Post by Ms. Zyn on Mar 1, 2013 23:38:39 GMT -5
The Classes
Paradox
Hierarchical and Class Structure
Upper Class
Paradox is highly hierarchical and class-conscious society, but there was the possibility of mobility between most classes class can be based on Noble birth, wealth, military rank, or marriage. There was a large gulf between the wealthy upper classes that consisted of the Imperial Dominate, senatorial class and equestrian class.
The Imperial Dominate
Naadirah Black - Owner
Senatorial class (senatores): The basis for this class was political. It included all Paradox Citizens who served in the Senate, and by extension their families by Birth or Marriage. This class was dominated by nobiles (the nobles by birthright) or clarissimi and the feminine clarissimae ("most distinguished") became a kind of title denoting any male and female members of the senatorial class. Those of the senatorial class wore the tunic with broad stripes (laticlavi).
Equestrian class (equites): The basis for this class was economic, A Citizen could be formally enrolled in the equestrian order if he could prove that he possessed a stable minimum amount of wealth; by extension his family members were also considered equestrians. However, if an equestrian was elected to a magistracy and entered the Senate, he moved up to the senatorial class; this was not particularly easy or frequent. The word the honestiores ("more honorable people") including Legionaries, Overseers, Slaver, municipal officials, and soldiers). Equestrians wore the tunic with narrow stripes (angusti clavi).
Lower Class
the poorer lower classes were those who were Common Citizens, Foreigners, Freed people, though it was still possible-- although quite difficult--to move upwards by acquiring sufficient wealth or being granted favor by the Upper class.
Commons Citizens (plebs or vulgus): all other freeborn r Paradox citizens. the humiliores ("more insignificant people," including all other groups). The special mark of dress for citizen is the toga. All Paradox citizens had conubium, the right to contract a legal marriage with another citizen and beget legitimate children who were themselves citizens.
Foreigners (peregrini): all other freeborn men and women who lived in territories/planets/homeworlds allied with Smuggler Paradox. Most freeborn people living within the Paradox are granted citizenship. By Members of the Imperial Dominus or Sentorial Class
Freed people (liberti or libertini): men and women who had been slaves but had bought their freedom or been manumitted or whom are in debt. They were not fully free because they had various restrictions on their rights and owed certain duties to their former masters, who now became their patrons, but they could become citizens if their former masters were citizens and they had been formally manumitted; they were not, however, eligible for public office. This was the one class it was not possible to leave, though the class encompassed only one generation. The next generation, their freeborn children, became full citizens (i.e., members of the commons, though there was a social stigma attached to being a freedman's son) and could even become equestrians if rich enough. Freed people had low social status, and most were probably fairly poor, but it was possible for them to achieve some success in a trade, and a few might even become wealthy. They had no special distinction of dress, though their names indicated their status as freed people.
Paradox
Hierarchical and Class Structure
Upper Class
Paradox is highly hierarchical and class-conscious society, but there was the possibility of mobility between most classes class can be based on Noble birth, wealth, military rank, or marriage. There was a large gulf between the wealthy upper classes that consisted of the Imperial Dominate, senatorial class and equestrian class.
The Imperial Dominate
Naadirah Black - Owner
Senatorial class (senatores): The basis for this class was political. It included all Paradox Citizens who served in the Senate, and by extension their families by Birth or Marriage. This class was dominated by nobiles (the nobles by birthright) or clarissimi and the feminine clarissimae ("most distinguished") became a kind of title denoting any male and female members of the senatorial class. Those of the senatorial class wore the tunic with broad stripes (laticlavi).
Equestrian class (equites): The basis for this class was economic, A Citizen could be formally enrolled in the equestrian order if he could prove that he possessed a stable minimum amount of wealth; by extension his family members were also considered equestrians. However, if an equestrian was elected to a magistracy and entered the Senate, he moved up to the senatorial class; this was not particularly easy or frequent. The word the honestiores ("more honorable people") including Legionaries, Overseers, Slaver, municipal officials, and soldiers). Equestrians wore the tunic with narrow stripes (angusti clavi).
Lower Class
the poorer lower classes were those who were Common Citizens, Foreigners, Freed people, though it was still possible-- although quite difficult--to move upwards by acquiring sufficient wealth or being granted favor by the Upper class.
Commons Citizens (plebs or vulgus): all other freeborn r Paradox citizens. the humiliores ("more insignificant people," including all other groups). The special mark of dress for citizen is the toga. All Paradox citizens had conubium, the right to contract a legal marriage with another citizen and beget legitimate children who were themselves citizens.
Foreigners (peregrini): all other freeborn men and women who lived in territories/planets/homeworlds allied with Smuggler Paradox. Most freeborn people living within the Paradox are granted citizenship. By Members of the Imperial Dominus or Sentorial Class
Freed people (liberti or libertini): men and women who had been slaves but had bought their freedom or been manumitted or whom are in debt. They were not fully free because they had various restrictions on their rights and owed certain duties to their former masters, who now became their patrons, but they could become citizens if their former masters were citizens and they had been formally manumitted; they were not, however, eligible for public office. This was the one class it was not possible to leave, though the class encompassed only one generation. The next generation, their freeborn children, became full citizens (i.e., members of the commons, though there was a social stigma attached to being a freedman's son) and could even become equestrians if rich enough. Freed people had low social status, and most were probably fairly poor, but it was possible for them to achieve some success in a trade, and a few might even become wealthy. They had no special distinction of dress, though their names indicated their status as freed people.