Life Outside the Home. The interaction of different members of the familia or gens with other members of society depended on a variety of factors: social status, gender, age, rank, marital status, and profession, to name a few. Although one of the ideals toward which a familia would strive was independence, ultimately one family was intertwined with several others through marriage and through political beliefs and religious duties. Looking at the family in the broader context of society and social change provides a better sense of the nature of Roman society.

Divisions in Roman Society. The two broad social divisions in Roman society were the patricians and the plebeians. Traditionally the patricians were the descendants of the first Roman senators, the patres, chosen by Romulus at the beginning of Rome's history. The plebeians were the remaining free citizens. The...