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Could a Roman Senator Be Legally Subordinate to His Father? - Patria Potestas and the Roman Family | Sleepy Facts About History
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A Roman senator of consular rank, a man who had commanded armies and held the highest offices of the Republic, steps aside in the Forum for an older man. The older man is his father. Under Roman law, the senator cannot own property, make a valid will, or marry without this man's consent. This episode explores the gap between that startling legal reality and the negotiated, human texture of Roman family life.
The central subject is patria potestas, the power of the Roman father. The legal…
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