Roman Travel And Authentication

[Lost_Warrior]

I've never heard of that. I think that the Roman officers in the legions had special rings that they wore, but I don't know anything about citizen rings.

[P.Clodius]

Yeah I think Augustus himself played the tourist in Sparta one time. Obviously he is not representative but I would imagine the well to do doing tours here and there!

[Pantagathus]

I think that the Roman officers in the legions had special rings that they wore, but I don't know anything about citizen rings.

 

Considering one of Pliny's rants about the evil of gold, he talked about how ambassadors were given gold rings paid for by the treasury and at later times so were triumphant generals. But:

 

"Those, too, who had received golden rings on the occasion of an embassy, only wore them when in public, resuming the ring of iron when in their houses. It is in pursuance of this custom that even at the present day, an iron ring is sent by way of present to a woman when betrothed, and that, too, without any stone in it."

 

So, one can assume from this that any married Roman man or woman would wear an iron ring; and since one must be a citizen to marry (conubium)... viola! We come back to one's general dress as being a sign of citizenship.

 

Now, as to travel frequency, there is overwhelming evidence that once the Mediterranean was sewed up under Pax Romana, travel became quite fashionable and frequent even for the lower classes. People went sightseeing, on religious pilgrimages, and for health retreats to various Temples of Asclepius.

 

I highly recommend Lionel Casson's Travel in the Ancient World for treatment of this subject.

[Gaius Octavius]

P. would the 'iron ring' be sufficient for a magistrate or the cops?

[Pantagathus]

P. would the 'iron ring' be sufficient for a magistrate or the cops?

I honestly don't know the answer. However, my gut of course says no...

Problem. Assume a rich Syrian non-Roman and a rich Roman are travelling together on business to Egypt. They commit a major infraction of the rules of the road and are apprehended by the magistrates. Since different judgements would be called for, for Romans and non-Romans, how would the problem be solved?

The Syrian, would likely be able to appeal to his country/city's resident representative (a resident alien of high reputation mutually agreed upon between the Roman's & his home country/city) who would deal with the Roman powers that be while they deliberate on the individual's fate.

 

Forgive me for not remembering the nomeclature of the aforementioned individual as my source for this info is not in front of me.

Edited August 1, 2006 by Pantagathus