Roman Citizenship

Under Roman Law certain Rights were conferred on the citizen depending on the type of Roman Citizenship that was held.
These Rights controlled the citizen’s status regarding the Law, Elections and how he was governed.

‘Cives Romani’: These had full Roman Citizenship, but were divided into two types:
1. ‘Non Optimo Iure: they held the rights of ‘ius commercii’ (rights of property) and ‘ius connubii’ (rights of marriage).
2. ‘Optimo Iure’: they held the above rights, in addition to the ‘ius suffragiorum’ (right to vote) and ‘ius honorum’ (right to hold Office)
The ‘Lex Julia’ (90 BCE)
- All of Italy was granted Roman Citizenship after the Social War (91-88 BCE).
Edict of Caracalla (212 CE)
- This granted Roman Citizenship to all Free men throughout the Roman Empire.
Roman Legion
- Only Roman Citizens could enroll in the Roman Legion.
- Peregrini had to join the Auxilia.

Roman Citizenship required Roman Names and these were in use between c.700 BCE to c.300 CE.

‘Ius Commercii’:
- The Right to own Property and sign legal Contracts.
‘Ius Connubii’:
- The Right to marry a Roman Citizen.
‘Ius Suffragiorum’:
- The Right to vote.
‘Ius Honorum’:
- The Right to hold Civil or Public Office.
‘Ius Gentium’:
- The Right to Human Rights for a Foreigner, when dealing with a Roman Citizen.
‘Ius Migrationis’:
- The Right to retain Roman Citizenship, when moving to a City with the same status ‘Colonia Civium Romanorum’. However, if the Roman Citizen moved to a ‘Latina Colonia’, then he would be downgraded to ‘Ius Latii’ or ‘Latin Rights’.

Immunity:
- From Corporal Punishment and the Death Penalty, unless he had committed Treason.
Treason:
- In the event of being accused of Treason: The Right to be heard by a Court in Rome. In the event of being found guilty, he could not die by Crucifixion.
Taxes:
- Immunity from some types of Taxes.
The Right to Sue in Court.
The Right to Legal representation in a Court of Law.
The Right of Appeal against decisions made in the Courts.

Cives Romani:
- Full Roman Citizens who divided into ‘Non Optimo Iure’ and ‘Optimo Iure’.
The Latini:
- These were the holders of the ‘Ius Latii’ or Latin Rights which were:
- ‘Ius Commercii’ and ‘Ius Migrationis’, but did not have the ‘Ius Connubi’ (Right to marry a Roman Citizen).
The Socii or Foederatii:
- These were the subjects of the allied Roman States during the Social War (91-88 BCE) where a Treaty had been signed in exchange for the State to supply armies to support the Roman Legions.
- Depending on the Treaty, they had some of the ‘Rights’ of Roman Citizenship.
- However, when in 90 BCE the ‘Lex Julia’ granted Roman Citizenship to all of Italy, the Title of Socii became obsolete.
Provinciales:
- Subjects of other City States outside of Roman Rule, but who had contacts with the Romans. they had less Rights than the Socii, as they only had the ‘Ius Gentium’.
Peregrini:
- This came to mean all Free men under the Roman Empire, who were not Roman Citizens, but had some of the Rights of Citizenship. This included the Latini, Socii and Provinciales.

The status of Women in Roman Society was high, but they were under the authority of the Head of the Roman Family, the Paterfamilias. They did not have careers in Roman Government.
Roman Women who had Roman Citizenship did have:
- ‘Ius Commercii’: the Right to own Property and sign legal Contracts. (ie run a Business)
- The Right to Divorce. Great families sealed Political alliances by marriage. However, the Roman Woman could divorce her husband if it didn’t work out, or if the political alliance between the families collapsed.
However, even if they had Roman Citizenship, they did not have:
- ‘Ius Suffragiorum’: the Right to Vote.
- ‘Ius Honorum’: the Right to hold Civil or Public Office.

There were several levels of Roman Citizenship. The grant of Latin Rights being halfway to full citizenship.
This way the Elite of the conquered Provinces struggled to become full Roman Citizens with the opportunity of eventually entering the Roman Senate, instead of struggling to overthrow the Roman State.

The Roman Aristocracy were known as the Patricians, the wealthy Middle Class as the Equestrians and the ordinary people as the Plebeians.

The Freedmen were men who did not have Roman Citizenship but were allowed to vote in elections.
They did not hold the ‘Ius Honorum’, the Right to hold Civil or Public Office. Later, Claudius broke this Rule when he appointed four Freedmen to the Imperial Secretariat.
Eventially, in 212 CE, the Constitutio Antoniniana or Edict of Caracalla was passed.
By this Edict all Freedmen in the Empire were given Roman Citizenship. Before this, only Italians held full Roman Citizenship.

In 123 CE the ‘Latium Maius’ was passed. By this law Hadrian conferred Roman Citizenship on all the Councillors in Provincial Councils.

Between 30 BCE and 212 CE, the Free Subjects of the Provinces within the Roman Empire, who did not have Roman Citizenship, were known as Peregrini. They were allowed to vote.
The majority of the population of the Provinces were Peregrini.
In 212 CE the Peregini were abolished by the Edict of Caracalla which gave Roman Citizenship to all free men within the Roman Empire.

The Barbari or Barbarians, were the peoples beyond the Frontiers of the Roman Empire and therefore beyond Roman Civilisation.

The Roman Slave was the Property of his Master under Roman Law and did not have a legal status as a person.
In the early days of Empire, they were treated so badly that there were a series of Slave Rebellions known as the Servile Wars, the most famous rebel slave being Spartacus.
Under the Empire there were no Revolts and they were frequently emanicipated, eventually becoming protected by Roman Law.

Under the Empire, the Roman Census was held every 14 years.
It was designed to assess the population for their Tax Status, by registering all individuals in each Province. As Slaves did not pay Taxes, they were not included.