Further information

Who lived in the town?

The status of those living in the town ranged from the wealthy high-ranking members of the ruling local council, to the slave workers they owned. Free men and women also lived and worked in the town.

Defending the people of the town

The wall surrounding Caistor helped to defend the Roman town. It would have been patrolled by watchmen, who kept guard over the walled town and its suburbs.

Groups of people & names

The Romans divided people into different groups. If a man was a Roman citizen he was allowed to vote in elections (women and slaves were not allowed to do this). He also had three names, a first name, a family name and a third name, which was sometimes a nickname.

People who were not citizens had two names. Slaves (people who worked in houses, businesses or on farms and were owned by the people they worked for) had one name. At first only those who lived in Rome could be citizens, but later on the emperor let others in the provinces (e.g. Britain) also become citizens.

Being a citizen was a very high up and special position in Roman society. Only a citizen of Rome could wear a toga.

Related pages on this website

• Life under the Romans