What were the duties of being a roman citizen?

Answer 1

Ancient Greece did not have a unified state. It was divided into many states. There were many city-states and, in the later part of its history, a number of kingdoms. The responsibilities of citizens varied from state to state because each had different constitutional arrangements. Common citizen responsibilities were paying taxes, not breaking the law and serving in the army. Often only citizens with property served in the army and manual workers did not. This was because soldiers had to procure and pay for their armour and sword themselves. The income of manual workers was too low to afford this.

In Greek states which had a democracy the citizens also had the responsibility to make decisions for the state. These Greek states practiced direct democracy. This means that instead of electing representatives (such as congressmen, MPs or senators) to vote on laws and make decisions (indirect democracy), the citizens themselves made decisions regarding laws and state policies by voting in the people's assembly, which gathered all the citizens. Therefore, voting and making decisions was a responsibility as well as a right.

Until 107 BC, the responsibilities of Roman citizens included serving the army. The Roman army was a citizen militia of conscript peasant-proprietors who were drafted for the military campaigning season (March up to October) and then returned to their farms. Manual workers were exempt to the draft in Rome, too. In 107 BC the Roman army was reformed. Military recruitment was made voluntary, manual workers were allowed to join, the state was made to provide and pay for the soldiers' equipment, and soldiers were given a career of 16 years, after which they were given a grant of either a sizeable sum of money or a plot of land to farm. Serving in the army was no longer a responsibility of the citizens. The poor joined the army to receive a pay and for the grant the would receive on discharge.

Answer 2

Roman citizenship was based more on the concept of rights than that of duties. Citizenship, besides patriotism, was prized because of the rights and the legal protections it conferred. The main duties were to abide by the law and to conduct behaviour in public which was considered morally appropriate. Before the introduction of voluntary military service, serving in the army was the principal duty of male citizens.