preview

Ancient Roman Social Classes

Decent Essays

The Ancient Roman society was very class conscious and status was extremely important. By design, Ancient Roman clothing revealed the status of its wearer, which made it easy for society to recognize and differentiate between those who belonged to the upper class and those who belonged to the lower class. Society was divided into six specific classes which were known as patricians, senators, equestrians, plebeians, freed people and slaves. Patricians, senators and equestrians were considered as the upper class people. Plebeians, also known as commoners, were considered as the middle class and freed people and slaves made up the lower class. Each of these groups of people wore different clothing that distinguished their role and status in society. The differences between these social classes can be revealed by studying the various styles of clothing worn by the lower class people, the middle class people and the upper class people in Ancient Rome. …show more content…

Slaves were considered the property of their masters and freed people, who were previously slaves, still faced many restrictions. The lower class people were not wealthy and considered unimportant in society, which was reflected in their attire. The tunic was a standard clothing item which was generally worn under a toga, although slaves wore the tunic on its own, as they were not allowed to wear a toga by law. The tunic could be worn by both men and women. A men’s tunic would generally stop at the knees, whereas a woman’s tunic, worn under a stola, would nearly reach the ground and have longer sleeves. Slaves were generally barefooted and wore plain tunics that did not have any special markings, while freed people tended to wear tunics which were nicer and more expensive. Freed people also wore round felt hats known as Pileus’ which symbolized liberty. By dressing in this manner, the status of the lower class people could be recognized by the rest of

Get Access