How was the Roman family organised, and what were the roles of men, women and children?
The Roman family and household: the power of the paterfamilias, the role and status of women, marriage, the upbringing of children, and the place of the household gods in family life.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of the Roman family in Roman City Life. Covers the power of the paterfamilias, the role and status of women, marriage, the upbringing of children, and the place of the household gods in family life, with the source and essay skills the J199/22 paper rewards.
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What this dot point is asking
The Roman family was the basic unit of society, and it worked very differently from a modern family. You need to know the power of the paterfamilias, the role and status of women, marriage, the upbringing of children, and the place of the household gods in family life. The paper tests precise knowledge (AO1) and analysis plus your own argument (AO2), often using sources such as tombstones and finds from Pompeii.
The answer
The paterfamilias
Women: status and influence
Marriage and children
The household gods
Family life was bound up with religion. Every household worshipped its own gods at a small shrine, the lararium:
- The Lares - guardian spirits of the household.
- The Penates - guardians of the store-cupboard and food supply.
- The genius - the protective spirit of the paterfamilias.
Daily offerings to these gods, led by the paterfamilias, helped hold the family together and link the home to the wider world of Roman religion.
Examples in context
A strong essay would argue Roman women lacked formal rights but could wield real influence within the family and, for the well-off, in property and society.
Try this
Q1. What was patria potestas? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. The legal power of the paterfamilias (the oldest living male) over the whole household, including grown children, covering their lives, marriages and property; in practice usually exercised less harshly than the law allowed.
Q2. Explain the role of the household gods in Roman family life. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Every household worshipped its own gods (the Lares and Penates, guardians of the household and store-cupboard, and the genius of the paterfamilias) at a shrine called the lararium; daily offerings led by the father linked the home to Roman religion and helped bind the family together.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J199/22 2018 (style)4 marksDescribe two powers of the paterfamilias in a Roman family. [4]Show worked answer →
A short knowledge question (4 marks, AO1, 2 marks each). Reward two distinct, accurate powers.
Power one. The paterfamilias held legal authority (patria potestas) over all members of the household, including grown children, and in theory controlled their lives, marriages and property.
Power two. He controlled the family's property and money, made the key decisions, and led the household worship of the family gods, representing the family in public and religious life.
Top marks. Two separate, correctly described powers (for example legal authority over the household, control of property, leading family worship, arranging marriages).
OCR J199/22 2022 (essay, true tariff 15)15 marks'Roman women had no real power or freedom.' How far do you agree? Justify your response. [marked here out of 15; this is the true J199/22 tariff]Show worked answer →
The 15-mark extended response (AO1 and AO2). The marker rewards a clear argument supported by evidence.
For (limited). Women were legally under the authority of their father or husband, could not vote or hold public office, were usually married young to a husband chosen for them, and were expected to run the home and raise children rather than have a public career.
Against (real influence). In practice many women, especially of the wealthier classes, ran large households, owned and managed property, influenced their husbands and sons, were respected as mothers (the ideal of the univira and the devoted matron), and some had considerable social standing; evidence from tombstones and Pompeii shows women in business.
Judgement. The top band argues a clear line, for example that Roman women lacked formal political rights and legal independence but could wield real influence within the family and, for the well-off, in property and society. Support with evidence.
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Classical Civilisation J199 specification — OCR (2017)