Through time, there have been many changes in family structure, and the ways .
Although there are still many differences in families in .
various cultures, cultures from the past tend to differ greatly in many areas from .
that of the families of today. A vastly different culture from the one that most people .
know today, is that of the Ancient Roman era. These families differ from those of .
today in the areas of family structure, family cycle which includes mate selection, .
marriage institution, family member roles, child rearing, and later life, family .
controls and censures.
In early roman times, before the Punic Wars, the Roman family was patrilineal, .
patrilocal, and patriarchal. This meant that only relatives on the father's side of the .
family were important for emotional ties or for transfer of property of wealth. Also, .
the family would be located near the husband's family, and essentially, the family .
was organized in a fashion in which men wielded power and were the decision .
makers of the home.
The Roman household or familia, was regarded by the early Romans as the .
most important and sacred of all human institutions, and included all persons who .
were under the authority of the highest male power in the family, which was the .
oldest male, and could be the father, grandfather or even an uncle. This familia .
could consist of a wife, unmarried daughters, sons and adopted sons, whether married .
or not, their wives, their sons and their unmarried daughters, and even remoter .
descendants, but they were always counted in the male line. The familia usually had .
a very strong bond within it and only broke up upon the death of it's head. When this .
happened, the family would split up according to the other male powers, and there .
may be as many new familae as there were men with families in the household.
Each Roman family had slightly different customs and rules, due to the fact .
that the head of the family had the power to decide what rules there would be for his .
