Roman society was stratified, with Roman citizens having the most rights and privileges, followed by freedmen, then slaves. Roman citizens had political and civil rights, including the right to vote, own property, and marry other citizens. At first, patricians, who were wealthy noble families, had more rights than plebeians, but plebeians gained equal legal standing after social conflicts. Women had limited rights and could not vote. Slaves had no rights and were the property of their owners.

1. SOCIETY IN ANCIENT
ROME

2. ROMAN SOCIETY
FREE PEOPLE
or NOT CITIZENS
ROMAN CITIZENS
PATRICIANS PLEBEIANS
FREEDMEN
SLAVES
or
LIBERTI

3. Why was being a citizen important?
The Roman state gave them priviliges and
protected them.
The rights citizens had were different
along Roman history and they also
varied depending on the people.
These are some of the most important rights:
- To vote and to be voted in elections.
- To own things and to make contracts.
- To get married with another Roman citizen and to have
Roman children.
- Not to pay some taxes.

4. Who were citizens in Ancient Rome?
Only freeborn people were citizens.
At the beginning of the Republic patricians
had more rights than plebeians. It
caused social fights which gave them the
same rights.
Women had limited rights. For
example, they could own property, but
they coudn´t vote.

5. PATRICIANS
They had all political and civil rights.
They were noble families connected to the founders of
Rome.
They were a minority of the population and they were
very rich.
Senators, magistrates, businessmen and owners of big
lands belonged to this class.
Power was in Patricians hands until the beginning of
the Republic when plebeians got more rights.

6. PLEBEIANS
Most people were plebeians.
They took part in the army and paid
taxes
At the beginning of the republic they
had very limited rights.
They got the same rights as
patricians after 200 years of social
conflicts.

7. SLAVES
Slaves were not citizens and had no rights.
They belonged to their owners and their sons were also
slaves.
Most slaves descended from debtors or war prisoners.
They worked in
agriculture, craftwork, at free
people's homes or they did other
forms of manual work.
Some slaves were freed when their
owners died or if they could buy their
own freedom. Roman slaves

8. FREEDMEN
They were free men that had
been slaves. Roman slaves
Their children were born Roman citizens.
They were known as liberti (a Latin word)
Although some freedmen became very rich and
influential, most joined the plebeian class and often
worked in agriculture or commerce.

9. ROMAN WOMEN

10. THE FAMILY