Varied Citizenship In Ancient Rome

The Roman Empire had an estimated population of 45,000,000 people during 1 CE: about 15 percent of the world’s population. Athens had an estimated 300,000 people in their population during 400 BCE. The two empires are comparable to an elephant and a flea. Which empire had the best citizenship? The Roman Empire did. The reasons are, citizenships in Rome were varied, everyone was treated equally, and those who gain too much power weren’t exiled out of their country. Varied Citizenship: Document A/E

• Freed slaves could be citizens

• Female and male children were citizens

• Both male and female were citizens

Document A tells you the gender and social classes that can be a citizen in Rome or Athens. Rome allowed almost everyone to be a citizen while Athens only allowed men. In Document E it shows that only males are going to vote and explains the process of how it works. Equality: Document D

• Empires that were captured by Rome were allowed

• Rome had censors: people who were elected to give ranks and classes to people, based on certain criteria.

Document E explains how the two empire set up power and what happens. Rome had people called censors who’d give social classes and ranks to everyone [they had to follow a certain criteria based on their aspect of life]. Depending on their condition they may rise or be degraded. Athens governments get a survey from its citizen and they write the person’s name of who they think has the most power. After that, it’s counted and the person gets kicked out of their country. The Roman Empire and the Athens were very different. Each empire treated citizenship and influences differently, but Rome had the better system of citizenship. People were treated fairly, gender and social classes weren’t limited, and people who had power weren’t exiled. Rome also had an empire that was 4 times bigger than