ABSTRACT

The manumission of slaves was only one avenue into Roman citizenship. Much more important in terms of numbers and hence social and political structure was the extension of citizenship to foreign subjects. The process began in the fourth century BC, when Rome, only one among other powerful states in central Italy, began to grant citizen rights to the inhabitants of allied cities. At the same time colonies of Roman citizens were established in many parts of Italy and later beyond. By the end of the Republic, the inhabitants of nearly the whole of Italy were full Roman citizens. Then under the early Empire citizenship extended into the provinces: Southern Gaul, Spain, then further afield.