in the family
Families part of larger clans or gens by marriage and the clan leaders ruled the state
Theoretically possessed legal power over his kids and slaves until his death. Technically they couldn’t own anything.
Wives were under the power of their father!
However most children were married and independent because fathers would die young
The most important aspect was simply his provision for his family

4. Citizenship in Rome Male Roman Citizens Freedmen, Plebian, Patrician
Right to vote, pay taxes, military service
30 tribes based on land (during Servius Tullius)
Immune from wrongful arrest and imprisonment
Lose citizenship:
Dodged census, self-mutilation, army deserter
Female Roman Citizens
No vote
Influence policy by “activism”
Roman Citizen
Freedmen (different than Greece as Rome even from the myths was very inclusive)
Plebian (lower class)
Fought in the military which would cause hardship via debt
Worked in a variety of occupations basically supporting the landed aristocrats (almost a serfdom)
Patricians couldn’t survive without them
Patrician (upper based on landed or later trade wealth)
Male divisions of equites and senators
Women could be in all groups
Right to vote, pay taxes, and serve in the military
Lose citizenship if dodged a census to evade taxation (Mary/Joseph had to attend a census), mutilated one’s self to avoid the army, or deserted the army
Citizens were immune from arrest and imprisonment without trial
30 tribes 26 in the country and 4 in the city (for those without land) by 241 there were

5. The Rest of Society Upper Class Roman Children Latin Citizens
Private education at home and with tutors
Girls and boys would learn to read and write
Girls: to train up moral generations
Boys: rhetoric
Latin Citizens
Half-citizenship offered to Latin allies in Italy
Civitas sine suffagio (citizens without vote)
Provincials
Those living in conquered territories
Had to be represented by a Roman Citizen
Non-citizen
Slaves
Upper Class Roman Children
Private education at home and with tutors
Girls and boys would learn to read and write
Girls: to train up moral generations
Boys: rhetoric
Latin Citizens
In between allies and roman citizens during the 3rd century
Conduct law suits in Rome on same terms
If moved to Rome became a citizen
Whole towns with this status were called municipia and referred to as civitas sine suffragio
Eventually distinctions would cease to exist and by Ad 212 all territories would have universal citizenship
Provincials
Foreign territories who had only rights if represented by a roman citizen.
Paul would have lived in a province so it is not clear why he would have full citizenship
Non-citizen
Slaves (men and women)