The concept of citizenship within the Roman Empire transforms over hundreds of years, adapting to the growth in population, as well as the further development of societal, economical, and legal constructs, and the expansion of the physical empire itself. Transformations on Roman citizenship with the means of obtaining said citizenship come about as Roman governments create treaties with Germanic groups, commonly referred to as barbarians, and they become incorporated with everyday Roman life as well as other functions within the Roman Empire such as the military, political officesof newly annexed lands, and so forth. These Germanic groups adapt to living within the Roman Empire through living alongside the people of the Roman Empire and participating in certain elements of daily Roman life such as land ownership and paying taxes among other elements. Due to the nature of the Roman Empire and its tolerance to previously implemented laws within th
ese annexed lands, those who live in the cities often continued to follow their local laws until they became Roman citizens or until the Antonine Constitution in 212 CE. Said local laws were tolerated by the Roman government as long as they did not conflict heavily with the laws that Roman citizens followed themselves, therefore would adapt to that circumstance by influencing laws by Roman laws. Germanic groups within the Roman Empire have a unique experience with the development of the concept of Roman citizenship as laws and constitutions change and develop through time. That is, despite the Antonine Constitutions providing of citizenship to the people of the Roman Empire, Germanic groups were excluded from holding a formal title of a Roman citizen. Regardless of the exclusion, the time in which Germanic groups became a part of the Roman Empires society influenced their way of life as they adopted many practices that Roman citizenship promised.