In the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

, the ''paedagogus'', plural ''paedagogi'' or ''paedagogiani'', was a slave or a

freedman A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom ...

who taught the sons of

Roman citizen Citizenship in ancient Rome (Latin: ''civitas'') was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in Ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, t ...

s the

Greek language Greek ( el, label= Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy ( Calabria and Salento), souther ...

. In the period of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

, the ''paedagogus'' became the director of the '' paedagogium''. In the early Republic, there were no public schools, so boys were taught to read and write by their parents, or by educated

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

(''paedagogi'') usually of Greek origin. A representation of a ''paedagogus'' was painted as a graffito on the walls of the Palatine Paedagogium, and it represents his social and cultural formation, which is identified such a

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

. In an inscription of the second century dedicated to the Roman emperor

Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor ...

, it lists twenty-four ''paedagogi''. In some cases, the title of ''paedagogus'' is connected with private

elite In political and sociological theory, the elite (french: élite, from la, eligere, to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. ...

families.cf. ''Dig.'' 33.7.12.32 Being a ''paedagogus'' meant to obey conduct and

duty A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; fro, deu, did, past participle of ''devoir''; la, debere, debitum, whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may ...

laws. In the imperial institution, the title of ''paedagogus'' refers to the duty of child-attendant or

tutor TUTOR, also known as PLATO Author Language, is a programming language developed for use on the PLATO system at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign beginning in roughly 1965. TUTOR was initially designed by Paul Tenczar for use in ...

rather than a

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

. The other title of ''paedagogus'' refers to a variety of interrelated capacities related to the offspring of the imperial family and

aristocracy Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word' ...

: ''

disciplina In Roman mythology, Disciplina was a minor deity and the personification of discipline. The word ''disciplina'' itself, a Latin noun, is multi-faceted in meaning; it refers to education and training, self-control and determination, knowledge in a ...

'' (academic and moral instruction), '' custodia'' (companion and protector) and ''

decorum Decorum (from the Latin: "right, proper") was a principle of classical rhetoric, poetry and theatrical theory concerning the fitness or otherwise of a style to a theatrical subject. The concept of ''decorum'' is also applied to prescribed limit ...

'' (directives of

precept A precept (from the la, præcipere, to teach) is a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action. Religious law In religion, precepts are usually commands respecting moral conduct. Christianity The term is en ...

s for public behaviour). There is a third title which appears in three inscriptions and means the director of the ''paedagogium'' ('' praeceptor''). In other texts and graphics, slaves are divided depending on their membership of a larger servile environment (''paedagogium''), freedpersons (''paedagogi'', ''paedagogiani'', ''custodes'' and '' procuratores'') and a community of persons ('' pueri'', '' iuvenes'', '' vernae domini nostri'').

References

Bibliography

External links

{{wiktionary, paedagogus Obsolete occupations Slavery in ancient Rome Teaching Ancient Roman occupations