Writing Resources
Today father figures are often viewed as the head of the household They are considered to be the family backbone and generally have the largest influence when it comes to decision making However mothers are almost as equally as important in the family structure as their male counter parts This perception of fathers is not that far off from the role fathers played in Ancient Roman family structures where the father held the power and was also considered to be the head of the family But the roles of mothers and children vary between the Roman empire and present day Similar to today Romans recognized the ranks of father grandfather and great grand father If the great grandfather was still living he was the one that held the power of the family The oldest male was the one who was responsible for all of his direct descendants in the family He was considered to be the pater which might be different from the father However if the great grandfather or the grandfather are no longer living then the father becomes the pater Paters were always the one deciding the fate of their children or grandchildren Roman law permitted paters or fathers to have complete power over their sons and daughters especially when it came to things such as marriage
