CLST 2102 ROMAN FAMILY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What Latin term comes closest to fitting a modern nuclear family? - ✔✔-domus
What type of family relationship was considered closest? - ✔✔-agnates (blood relatives
through a father)
-then there is cognates (blood relatives in general, good for specifying between paternal and
maternal blood)
-then affines (relatives by marriage)
Be ready for questions about the powers of a paterfamilias. - ✔✔-father of the family
-no one but the state hold authority over
-master of familia people and property
-power of control
-legal responsibility
-control of property
-power to execute
Outside of death, in what four ways could his power end? - ✔✔-only with death
-diminished mental capacity
-emancipation of sons
-marriage with manus ("hand") of daughters
-divorce of wife if marriage was with manus
What was the role and power of the family council in relation to the paterfamilias? - ✔✔-
included wife, adult children of both sexes, in laws, half-siblings, friends
, -NOT supposed to be a tyrant
-an advisory body like the senate
-not required to follow the advice of the family council but he usually did (custom and family
peace)
To what does peculium refer? - ✔✔-property that a father allowed his child or slave to hold
as his own
What was the main responsibility of a wife? - ✔✔-responsible for the household
-oversaw raising of children
-nurses and paedagogues
-oversaw the slaves and running of the house
-keys to the storerooms
What was the Roman attitude towards contraception and abortion? - ✔✔-abortion & birth
control was legal but frowned upon (had to be within the first 40 days of contraception)
What long-term contraceptive is mentioned by Pliny the
Elder? - ✔✔-toss slaves into a pool of lampreys
What limits were there to acceptable male and female sexual activity? - ✔✔-social status of
sexual partner
-matrimonial status
-free or paid
-intent of procreation of not
-who was sexually dominant or submissive
What Latin term comes closest to fitting a modern nuclear family? - ✔✔-domus
What type of family relationship was considered closest? - ✔✔-agnates (blood relatives
through a father)
-then there is cognates (blood relatives in general, good for specifying between paternal and
maternal blood)
-then affines (relatives by marriage)
Be ready for questions about the powers of a paterfamilias. - ✔✔-father of the family
-no one but the state hold authority over
-master of familia people and property
-power of control
-legal responsibility
-control of property
-power to execute
Outside of death, in what four ways could his power end? - ✔✔-only with death
-diminished mental capacity
-emancipation of sons
-marriage with manus ("hand") of daughters
-divorce of wife if marriage was with manus
What was the role and power of the family council in relation to the paterfamilias? - ✔✔-
included wife, adult children of both sexes, in laws, half-siblings, friends
, -NOT supposed to be a tyrant
-an advisory body like the senate
-not required to follow the advice of the family council but he usually did (custom and family
peace)
To what does peculium refer? - ✔✔-property that a father allowed his child or slave to hold
as his own
What was the main responsibility of a wife? - ✔✔-responsible for the household
-oversaw raising of children
-nurses and paedagogues
-oversaw the slaves and running of the house
-keys to the storerooms
What was the Roman attitude towards contraception and abortion? - ✔✔-abortion & birth
control was legal but frowned upon (had to be within the first 40 days of contraception)
What long-term contraceptive is mentioned by Pliny the
Elder? - ✔✔-toss slaves into a pool of lampreys
What limits were there to acceptable male and female sexual activity? - ✔✔-social status of
sexual partner
-matrimonial status
-free or paid
-intent of procreation of not
-who was sexually dominant or submissive
