The Senate and People of Rome: senatus populusque Romanus The Roman population was divided into two

o groups: patricians and plebians. The patricians were the descendants of the most ancient and powerful families (nobles), they were landowners, and they had political power in the senate.

 The plebians were mainly artisans or peasants who worked the patricians' land; they lived in apartments and they had no political rights until 278 BC when the plebian assembly and tribune were elected. Then equestrians the wealthy business class were also plebs.

The two classes were quite divided: the patricians married and did business only with the people of their class until the end of the Republic when a novus homo, like Cicero could become a consul.

Quaestor
20 quaestorsadministered finances of state treasury and served in various capacities in the provinces; when elected quaestor, a man automatically became eligible for membership in the Senate, though censors had to appoint him to fill a vacancy

Tribune
10 tribuneshad to be plebeian, because the office was established to protect the plebeians from arbitrary actions of magistrates. Hence the primary power of tribunes was negative; they could veto the act of any magistrate and stop any official act of administration. They were by law sacrosanct, meaning that anyone who attacked them physically could be immediately and summarily killed; they could convene the Senate and assemblies and initiate legislation.

Aedile
4 aedilessupervised public places, public games, and the grain supply in the city of Rome; 2 were required to be plebeians, and the other two (who had more status) could come from either order; the latter 2 were called curule aediles.

Praetor
8 *praetorsserved primarily as judges in law courts, but could convene the Senate and assemblies; they assumed administrative duties of consuls when these were absent from Rome. When their term of office was completed, praetors might govern a province as *propraetor. Praetor urbanus handled city affairs while the praetor peregrinus handled cases of foreigners.

Consul, Dictator, Proconsul

2 *consulschief magistrates who convened and presided over the Senate and assemblies, initiated and administered legislation, served as generals in military campaigns, and represented Rome in foreign affairs. Consuls could appoint and/or serve as *dictator for up to 6 months in times of emergency when the constitution was suspended. When their term of office was completed, consuls usually governed a province as *proconsul.

CENSOR
2 censorselected every 5 years for terms of 1 years; revised lists of senators and equestrians; conducted census of citizens and property assessments for tax purposes; granted state contracts.

Roman Villa

Roman Domus

Atrium
The atrium was a large airy room lighted by an opening in the roof. It was the formal room where guests were received and clients assembled to wait for their customary morning visits to their patron, but it was also a room for family occasions.

Compluvium
The compluvium was a central opening in the roof of the atrium that let in light and air. The roof sloped downward around this opening, and special tiles with animal-head waterspouts caught the rainwater and channeled it into the pool below the opening.

Impluvium

The impluvium was a pool that captured rainwater from the opening in the roof. There was usually a cistern beneath this pool to store excess water for use in the garden at the rear of the house. The pool had a natural cooling effect in the hot climate of Italy, and its beauty was often enhanced by mosaic tiles and small statues like this dancing faun.

Culina
Wealthy matronae did not prepare meals; that was the job of their numerous household slaves, so it did not matter if the room was hot and smoky. Baking was done in ovens,

The triclinium was named after the three couches typically found in the dining rooms of upper-class Romans. The lectus, or couch, was an all-purpose piece of furniture. Usually made of Different sizes and shapes of lecti were wood with bronze used for sleeping, conversing, and adornments, the dining. Dining couches were fairly wide, open bottom was for each couch held three diners, who crisscrossed with reclined on their left side resting on large leather straps, cushions while slaves served them multi- which supported course meals. stuffed cushions.

Triclinium

VESTIBULUM/ FAUCES

The exterior of a Roman house, normally quite close to the street, was relatively plain. Entering through the front door, one saw a long, narrow hallway leading from the front door into the atrium; this was the vestibulum, also called fauces (throat).

Exedrae
The exedra was a large, elegant room usually located off the peristyle garden. It was used for formal entertainments and lavish dinner parties.

Tablinum

In this room, too, the master of the house, the paterfamilias, would greet his many clients on their morning visits

Directly behind the atrium was a room open on two sides. Anyone standing in the vestibule could see straight through the atrium and tablinum to the colonnaded garden in the back of the housea very impressive vista! In this room the family records were stored; here was the chest containing family finances. Here also elite families would display the imagines, busts of famous ancestors.

Lararium

Sometimes the lararium, a shrine for the gods of the household, was located in the portico of the peristyle, or it might be found in the atrium.

MEALS & FOOD

Ientaculum: breakfast: panis, ova, Prandium: lunch Secunda mensa (2nd table): dessert: figs, mala, uvae Cena: dinner: pisces, porcus, glires Olive: oil for cooking and washing. Types: catillus and meta Uvae: grapes Frumentum: grain Vinum: wine