WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Families were dominated by men. At the head of Roman family life was the oldest living male, called the “paterfamilias, ‘’ or “father of the family.” He looked after the family’s business affairs and property and could perform religious rites on their behalf.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Social Hierarchies were: aristocratic and aristocratic-affiliated; the respectable; the untidy lower classes (plebs filthy); and, ultimately, the slaves. When the Senate had a membership of around 1, 000 in the early third century, about half of the senators were of Italian descent.

Detailed explanation-3: -Roman citizens were divided up into two distinct classes: the plebeians and the patricians. The patricians were the wealthy upper class people. Everyone else was considered a plebeian. The patricians were the ruling class of the early Roman Empire.

Detailed explanation-4: -At any time in Roman history, individual Romans knew with certainty that they belonged to a specific social class: Senator, Equestrian, Patrician, Plebeian, Slave, Free. In some cases they were born into that class. In some cases, their wealth or the wealth of their families ensured them membership.