The Romans have been known to be one of the greatest ruling powers in known history. This success can be attributed to many things; such as their unique culture. Roman culture has long been studied and revered for its attributes and survival. Excavation upon excavation has been launched in order to find out more about the Roman people and their culture, but what really speaks volumes about them is the ancient texts and the texts written today. There are three key subjects that contribute the Roman culture within Letters of Claudius to the Alexandrians and Ancient Rome by Thomas Martin, and they are the treatment of the Jewish people, the way the emperors address their subjects, and the existing social classes. Although Jews were allowed to
…show more content…
In fact, in the Roman culture, they were clearly punished for it. “… Otherwise I will by all means proceed against [Jews] as fomenters of what is a general plague of the whole world” (Letter of …show more content…
In Claudius’s address to the citizens of Alexandria, he notes a few different classes. “… Excepting those who by fraud have contrived to become ephebes though born of slaves… order the Jews not to agitate for more privileges…” (Letter of Claudius, 287). Ephebes are youths eligible for Roman citizenship, which is clearly denied to slaves and slaves’ children. Jewish people living within Roman society may technically be held higher than slaves, but they still are denied the right to participating within Roman politics and voting. A rough outline of the social class outlines two sets of people: the higher class, which includes people like equestrians, veterans, and senators, and the lower class, which is essentially everyone else but slaves (Martin, Ancient Rome, 144). This hierarchy establishes those who rule over the common people, and the common people who obey laws and taxes under the rulers. However, since the lower class heavily outweighs the upper class, they could revolt when treated unfairly or poorly, which helped level the playing field within their
In fact, in the Roman culture, they were clearly punished for it. “… Otherwise I will by all means proceed against [Jews] as fomenters of what is a general plague of the whole world” (Letter of …show more content…
In Claudius’s address to the citizens of Alexandria, he notes a few different classes. “… Excepting those who by fraud have contrived to become ephebes though born of slaves… order the Jews not to agitate for more privileges…” (Letter of Claudius, 287). Ephebes are youths eligible for Roman citizenship, which is clearly denied to slaves and slaves’ children. Jewish people living within Roman society may technically be held higher than slaves, but they still are denied the right to participating within Roman politics and voting. A rough outline of the social class outlines two sets of people: the higher class, which includes people like equestrians, veterans, and senators, and the lower class, which is essentially everyone else but slaves (Martin, Ancient Rome, 144). This hierarchy establishes those who rule over the common people, and the common people who obey laws and taxes under the rulers. However, since the lower class heavily outweighs the upper class, they could revolt when treated unfairly or poorly, which helped level the playing field within their