Being A Roman Citizen

This is a book about Roman law for Roman historians. It reveals that the rulesstated baldly in legal textbooks had a real and active function in maintainingthe ... » 

This is a book about Roman law for Roman historians. It reveals that the rulesstated baldly in legal textbooks had a real and active function in maintainingthe fabric of Roman society. Besides legal texts and literary sources the bookmakes use of epigraphic material including recent finds from Popleii whichshow law in action in the commercial life of Puteoli.The rights and duties of Roman citizens in private life were affected bycertain basic differences in their formal status. Women exslaves adults withliving fathers convicted criminals playactorseven the blind deaf anddumb and the mentally illalthough all citizens were far from having equallegal rights and capacities. The book examines in detail what the particularlegal disabilities were which affected each group and also what the practicalimplications of these were for the conduct of daily life. It also considerswhether and how they may be related to the distinctively Roman institution ofpatria potestas and to direct personal participation and interaction whichwas a legal requirement for most transactions with legal consequences forpersons and property.In Being a Roman Citizen Jane F. Gardner sheds light on Roman citizenship andchallenges common assumptions about the reasons for discrimination betweenindividuals and about the social attitudes implied. «