Daily Life in Ancient Rome

1. Recreation

1.1. The rich enjoyed plays in theaters and musical performances in one another’s homes.

1.2. Both rich and poor often relaxed at Rome’s public baths.

1.3. Romans watched gladiators fight in large public arenas, like the Colosseum.

1.4. A favorite gathering place was the Circus Maximus, a huge racetrack with room for 200,000 spectators.

2. Education

2.1. Many poor children in Rome were sent to work instead of to school.

2.2. Many poor children in Rome were sent to work instead of to school.

2.3. They learned trades, such as leatherworking and metalworking, to help earn money for their families.

2.4. n wealthier families, boys and girls were tutored by their fathers, or often by slaves, until they were about six years old.

2.5. Roman boys learned Latin, Greek, math, science, literature, music, and public speaking.

3. Housing

3.1. Wealthy Romans lived in grand houses, built of stone and marble.

3.2. Beyond the atrium, there were many rooms for the family and guests. The fanciest room was the dining room.

3.3. Nearby, many of the poor crowded into tall apartment buildings.

3.4. The apartments were cramped, noisy, and dirty.

4. Food and Drink

4.1. What Romans cooked and ate depended on whether they were rich or poor.

4.2. Only the rich had kitchens in their homes.

4.3. The poor cooked on small grills and depended on “fast-food” places called thermopolia

4.4. The main foods in ancient Rome were bread, beans, spices, a few vegetables, cheeses, and meats.

5. Country Life

5.1. Wealthy Romans often owned country estates with large homes, called villas.

5.2. The empire’s farms provided much of the food for Rome and other cities.

5.3. Slaves did much of the actual work of farming.

5.4. Many people in the countryside were not slaves, but their lives were hard.

6. Law and Order

6.1. Roman laws were strict, but crime was common in Rome

6.2. The ultimate source of law was the emporor

6.3. The senator's had high status in society

6.4. ANybody in rome including the poor could convict someone of commiting a crime

7. Religion

7.1. Festivals called holy days were held throughout the year to honor the gods

7.2. At many shrines people made offerings to the gods

7.3. Romans worshiped there emperors as gods

7.4. The family hearth, or fireplace, was sacred to the goddess Vesta.

8. Family Life

8.1. Family life in Rome was ruled by the paterfamilias

8.2. Wealthy roman woman ran there households

8.3. Roman men were expected to provide for there familt

8.4. Between the ages of 14 and 18, a Roman boy celebrated becoming a man.