Describe the social structure of ancient Roman society.

Rome of the tsarist period was a primitive society, consisting of a tribal leader, a council of the nobility, and a popular assembly. The tribal nobility (patricians) owned power and wealth, the main of which was the land. Ordinary people (plebeians) could not become senators or kings, they could be turned into slaves for unpaid debts. Only the patricians took part in public meetings. At a popular assembly, a king was elected, who was approved by the senta (council of elders).

The slave-owning system in society reached its peak in development with the establishment of a military-dictatorial regime. There was a class of slaves, slave owners (nobility, horsemen, and provincial nobility), warriors, artisans, small landowners, and free peasants. With the development of the social system, the attitude towards slaves began to change. Initially, the owner was not responsible for the death of a slave, but later the murder of a slave was prohibited and punished with a fine, and slaves were also allowed to start families. In the era of the republic, civil rights were in most cases only the inhabitants of Italy. With the expansion of the borders of Rome, the number of free residents increased. During the period of the Empire, citizenship began to be granted to the population of the conquered countries.

The life of society among the ancient Romans was very eventful. People preferred to spend their free time on the street, chatting or just walking around the city. The people of Rome loved to visit theaters, circuses and stadiums. The center of social life in the city was the forum – a square next to the market, where popular meetings and other public events were held. At such meetings, laws were passed, senior officials were elected, trials were conducted, wars were declared, and death sentences were read. Here you could often see famous artists, philosophers, poets and orators performing for a large audience.

The Roman elite loved to host dinners and receive guests with luxury. At such receptions, they read poems, listened to music, played dice and chess, passed on the latest news and rumors to each other. And one of the favorite topics of conversation was politics.