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  • Essay / Housing as a status symbol in Rome - 1878

    A house is a place to call your own. It is used for social interactions, shelter and daily human maintenance. Houses also play a role in social structure. A person can be defined by the type of house they own because it symbolizes their income. This rule is active in modern and ancient civilizations. In Rome, housing was used to symbolize wealth and power: the larger the house, the higher the status. Housing has always been a symbol of income and importance. In ancient Rome, this stereotype played an important role in society. Area and type of dwelling demarcated social classes, thus dividing Roman citizens and emphasizing different social groups. “[In Rome] people from all walks of life came together to create a diverse society” (Little 164). As in all societies, there were different social classes and divisions between citizens. Besides the emperor, senators held the highest class. They were considered the social equals of the emperor. Next come the Equites. These men served as calvary in the army. The “plebs” were the working class of Rome. They were made up of artisans, bakers, construction workers, etc. The lowest class consisted of women and, just below them, slaves. Women were not highly valued in society and were expected to remain silent and submissive. Slaves made up a third of the total population (Littell 164). This was because slavery was “widespread” and “important to the economy because agriculture was “the most important industry in the [Roman] empire” (Littell 163). Rome relied more on slaves than in any previous civilization. Most slaves were conquered people, including men, women, and children brought back by Roman armies (Littell 164). There were two types of slaves: city dwellers and rustics. City...... middle of paper...... York: Oxford UP, 2011. 589-608. Questia School. Internet. May 5, 2014. Sear, Frank. Roman architecture. London: Routledge, 1998. Questia School. Internet. May 5, 2014.---. Roman architecture. London: Routledge, 1998. Questia School. Internet. May 5, 2014. Smith, JT Roman Villas: A Study in Social Structure. London: Routledge, 1997. Questia School. Internet. May 5, 2014.---. Roman Villas: A Study in Social Structure. London: Routledge, 1997. Questia School. Internet. May 5, 2014.Woolf, Greg. "8- Family history in the Roman North-West." The Roman Family in the Empire: Rome, Italy and Beyond. Ed. Michèle Georges. Oxford, England: Oxford UP, 2005. 231-54. Questia School. Internet. May 5, 2014.---. "8- Family history in the Roman North-West." The Roman Family in the Empire: Rome, Italy and Beyond. Ed. Michèle Georges. Oxford, England: Oxford UP, 2005. 231-54. Questia School. Internet. May 5 2014.