By dangling the promise of obtaining citizen-
ship, Roman generals reinforced the loyalty of
auxiliary troops in the provinces. Thus, a rela-
tionship—such as that between a patron and
dependent—could be created between a general
and his army.
Being able to call on these loyal troops proved
an invaluable resource during civil wars. When
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius and Pompey
joined forces to fight the threat of Quintus Ser-
torius in Hispania (Spain) from 75 B.C., both gen-
erals granted citizenship to peregrini there who
were loyal to their cause. On gaining citizenship,
many soldiers often named themselves for the
generals who had granted it. A number of in-
scriptions have been found in Spain bearing
the names Caecilius and Pompey.
Among those granted citizenship by
Pompey was one Lucius Cornelius Balbus,
member of a powerful merchant family of
Punic origin who settled in Gades (modern
Cadiz in southern Spain). Balbus’s enemiesaccused him of usurping Roman citizenship and
in 55 b.c. he was put on trial. Cicero acted as his
defence and Balbus was acquitted. Balbus be-
came consul of Rome in 40 B.C. and eventually a
confidante of Julius Caesar, to the point that he
managed Caesar’s private fortune.Citizens of Empire
During the rule of Julius Caesar in the first cen-
tury b.c., a law was passed granting Roman citi-
zenship to colonies and municipia in Cisalpine
Gaul (northern Italy), the first time this right
had been expanded beyond Roman Italy. This
qualified form of citizenship was known as Jus
Latii, often referred to in English as Latin rights.
It gave holders the right to enter into Roman le-
gal contracts and the right to legal intermarriage.
In A.D. 74, Emperor Vespasian further ex-
panded Latin rights to Hispania. Communities
in modern-day Spain and Portugal were granted
qualified citizenship in the form of Latin rights,
the same status that had been extended to Italian
settlements during the period of Julius Caesar
the century before. The edict was another majorDEA/ALBUMEXPANDING
RIGHTS
Emperor Vespasian
(shown in a first-
century a.d. bust
below) extended
the Latin rights,
a qualified form
of citizenship, to
communities in
modern Spain.
Hippone Museum,
Annaba, AlgeriaIn A.D. 74, Emperor
Vespasian further
expanded Latin rights
to Hispania.A SECOND-CENTURY A.D. ROMAN
AMPHITHEATER STANDS IN ITALICA
(NEAR SEVILLE, SPAIN), WHICH WAS THE
BIRTHPLACE OF TWO OF ROME’S “GOOD
EMPERORS”: TRAJAN AND HADRIAN.
ALBUM/PRISMA
SFGP/ALBUM