Relationships and Roman Society: Practice Questions

According to the Satyricon by Petronius, what aspect of Trimalchio’s dinner party (cena) most clearly demonstrates the social aspirations of a wealthy freedman?

What does the Laudatio Turiae reveal about the relationship between a husband and wife during the late Republic and early Empire?

In Roman society, which term describes a relationship where a wealthy individual provided legal and financial support to a social inferior in exchange for political support and morning greetings?

Based on Pliny's Letter 3.14 regarding Larcius Macedo, what does the Roman attitude towards the relationship between masters and slaves suggest about city life?

What does the inclusion of the 'Sappho' Fresco from Pompeii as a prescribed source suggest about the lives of some Roman women in the city?

According to Pliny’s Letter 3.14, what specific details about the murder of Larcius Macedo reflect the potential dangers faced by Roman masters in their relationships with slaves?

In Pliny’s Letter 4.19 to Hispulla, evaluate how Pliny’s description of his wife Calpurnia conforms to the traditional Roman ideal of the matrona and wifely virtue.

In Pliny’s Letter 2.6, how does the author’s criticism of his host’s behavior at a dinner party illustrate the complex and often exploitative nature of the patron-client relationship?

Relationships between different groups in Roman society were often defined by power and mutual obligation. Evaluate these relationships using literary and material evidence:

a) How do the inscriptions (such as those from Cooley and Cooley) and the Satyricon reveal the complex relationship between slaves and their masters?
b) Analyze the depiction of women and men in Roman society. To what extent was a woman's status dependent on her male relatives (father or husband)?
c) Describe the system of patronage and how it functioned as a "social glue" in the Roman city.