The Roman Family

Legal:

Laws- (lex/leges)- would be named after the magistrate who suggested them if passed.

imperial edicts

Opinions of Jurists- put together under Justinian in the 6th century. catagorised for ease of use. -ulpian and antoninus pius turn up a lot.

Inscriptions:

3/4 are epitaphs- show society beneath the elite level. usually- name, age, who set it up.

Papyri:

Mot survives in egypt- is dry.  oxyrhynchus and the Fayum

-study of the structure and dynamics of human populations

-3 crucial factors: mortality (life expectancy), fertility and migration.

-inscriptions allow us to work out mortality- BUT have urban bias, and ages are rounded up/down.

-comparative data for mortalilty- anything under 20, and population cannot reproduce itself.  18th cent. spain- life expectancy av. 27 years. rome was probably 20-30

-high mortality- 1/3 die before 10y/o

-likely the average roman woman gave birth 5 times

Familia-more than just the family- included slaves too.

Domus- Family unit- usually nuclear.

Matrimonium- Mater (mother)

Uxtor- from the root 'to sprinkle with seed' (wife)