This study aims to point a finger at two problems -the present people’s prejudice about the aged in the ancient world and presentations of stereotyped images concerning them. These problems disturb the correct understanding of the status of the elderly in ancient Rome. For this, I have examined the argument of Minois which describes the history of old age in the ancient world up to the Renaissance. According to Minois, the senate - the consultative body of elders had power over the Roman world in the Republican period. He further argues that the fact that the number of elderly senators decreased during the Roman Empire shows that public power of the aged had faded. However, the senate consisted of the middle aged, and not the elderly. It is true that the age group of the senators became younger in the Roman Empire, but this was not the result of policies designed to exclude the elderly from the public sector. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of cases in which old men played a leading part in politics. However, it must be remembered that even in those cases the part was given because of ability and not age. Minois also claims that paternal rights knew no limits in the Roman Republic, but in the Roman Empire the fathers lost much of their power related to discipline, marriage, financial affairs, etc. It is difficult to believe that fathers in the Roman Republic abused their rights, including those regarding life and death. It is a fact that the sons could not own property until their fathers had passed away. However, in that era 90% of the men in their 40’s would have already lost their fathers. Furthermore, in the case that a son wanted a living father’s property, it would be possible to evade the father’s economic intervention through rules such as peculium. This is not to say that the marital rights were weak. It cannot be disputed that fathers throughout the Roman era had great power concerning discipline, marriage, financial affairs etc. The Roman world was by no means a golden age for the elderly. It is dangerous to simply say that the might of the aged was great in the Roman Republic but was not so in the Roman Empire. The status and role of the aged in the ancient Roman world differed in association with era, region, personal tendencies, etc. In a society where there were no social security and pension systems, the later years of a person with no social status and assets was very difficult. However, it is fortunate that in the Roman era, old age did not mean that a person would automatically end up becoming a social outsider. The elderly in the Roman world could still enjoy their status, authority and respect, given that they were still capable of functioning as a member of the society and family.