of the Roman family had the power over everyone and everything in the home. He could sell his wife or children into slavery and order their deaths at will. He could extend this power to his slaves and tenant farmers as well. The Roman father also had the duties of pietas, or offering proper sacrifices to the household gods at the right times. The family gods were the lares, or gods of the fields and the penates, or gods of the household stores and food supply. Romans took family life very seriously and paterfamilias ruled much like the Emperor ruled the state, he was a dictator,
             ...