- The Freedman (Libertus), plural Freedmen (Libertini), was a former Slave who had received his Liberty, and become a ‘Libertus’.
Description
- Manumissio:
- This was an Act in Roman Law which released a Slave from his Master and made him a Roman Citizen and gave him the Right to Vote.
- Libertus:
- Was the name for a Slave who had been given his Freedom or ‘Libertas’. His former Master became his Patron or ‘Patronus’.
- Children of Freedmen were born as full Roman Citizens.
- Libertini:
- Freed Slaves became a Class called the Libertini.
- Exclusions:
- Freedmen were however, excluded from holding the Office of State Priest, Senator or from holding Public Office.
- The Emperor Claudius changed this by creating four Offices of State, specifically run by Imperial Freedmen.
The Imperial Freedmen under Claudius
- Claudius consolidated the use of Freedmen instead of Senators to run the Roman Empire, as he could not trust the Senators who had become hostile to him.
- He created four separate Departments within the Imperial Secretariat with a Freedman in charge of each one:
- Narcissus was made ‘Praepositus ab Epistulis’ (Secretary of Correspondence)
- Pallas was made Secretary of the Treasury.
- Callistus was made Secretary of Justice and Law.
- Polybius was made Secretary of Miscellaneous Affairs. He was executed for Treason by Messalina, possibly after they ceased to be lovers.
- The Freedmen could act as personal representatives of the Emperor. Narcissus was sent to resolve a Mutiny of the Legions prior to the Invasion of Britannia where he succeeded in restoring order by personally addressing the Legions. These Freedmen became the wealthiest men in Rome.
- These Imperial Freedmen became the wealthiest men in Rome.
- Pliny the Elder valued the wealth of Narcissus at 400 Million Sestertii and the wealth of Pallas at 300 Million Sestertii
Edict of Caracalla (212 CE)
- 212 CE Constitutio Antoniniana or the Edict of Caracalla.
- All Free men in the Empire were given Roman Citizenship. Before this, only Italians held full Roman Citizenship.