raptores?

[Vibius Tiberius Costa]

I have read an account that the streets of Rome crawled with raping theiving crooks called raptores

on the surface they were random attacks

undergrouind it was an ordered attempt on ruining rome

Is what i have read baloney

did raptores exist?

[Primus Pilus]

I have read an account that the streets of Rome crawled with raping theiving crooks called raptores

on the surface they were random attacks

undergrouind it was an ordered attempt on ruining rome

Is what i have read baloney

did raptores exist?

 

What is the account... Ancient source? I'd like to read it to understand the context before I comment.

 

Generically speaking though. Yes certain streets likely could've been very dangerous places where authority was established by local street gangs, work "unions" etc. General welfare and public safety could depend very much on the scrupulous or unscrupulous nature of these local petty authorities.

[Northern Neil]

Is there any reference to Vigiles/Urban cohorts being bribed to turn a blind eye? It must have happened but my quick google search has not turned anything up so far.

[Primus Pilus]

Is there any reference to Vigiles/Urban cohorts being bribed to turn a blind eye? It must have happened but my quick google search has not turned anything up so far.

 

I suppose that would depend entirely on the era, though I do indeed get the impression that we are speaking of the imperial era.

[caldrail]

I have read an account that the streets of Rome crawled with raping theiving crooks called raptores

on the surface they were random attacks

undergrouind it was an ordered attempt on ruining rome

Is what i have read baloney

did raptores exist?

 

Rome was a human society and therefore had its share of thieves, rapists , and murderors.

 

We know that thieving was widespread because of the laws against it and the number of people prosecuted for these crimes. Homes and apartment blocks in Rome rarely had windows at street level and if they did, it was likely there were iron guards to prevent entry. I recall someone offering a monetary reward for the return of a stolen kitchen pot for instance.

 

Rape is an unpleasant side of human behaviour and the romans weren't so keen to punish it as we do today. Partly because of the difficulty of proof, but also because many women were operating in areas like brothels and taverns, and if a man took her, well what did she expect working in a place like that? Extreme cases were punished severly though. One young man of good birth was prosecuted for rape having broken in through the door of her house to get her. The magistrate was unimpressed with his defence.

 

Murder? All too common in violent Rome. Sicarii waited in dark alleys to mug or kill passers-by for their purse.

 

It wouldn't suprise me at all to learn that some men bribed vigiles to turn a blind eye. Some of this would have been down to organised crime. A wealthy man drops a few coins in the lap of a poor vigile to go away whilst the men working for him clean up the area for a very healthy profit? I doubt individual men would bribe a vigile if their own hand was dirty - the risk of treachery and justice was very great.

 

Raptores? Now thats a class I haven't heard of. I gather the word means 'plunderer' which might refer to looters, after a fire for instance? Now thats a good excuse to bribe a vigile and one they might not baulk at.