Answer: In ancient Roman families, the father had complete control over all members of the family.
Roman society was essentially based on the family as the fundamental pillar of society, and within it men, the father of the family, exercised totalitarian control over all its members. Thus a patriarchy was exercised, in which the father of the family (called pater familias) had absolute power over it.
The powers of the pater familias as head of the house varied. The word of the pater familias was considered irrevocably final. According to the archaic law of the twelve tables, the pater familias exercised the vitae necisque potestas - the power over life and death - over the members of the family. Under certain circumstances he was allowed to kill his children, his slaves or his wife. However, this right was restricted by social control.
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