Prisons in Rome (late republic)

[Trethiwr]

Can anybody tell me in detail about prisons in the city of Rome, in the last century BCE.

I'm assuming that if you did something to get arrested they would have to put you somewhere until you were tried and I suppose that custodial sentences must have existed.

 

Was there one big prison or several?

 

How difficult were they to escape from with outside help.

Guarded by regular soldiers or corruptible jailers?

 

I'm specifically interested in late republic era and the Capital city itself so watching the Life Of Brian won't help me.

[GhostOfClayton]

I'm aware this isn't the answer you wanted.

 

Do you have HBO Rome on DVD? If so, watch the episode where Titus Pullo is thrown in jail for murder, but with the 'All Roads lead to Rome' feature turned on. It gives some basic information that should provide you with a good starting point for research.

 

What you really don't want to know, is that jails are mentioned somewhere else as well, in either Series 1 or Series 2 (All Roads Lead to Rome turned on). I think it was before the Titus Pullo in jail episode, but I can't be sure..

[Melvadius]

Can anybody tell me in detail about prisons in the city of Rome, in the last century BCE.

I'm assuming that if you did something to get arrested they would have to put you somewhere until you were tried and I suppose that custodial sentences must have existed.

 

Was there one big prison or several?

 

How difficult were they to escape from with outside help.

Guarded by regular soldiers or corruptible jailers?

 

I'm specifically interested in late republic era and the Capital city itself so watching the Life Of Brian won't help me.

 

The place you are probably thinking of is the Mamertine Prison.

 

There is some useful background information about it and its associated name of the Tullianum at this website although there are probably a lot more aboput Roman prisons (carcer) if you search.

[Trethiwr]

OK first off I don't have HBO Rome on DVD but it looks like it might be a handy thing to have.

I read that whilst some of the historical events were not totally accurate and some characters who were important in actual history were left out that nevertheless, the general authenticity of the scenery etc was supposedly good.

I guess it would be worth checking out on Amazon or wherever.

 

Meanwhile Melvadius has given me a useful looking site and of course two new search terms.

Thank you.

 

This is chapter 21 of a 25 chapter story and I have to get my hero arrested, and either thrown to lions or riding chariots or maybe even both? and rescued and escaped back to Gaul by the end of the book. Also I have to set up a sequel in which my hero has unrecorded and yet historically significant effects on Caesar's invasion of Britain.

I can't see how its going to happen but then that's how it always is near the end of a book isn't it.

 

If my hero is incarcerated in the mamertine he is going to have a slow but boring death.

If however they decide to throw him to the lions or whatever then would he in fact be imprisoned somewhere else.

 

As I understand it there were still gladiatorial contests but of course they did not take place in the Colosseum, which had not been built yet.

Wasn't there somewhere near the forum that was the main place for that?

[Nephele]

As I understand it there were still gladiatorial contests but of course they did not take place in the Colosseum, which had not been built yet.

Wasn't there somewhere near the forum that was the main place for that?

 

There were amphitheatres in Rome for the purpose of gladiatorial displays, before the Flavian Amphitheatre (Colosseum) was built, although they were all wooden. The first stone amphitheatre in Rome was built in 30 BCE by Statilius Taurus, a former consul.

 

We have had a few discussions in the past dealing with Rome and jails. You might like to check out this link:

 

Police

 

Also, here's a link to an archaeological news item of related interest:

 

Ancient Prison Cells Unearthed in Tiberias Dig

 

-- Nephele

[Ursus]

Can anybody tell me in detail about prisons in the city of Rome, in the last century BCE.

I'm assuming that if you did something to get arrested they would have to put you somewhere until you were tried and I suppose that custodial sentences must have existed.

 

Was there one big prison or several?

 

How difficult were they to escape from with outside help.

Guarded by regular soldiers or corruptible jailers?

 

I'm specifically interested in late republic era and the Capital city itself so watching the Life Of Brian won't help me.

 

Not sure if it will help, but one thing that stands out clearly in my memory from Tom Holland's Rubicon is the following:

 

Jails were only temporary holding cells for people until execution or whatever other punishment was incurred. During the trial of the Cataline conspirators, Caesar (I believe praetor at the time?) proposed an alternative to the customery sentence of execution: for the conspirators to be divied up among several towns, sentenced to life imprisonment with the town's population responsible for keeping them confined. He was scoffed at because the idea was too novel for his colleagues.

[Viggen]

Some info on Roman Prison you can find here

http://www.unrv.com/government/roman-prisons.php

 

cheers

viggen

 

 

[GhostOfClayton]

OK first off I don't have HBO Rome on DVD but it looks like it might be a handy thing to have.

 

It really is a 'must have' for any user of this forum.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Just a bit more info that may be of use, from the ever reliable Wikipedia

 

An ergastulum (plural: ergastula) was a Roman building used to hold in chains dangerous slaves , or to punish other slaves. The ergastulum was usually subsurface, built as a deep, roofed pit - large enough to allow the slaves to work within it and containing narrow spaces in which they slept. They were common structures on all slave-using farms (latifundium). The etymology is disputed between two possible Greek roots 'ergasterios' (workshop) and 'ergastylos' (pillar to which slaves were tethered).

 

The ergastulum was made illegal during the reign of Hadrian.

 

The term is also used to describe any small Roman prison.

 

 

[Ludovicus]

Just a bit more info that may be of use, from the ever reliable Wikipedia

 

An ergastulum (plural: ergastula) was a Roman building used to hold in chains dangerous slaves , or to punish other slaves. The ergastulum was usually subsurface, built as a deep, roofed pit - large enough to allow the slaves to work within it and containing narrow spaces in which they slept. They were common structures on all slave-using farms (latifundium). The etymology is disputed between two possible Greek roots 'ergasterios' (workshop) and 'ergastylos' (pillar to which slaves were tethered).

 

The ergastulum was made illegal during the reign of Hadrian.

 

The term is also used to describe any small Roman prison.

 

Ergastolo in Italian is the term for life imprisonment.

[Geek Amicus]

Just a bit more info that may be of use, from the ever reliable Wikipedia

 

An ergastulum (plural: ergastula) was a Roman building used to hold in chains dangerous slaves , or to punish other slaves. The ergastulum was usually subsurface, built as a deep, roofed pit - large enough to allow the slaves to work within it and containing narrow spaces in which they slept. They were common structures on all slave-using farms (latifundium). The etymology is disputed between two possible Greek roots 'ergasterios' (workshop) and 'ergastylos' (pillar to which slaves were tethered).

 

The ergastulum was made illegal during the reign of Hadrian.

 

The term is also used to describe any small Roman prison.

 

 

Is this what we see in the movie "King Arthur" when Arthur, at the home of the prominent Roman citizen, digs out Guinevere and the boy? I realize that this was after the era noted here in which such structures became illegal, but the description seems very similar.

[GhostOfClayton]

This is at the villa north of Hadrian's Wall, right?

 

Yep, that structure would probably have been referred to as an ergastulum (though it was a pretty broad term and no doubt used for a wide range of structures used to secure slaves - that one seemed to be used as a punishment rather than secure storage.)

 

As far as the timing is concerned, the villa owner was undoubdtedly what my Dad would refer to as "a bit of a rum lad". Given his remote location, such an individual would be happy to use these structures with impunity, even if they were illegal.

 

The main historical inaccuracy, I feel, is the remote location. Would a Villa/Estate be built so far into territory that, by late 4th/early 5th century, was increasingly hostile? The evidence points to them being very rare even during the period when they had the protection of the Antonine Wall.

[Geek Amicus]

This is at the villa north of Hadrian's Wall, right?

 

The main historical inaccuracy, I feel, is the remote location. Would a Villa/Estate be built so far into territory that, by late 4th/early 5th century, was increasingly hostile? The evidence points to them being very rare even during the period when they had the protection of the Antonine Wall.

 

I had wondered about that location as well. I had always assumed the area was too hostile for private citizens to want to live there, so I was confused about that part of the plot. Was the Antonine Wall in any kind of effective repair at the time that movie takes place?

 

(I recognize your avitar by the way.)

[GhostOfClayton]

Was the Antonine Wall in any kind of effective repair at the time that movie takes place?

(I recognize your avitar by the way.)

 

We're talking about over 200 years after the Antonine Wall was abandoned. Certainly, at the time of the events in King Arthur, there was no military presence whatsoever. It's possible that some of the forts and fortlets may have retained a kind of use by the local populace, though it isn't likely they were still in an adequate condition. Collapsing masonry, rotting woodwork, incursion of the local flora, all that kind of thing, which would have been exacerbated by the traditional Scottish weather. There's a great video that plays at the top of the viewing tower at Segedunum (Wallsend) showing the decay of the fort over time, once abandoned to its fate.

 

The wall itself was a turf wall (probably topped by a wooden palisade and walkway). The wooden part would be long gone, and the wall would have been a shadow of its former self. Since the replica was built at Vindolanda in the 70s, it has lost over half a metre in height, and that is without allowing trees, bushes, etc. to get a foothold in it.)

 

 

Well spotted with the Avatar, by the way. The prize is a guided tour of Lindum Colonia (Lincoln) with an experienced, knowledgeable , witty, handsome and modest guide. Let me know the next time you're there and I'd be happy to show you its many Roman ruins.

[Geek Amicus]

Was the Antonine Wall in any kind of effective repair at the time that movie takes place?

(I recognize your avitar by the way.)

 

We're talking about over 200 years after the Antonine Wall was abandoned. Certainly, at the time of the events in King Arthur, there was no military presence whatsoever. It's possible that some of the forts and fortlets may have retained a kind of use by the local populace, though it isn't likely they were still in an adequate condition. Collapsing masonry, rotting woodwork, incursion of the local flora, all that kind of thing, which would have been exacerbated by the traditional Scottish weather. There's a great video that plays at the top of the viewing tower at Segedunum (Wallsend) showing the decay of the fort over time, once abandoned to its fate.

 

The wall itself was a turf wall (probably topped by a wooden palisade and walkway). The wooden part would be long gone, and the wall would have been a shadow of its former self. Since the replica was built at Vindolanda in the 70s, it has lost over half a metre in height, and that is without allowing trees, bushes, etc. to get a foothold in it.)

 

 

Well spotted with the Avatar, by the way. The prize is a guided tour of Lindum Colonia (Lincoln) with an experienced, knowledgeable , witty, handsome and modest guide. Let me know the next time you're there and I'd be happy to show you its many Roman ruins.

 

Great information, I appreciate it. (I'm the kind of person who watches things and has to go look them up.)

 

I am putting Lincoln on my bucket list and if the economy ever turns and I can afford to travel again, I'll let you know when I'm coming. In the meantime if you want a guided tour of something with nice mountains and a lot of elk, but absolutely no Roman ruins whatsoever, let me know.