Daily Life In Ancient Rome

1. Family Life

1.1. Families in Rome were run by the paterfamilias, or "father of the family."

1.2. A Roman fathers word was law in his own home. Even his own sons and daughters had to obey him.

1.3. The person who was expected to provide for the family was the men.

1.4. The wealthy Roman women ran their own households.

1.5. After a baby was born they only kept them if they were strong.It was the fathers decision if the baby was strong and if he didn't approve the baby was left outside to die or to be claimed as a slave.

1.6. Roman boys celebrated becoming a man between the ages of 14 and 18.

1.7. Roman girls didn't have a ceremony but they became adults when they were married, usually between the ages of 12 and 18.

2. Food And Drink

2.1. The meals that people had depended on if they were rich or poor.

2.2. The rich cooked in kitchens in their homes.

2.3. The poor couldn't afford kitchens so they would cook on small grills and depended on "fast-food" places that were called thermopolia.

2.4. The main foods that the Romans ate were bread, beans, spices, a few vegetables, cheeses, and meats.

2.5. Some drinks that they would drink were plain water and hot water with herbs and honey.

3. Education

3.1. Many of the poor children in Rome were sent to work instead of going to school.

3.2. Poor children would learn how to trade, such as leather working and metal working, to help them earn money for their families.

3.3. Boys and girls were tutored by their fathers, or often by slaves, until they were about six years old.

3.4. Boys went to school at around age 6.

3.5. At school the Roman boys would learn Latin, Greek, math, science, literature, music, and also public speaking.

3.6. Jobs that Roman men would have were

4. Recreation

4.1. Rich people would enjoy plays in theaters and musical performances in one another's homes.

4.2. Both Rich and Poor people often relaxed at Rome's public baths.

4.3. Romans would watch gladiators fight in large public arenas, like a Colosseum.

4.4. A favorite place that the Romans liked to go to was the Circus Maximus, a huge racetrack with room for 200,000 spectators.

5. Country Life

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

5.2. The Roman Empire's farms provided much of the food for Rome and other cities.

5.3. The people who did the actual farming job was slaves.

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

6. Daily Life In Ancient Rome

6.1. Rome was full of beautiful temples, stately palaces, and flowering gardens.

6.2. Most of the people in Rome lived in tiny apartments crammed into narrow, dirty streets.

6.3. People and goods flowed into Rome from the four corners of the empire.

6.4. The poor and rich made a compromise to keep the poor from turning into an angry, dangerous mob, Roman emperors would give away food and provide entertainment, such as gladiator contests and chariot races.

7. Law And Order

7.1. In the Roman empire , the ultimate source of law was the emperor.

7.2. A senate would continue to meet, and senators had high status in society.

7.3. Rich Senates would hire body guards would carry fasces, which were bundles of sticks with an ax in the center. They used fasces to symbolize the government's right to punish lawbreakers.

7.4. The Roman Laws were strict, but crime was common in Rome. The most common crimes were stealing, assault, and murder.

7.5. No matter if you were rich or poor you could accuse a person of a crime.

7.6. If a person looses a court case and is found guilty they might have to wear rags or dirty clothes to court or have their wives and children sob in front of the jury.

8. Religion

8.1. The Romans believed that the gods controlled their daily lives so they made many temples and shrines, people would even make offerings and promise to the gods.

8.2. The Romans would hold festivals and holidays, or "holy days," were held throughout the year to honor the gods.

8.3. Later in time the Romans came to honor their emperors as gods.

9. Housing

9.1. The rich people of Rome would live in grand houses, built out of stone and marble.

9.2. The rich had many rooms in their houses for the family and guests.

9.3. The most fancy room in the house was the kitchen

9.4. The poor would live in tiny crowded spaces that were dirty and noisy.