page_title: Dionysius of Halicarnassus
section_title: Institutions
hierarchical_section_title: Dionysius of Halicarnassus / History in the Roman Antiquities, and the Foundation Myth / Romulus and Remus / Institutions
context_page_description: Dionysius of Halicarnassus was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Augustus Caesar. His literary style was Atticistic—imitating Classical Attic Greek in its prime.
  Dionysius' opinion of the necessity of a promotion of paideia within education, from true knowledge of Classical sources, endured for centuries in a form integral to the identity of the Greek elite. Dionysius should be distinguished from the Greek God Dionysus.
context_section_description: Dionysus then provided a detailed account of the ‘Romulus’ constitution, most probably based on the work of Terentius Varro. Romulus supposedly divides Rome into 3 tribes, each with a Tribune in charge.  Each tribe was divided into 10 Curia, and each of those into smaller units.  He divided the kingdoms land holdings between them, and Dionysus alone among our authorities insists that this was done in equal lots.   The Patrician class was separated from the Plebeian class; while each curiae was responsible for providing soldiers in the event of war. 
  A system of patronage (clientela), a senate (attributed by Dionysius to Greek influence) and a personal bodyguard of 300 of the strongest and fittest among the nobles were also established: the latter, the celeres, were so-named either for their quickness, or, according to Valerius Antias, for their commander. 
  A Separation of power,[14.1-3] and measures to increase manpower,[15-17] were also instituted, as were Rome's religious customs and practices[18-23], and a variety of legal measures praised by Dionysus. 
  Again, Dionysius thoroughly describes the laws of other nations before contrasting the approach of Romulus and lauding his work.  The Roman law governing marriage is, according to his Antiquities, an elegant yet simple improvement over that of other nations, most of which he harshly derides. By declaring that wives would share equally in the possessions and conduct of their husband, Romulus promoted virtue in the former and deterred mistreatment by the latter.  Wives could inherit upon their husband's death.  A wife's adultery was a serious crime, however, drunkenness could be a mitigating factor in determining the appropriate punishment.  Because of his laws, Dionysius claims that not a single Roman couple divorced over the following five centuries.  
  Romulus' laws governing parental rights, in particular, those that allow fathers to maintain power over their adult children were also considered an improvement over those of others; while Dionysius further approved of how, under the laws of Romulus, native-born free Roman's were limited to two forms of employment: farming and the army. All other occupations were filled by slaves or non-Roman labor.
  Romulus used the trappings of his office to encourage compliance with the law. His court was imposing and filled with loyal soldiers and he was always accompanied by the 12 lictors appointed to be his attendants.
caption: Bernard van Orley - Romulus Gives Laws to the Roman People – WGA16696
exif: {}