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Home , Ancient Rome

Daily Life in Ancient : and Order Daily Life in Ancient Rome:

In the days of the , the and the assemblies were Religion was very important to the Romans who adopted many important sources of law. In the empire, the ultimate source of law was Greek gods, well as gods from other to create their own the emperor: “Whatever pleases the emperor is the law.” group of Roman gods. Romans, however, honored their old traditions. The Senate Romans wanted to please their gods because they believed that the continued to meet, and senators had high status in society. They even gods controlled their daily lives. At Rome’s many and shrines, had their own styles of like special rings, pins, or . people made offerings and promises to the gods. They often left gifts Important senators had their own bodyguards who carried , of food such as honey and fruit. They also sacrificed animals, bundles of sticks with an ax in the center which were symbols of the including bulls, , and oxen. government’s righto use physical punishment on lawbreakers. When someone was sick or injured, Romans would leave a small Roman were strict, but was common in Rome. The most offering at a in the shape of the hurt part of the body. For frequent were stealing, assault, and murder. Roman police kept instance, they might leave a clay to remind the god which part of an eye on richer neighborhoods but rarely patrolled the poorer sections the body to cure. of the city. Some streets were so dangerous that they were closed at Special and holy days were held throughout the year to night. honor the gods. But religion was also a part of daily life. Each home Romans tried to protect themselves against crime. Rich men tried to had an altar where the worshiped its own household gods and hide their wealth by wearing old, dirty togas when they traveled at spirits. The family hearth, or fireplace, was sacred to the night. Women and children in rich were told never to go . During the main meal of the day, the family threw a small outdoors alone, even during the day. into the fire as an offering to Vesta. Any Roman, including the poor, could accuse someone of a crime. In time, the Romans came to honor their emperors as gods. One A jury of citizens decided the case. emperor, (Ca-lig-you-luh) had a temple built to a Accused persons sometimes tried of himself made of gold. Every day the statue was dressed in the type to win the jury’s sympathy by of clothes that Caligula was wearing that day. wearing rags or dirty clothes to As the empire grew, foreigners brought new gods and forms of court or have their wives and worship to Rome. children sob in front of the jury. The Romans Romans believed that one law welcomed these should apply to all citizens. Still, new as was not applied long as they didn’t equally. The poor faced harsher encourage punishments than the rich, disloyalty to the sometimes . emperor. Roman representing both the accused and the accuser. Bulls were often offered as a to , the war god. Daily Life in Ancient Rome: Family Life Daily Life in Ancient Rome: Food and

Family life in Rome was ruled by the paterfamilias, or “father of the What Romans cooked and ate depended on whether they were rich or family.” A Roman father’s word was law in his own home. Even his poor. Only the rich had kitchens in their homes. The poor cooked on grown sons and daughters had to obey him. small grills and depended on “” places called thermopolia, Roman men were expected to provide for the family. In richer where people could buy hot and cold foods that were ready to go. Even families, often held well-paid political positions. In poor the rich often bought their daytime meals at thermopolia because the families, both husbands and wives often had to work. service was fast and convenient. Wealthy Roman women ran their households and bought and The main foods in ancient Rome were bread, beans, , a few trained the family’s slaves. Many wanted money of their own and were , , and meats. Favorite included plain water, active in business. Often they bought and sold property. hot water with herbs and honey, and . Roman babies, usually born at home, were kept only when strong For breakfast, Romans usually ate a piece of bread and a bowl of and healthy. If the father didn’t approve of a newborn, it was left beans or (like oatmeal). Lunch might include a small bit of outside to die. Babies who were kept were named in a ceremony at cheese and bread, and perhaps some or celery. nine days old. A good-luck charm called a was placed around the For dinner, poor Romans might have chunks of fish along with baby’s neck. Children wore their bullas throughout childhood. some asparagus and a fig for dessert. Wealthy Romans ate much Between the ages of 14 and 18, a Roman boy celebrated becoming a fancier dinners. Besides the main part of the meal, they had special . In a special ceremony, he offered his bulla, along with his appetizers. Some favorites were mice cooked in honey, roasted parrots childhood toys, and clothes, to the stuffed with dates, salted jellyfish, and snails dipped in milk. gods. Roman markets offered many choices to those who could afford Roman girls did not have a them. Wealthy Roman women or their slaves shopped for the perfect ceremony to celebrate the end of foods for fancy dinner parties. often kept playful monkeys childhood. They became adults or colorful on display to attract customers. Their shelves were when they were married, usually packed with fruits, live , chickens, geese, baskets of snails, and between the ages of 12 and 18. cuts of meat. Large clay jars were filled with salty fish the Weddings were held at a temple. Romans The bride wore a with a like to long veil. The groom also wore a pour over white toga, along with leather the main that he had shined with dish at animal fat. But the new dinner. did not become a paterfamilias until his own father died.

In Rome’s bustling marketplace, merchants sold many kinds of food For young men and women in Rome, and other goods. getting married was a step into adulthood. Daily Life in Ancient Rome: Housing Daily Life in Ancient Rome: Education

Housing was very different in Rome for the rich and poor. The If you had grown up in ancient Rome, your schooling would have spacious, airy homes of the rich stood side by side with the small, dark depended on the type of family you were from. Many poor children in that housed the poor. Rome were sent to work instead of . They learned like Wealthy Romans lived in grand built of stone and . leatherworking and metalworking to help earn money for their The walls were thick to keep out the noise of the city. Inside the front families. was a hall called an atrium where the family received guests. An In wealthier families, boys and girls were tutored by their fathers, indoor pool helped to keep the atrium cool. An opening in the let sometimes by slaves. At six or seven they went off to school. Classes in plenty of light. were held in public buildings and private homes. Many of the tutors Beyond the atrium there were many rooms for the family and guests, were educated Greek slaves. the fanciest was the dining room. Its walls were covered in murals and A typical school day in Rome began very early in the morning. made of tiles. Graceful stood in the corners. Some Students walked through crowded streets, carrying their supplies in a dining rooms had beautiful fountains in the center to provide guests leather shoulder bag. On the way, they stopped at local breakfast bars with cool water. where they bought beans, nuts, and freshly baked bread to munch on During dinner parties, guests lay on couches and ate delicious meals while they walked to class. prepared by slaves. While they ate, they listened to played by Inside the schoolroom, students sat on small stools around the tutor. slaves on flutes and stringed instruments like the lyre and the . They used a pointed pen called a stylus to copy down lessons on small Many of the poor crowded into tall buildings while others wooden boards covered with wax. When the lesson was over, they lived in small apartments above the shops where they worked. Without rubbed out the writing with the flat end of the stylus so they could use proper kitchens, the poor cooked their meals on small portable grills, the board over again. The school day lasted until two or three o’ which filled the room with smoke. The apartments were cramped, in the afternoon. noisy, and dirty which Roman students learned , Greek, math, science, literature, allowed sickness to music, and . Girls were trained to become dentists, real spread rapidly. Fire estate agents, tutors, or midwives (helps with childbirth). Boys was another danger. typically became soldiers, Many of the buildings doctors, politicians, or were made of wood lawyers. and the cooking grills Students stayed in school caught fire easily. In until age 12 or 13. Boys from 64a.d., a disastrous fire wealthy families often broke out that burned continued their studies until down much of the city. they were 16.

The atrium of a wealthy Roman’s home. Children from wealthier Roman families were taught by tutors Daily Life in Ancient Rome: Recreation Daily Life in Ancient Rome: Country Life

There were many forms of recreation in Rome. Wealthy Romans had Rome was only one of many cities scattered throughout the Roman lots of leisure time because slaves did so much of the work. The rich Empire. 90% of the empire’s people lived in the country. There, too, enjoyed going to plays in public theaters and musical performances in rich and poor had very different lives. Wealthy Romans often owned one another’s homes. country estates with large homes called . A country estate was a Both rich and poor often relaxed at Rome’s public baths. There they place for Romans to invest their money in crops and livestock. And the could bathe, swim, exercise, and enjoy a steam bath or a . was a pleasant place to relax in the summer’s heat. Besides places to bathe and swim, the baths had gardens, libraries, When they went to the country, wealthy estate owners checked up shops, and art galleries and were more like a modern . on how their farms were being managed. But they had plenty of time Roman emperors made sure to give the poor “bread and circuses” – left over for reading and writing as well as , picnicking, and food and entertainment to keep them busy and happy. Besides the taking long walks in the fresh air. many festivals throughout the year, rich and poor alike flocked to two The empire’s farms provided much of the food for Rome and other spectacles: games and races. cities. They produced grain for bread, grapes for wine, and olives for Gladiator games were held in large public arenas like the oil. Goats and sheep provided cheese, and their skins and wool were . Both men and women were . Usually they were used to make clothing. Cattle and pigs were raised for their meat. slaves or prisoners of war. The crowd shouted as the gladiators fought Famers also kept bees for making honey, the sweetener used by the each other and wild animals to the death. Many thousands of gladiator Romans. Slaves did much of the actual work of farming and were sided bloody and painful deaths for the entertainment of spectators. often treated cruelly by the overseers (supervisors). The Roman’s favorite gather place was the , a huge Many country folk were not slaves, but their lives were very hard all racetrack with room for 200,000 spectators. Wealthy citizens sat on the time. They lived in huts and worked their own small farms, trying plush cushions close to the track with shades protecting them from the to earn enough to live. Or they labored on the great estates, tending the sun. The poor sat on wooden benches high above the track. animals, helping Men and women sat in with the crops, or separate sections at the working as servants. Colosseum, but at the Circus In the first century Maximus they could sit A.D., Saint Paul, a together. A Roman said Christian , the Circus Maximus was the summed up the lives best place to meet a new of the empire’s poor. boyfriend or girlfriend He wrote, “He who because you never knew who does not work shall would sit next to you. not eat.”

At the Circus Maximus, dangerous chariot races thrilled thousands of spectators. At a , lush landscaping surrounded a large house.