Daily Life in the Roman Empire

1. Daily Life in Ancient Rome

1.1. Rome was a fascinating city that was filled with temples, palaces and gardens. With its population of nearly 1 million people it was known as the city of great contrasts. The Forum was a public gathering space where people of all different kinds came to trade or purchase items. However only the rich were able to afford many things and with most of the population being poor it did not go well. They were often mad or angry so to protect his citizens the emperor provided entertainment and food for them. Ancient Rome was a hard place to live in, if you were poor then you had to work all of the time.

2. Law and Order

2.1. The most important sources of law in Rome were the Senate and assemblies. As it is known by the people "Whatever pleases the emperor is the law."Romans had their own traditional styles of clothing and they had their own symbols that represented things important to them. For example they wore special rings, pins, or togas. And guards carried fasces representing the right government has to punish law breakers. Laws were very strict, however crime was very common. Unfortunatly for the poor, police mainly potrolled around the rich neighborhoods. The rich had to protect themselves by dressing poorly at night and never being by themselves. Even though Romans believed laws should apply to all citizens punishments were harsher on the poor then they were on the rich.

3. Religion

3.1. Religion was an important aspect in a Roman's life, they believed in a number of gods mainly adapted from Greece. They built many temples and shrines in honor of their gods because they believed gods controlled their daily lives. For example, when someone was sick or injured they would leave offerings suggesting what part of the body needs healing. And they held holidays that honored the gods. Overtime they developed new beliefs because as the population increased people brought different traditions.

4. Family Life

4.1. The man of the household was the father and his word was law. The men had the responsibility of providing for the family. In rich families only men had to work, but in poor families both men and woman worked to feed and care for their family. Woman had the role of running the household, they were responsible for dealing with slaves which included buying and training them. Roman babies were something that you liked or not, if the father did not like the baby it was left to die or be claimed as a slave. It was strange to them that people raised all of their children. If the baby lived it was named in a special ceremony at 9 days old. The baby was given a bulla at this special event that the infant was expected to wear throughout their childhood. For Roman boys between the ages of 14 and 18 they had another ceremony preformed making them becoming men, they gave up their bulla and childhood toys and clothes. Where as girls did not have a ceremony, when they got married (usually between the age of 12 and 18) that is when they would be a woman.

5. Country Life

5.1. The country was one of the most common places to live with 90% of the entire empire living there. For the rich they had country estates containing large homes. The rich had farms in their estates so when they visited they checked on their crops. These farms were very important for Rome because they provided the city with grain to make bread, grapes for wine, and olives for oil. Goats and sheep were also very important, they were used to make cheese and their skins and wool for clothes. Pigs and cattle were raised for their meat and bees for honey. Even though many that lived in the country side had a hard life, they were not slaves. Lots of those people did anything they can so they could earn money to survive.

6. Food and Drink

6.1. Like many things in Rome, what you ate and drank depended on your social status. If you were rich you had a kitchen and sometimes ate at fast food restaurants, where as if you were poor you either cooked on a small grill or ate fast food. The main foods in Rome were bread, beans, spices, vegetables, cheeses, and meats. The favorite drinks were either plain water of hot water with herbs and honey. Dinner was the most elaborate meal, for the poor they ate fish, asparagus, and figs while the rich feasted on mice cooked in honey, roasted parrots stuffed with dates, salted jellyfish, or snails dipped in milk. The markets were filled with varieties of food and animals.

7. Housing

7.1. Housing is yet another example of how rich differed from the poor. Romans who were wealthy lived in elaborate homes made of marble and granite. They also had thick walls that could block out noises from the cities around them. The fanciest room in a wealthy Romans house was the dining room, it was covered with painted murals, statues and mosaics made of tiles both on the walls and the floor. The poor were unfortunately not a lucky, they were either crammed into tall apartment buildings or small apartments above shops. Disease was common for the poor, rats carried sicknesses and filth that spread rapidly through apartments. Another thing that was common was fire, their portable grills easily caught the apartment buildings on fire because they were made of wood.

8. Education

8.1. Growing up in Rome you would get a good education, if your family was wealthy. Many poor children were forced to work instead of be attentive students, they learned leatherworking and metalworking in order to help support their families. In wealthier families both boys and girls were tutored by their fathers or slaves until they were 6. Then the boys would go to classes in public buildings and private homes. Early in the morning students headed to school, once at school they sat on stools around a tutor copying down lessons using just a wooden board and a stylus. Boys learned math, science, literature, music, and public speaking. When they finished their education (usually ending between the ages of 12 and 16) boys typically became soldiers, doctors, politicians, or lawyers. Girls could become dentists, real-estate agents, or tutors. Even female slaves or freedwoman could become a midwife.

9. Recreation

9.1. There were many forms of recreation in Rome that were available. Wealthy people had the most time on their hands because they did not have to work, the slaves did it for them. Something common for both the rich and poor was baths, there they bathed, swam, exercised, shopped, or looked at different things this area had to offer. Another common form of entertainment for both was gladiator fights. These were held in the Colosseum. The gladiators were typically men or woman slaves or prisoners of war, they fought other people or animals until the death. They were lots of deaths just for the entertainment of spectators. Something else the Romans enjoyed were chariot races held in the Circus Maximus. This racetrack could hold 200,000 people.