Looking for some background information for a novel I'm putting together. I've found plenty of fictional information but Ancient Rome is my "Hazy" area and I would love some clarification.
The more details the better. Thank you!
I have to take some issue with the interpretation offered elsewhere in the thread.
I am assuming what you mean is your fictional protagonist would be a hostage, or obses. The less centralized politics in continental Europe as opposed to the Mediterranean region meant that Rome often had some difficulty knowing how to act after a victory. The general refrain, that shows up everywhere in Caesar and Tacitus, is that the victorious Roman general would "take hostages", although at least in Caesar this never really accomplishes a practical political settlement. It isn't really well known what would become of these hostages.
However, outside of the immediate context of warfare we can better understand hostages, because we have biographical details of a number of them. Essentially, these were the sons of political leaders who were sent to be raised in Rome, and it seems very often that they adopted Roman ways and Roman sympathies. Famous examples of these would be Herod Agrippa, who would later become king of Judea, and Italicus, the nephew of Arminius the king of the German Cherusci. Atilla the Hun was another example.
You might need to provide a little bit more context here. Who captured said noble? Was it a young Roman noble, or was he a barbarian? If he was Roman, who captured him? If he was a barbarian, how was he captured? Was he a hostage? Was he captured in battle? Was he captured by pirates?
Thanks :)
Killed.
You might be sold into slavery along with everyone else in your tribe if your people had been vanquished.
Ransomed, if your family still had money/lands.
Kept hostage for the good behaviour of your father and tribe. I think this would depend on who captured you and your standing and character. If you were captured by a high standing senator you might have to stay with him in his house as a prisoner. A pertinent example would be that of Caratacus who was captured, but so impressed Claudius with his conduct that he was freed and lived in Rome for the rest of his life.
This would depend on what type of Barbarian you were, a Parthian barbarian is different from a Gaulish barbarian.