ABSTRACT
Roman law, codified around 450 b.c.e., outlined how crimes would be judged and punished and applied to all Roman citizens. These laws, as well as the religious institutions and administrative structures of Rome, came to govern a widely heterogeneous mix of people. Indeed, part of Rome’s growth rested on its identifying subjected peoples as Roman citizens, thus drawing them into Roman society. However, not all foreigners were granted citizenship. Slaves comprised more than a third of the population in some areas, serving as everything from menial laborers to valued personal attendants.
