Daily Life in Ancient Rome

Government:

• Under the Republic, 2 consuls shared power. Consuls were members of the Senate, who had been elected to serve for a one year in the position of Consul. The consuls most important power was that they controlled the army. 
• The Senate was composed of leaders from the patricians. Members of the Senate were not elected. 
• They were chosen by the Consuls. 
• Once chosen, they served for life
• 300 seats in the Senate. 
• The Assembly was composed of all the plebeians. 
• Assembly had very limited power. 
•  Senate could block their decisions
•  could vote to declare war
• Senate could disagree
• Assembly voted on which two members of the Senate would be Consuls
• Assembly met at the Forum
• many speeches

Religion

• Roman adopted many greek gods
• wanted to please their gods
• They believed that gods controlled their daily lives
• Many temples and shrines, people made offerings/promises to the gods
• They also left gifts of food (honey cakes and fruit) and sacrificed animals(bulls, sheep, and oxen)
• For the sick/injured leave a small offering at a temple in the shape of the hurt part
• holy days were held throughout the year to honor gods
• It was a part of daily life
• each home had an altar where the family worshiped its own household gods/spirits
• family hearth, fireplace, was sacred to the goddess Vesta - main meal of day, threw a small cake in fire as an offering to Vesta
• Honor emperors as gods
• Caligula had a temple built to house a statue of himself made of gold
• everyday the statue was dressed in clothes that are identical to Caligula’s
• The Romans welcomed new religions as long as they didn’t encourage disloyalty to the emperor

Family Life

• Family Life was ruled by paterfamilias or “father of the family”
• grown sons and daughters had to obey him
• men expected to provide for family
• In the rich families
• held well-paid political positions
• But in the poor families
• both husband and wife had to work to feed and care for family
• Wealthy women ran households
• bought and trained family’s slaves
• wanted money and were active in business
• For the Roman babies
• They were born at home
• Romans only kept only strong, healthy babies
• If the father didn’t approve of baby, left outside to die
• The Romans thought it was strange that egyptians raised all children
• The babies were named in special ceremony when nine days old
• A good-luck charm called a bulla was placed around the baby’s neck
• They wore bullas throughout childhood
• Roman boys
• between 14-18, boy celebrated becoming man
• offered bulla with childhood toys and clothes, to the gods
• Roman girls
• became adults when they were married, did not have a celebration to welcome the becoming of a woman.
• usually between 12-18
• weddings
• held at temple
• bride would wear a white toga with long veil
• groom wear white toga with leather shoes
• new husband didn’t become a paterfamilias, or “father of the family” until his own father died

Food and Drink

• What the romans ate depended on whether they were rich or poor
• Only the rich had kitchens in their houses
• Most of the poor Romans cooked on small grills and depended on “fast food” places
• thermopolia
• where people could buy hot or cold foods ready to go
• even some rich bought their daily meals here
• because fast and convenient
• The main foods in Rome
• bread, beans, species, few veggies, cheese and meat
• The favorite drinks
• plain water, hot water with herbs and honey and wine
• roman markets
• offered many choices to those who could afford them
• shelves were packed with
• fruits, live rabbits, chickens, geese, baskets of snails and cuts of meat
• large clay jars filled with salty fish sauce

Housing

• Housing was very different and depended whether you were rich or poor
• The wealthy romans lived in grand houses
• built of stone and marble
• Inside the front door, there was a hall called an atrium
• There, the family received guests
• An indoor pool helped keep atrium cool
• Nearby, the poor crowded into tall apartment buildings
• others lived in small rooms above shops where they worked
• kind of dirty and noisy and cramped
• Disease-crrying rats allowed sickness to spread rapidly
• Fire was also a danger, for the houses were made of wood.
• in 64.C.E, a disastrous fire broke out that burned down much of the city

Education

• Actually, the schooling you received would really depend on what type of family you were from
• For Example, many poor children were sent to work
• instead of school
• In the more wealthier families, boys & girls were tutored
• Usually, it was by their dads and often by slaves
• until they were 6 or 7
• The classes were held in public building and private homes
• Many tutors were slaves
• In a school room. students sat on small stools around the tutor
• They used pointed pen called a stylus
• to copy down lessons on small wooden boards covered with wax
• students learned Latin, Greek, Math, Science, Literature, Music and Public Speaking
• Most of the girls were trained to become dentists, real estate agents, tutors or midwives (nurses)
• Usually, the boys were trained to become soldiers, doctors, politicians or lawyers
• They stayed in school until age 12 or 13
• boys from wealthy families continued until they were 16 years old.

Recreation

• Wealthy Romans had lots of leisure time since slaves and the poor did most of the actual work in Rome.
• They loved going to plays in public theaters and musical performances in friends’ homes
• Both rich and poor enjoyed going to Rome's public baths
• There, you could go bathing, swimming, exercise, or enjoy a relaxing steam bath or massage
• Roman emperors gave the poor food and entertainment (bread and circuses) to keep them content and happy.
• Gladiator games held in places like colosseum
• Both men and women could both be gladiators
• They were usually slaves or prisoners of war
• The gladiators fought each other and wild animals as well
• At the Circus Maximus...
• It was huge racetrack that held 200,000 spectators
• chariot races and gambling on who would win
• chariots were pulled by horses
• people were often thrown off or dragged under the chariot
• serious injuries or even death
• wealthy citizens sit on plush cushions close to track, poor sit on wooden benches high above
• a Roman poet said Circus Maximus was best place to meet a new boyfriend of girlfriend
  Since you never knew who would sit next to you

Country Life

• 90 percent of the people lived in the country, the rich and poor had different lives
• The wealthy
• They owned country estates with villas
• There, they could plant crops/ raise livestock, invest and relax
• grain for bread, grapes for wine, and olives for oil
  Also had time to go hunting, picnicking, taking walks in the fresh air, fishing, etc.
• • goats and sheep provided cheese 
    
    
    their skins and wool were used for clothes
• cattle and pigs were raised for their meat, and bees for honey
• The slaves
• did much of the actual work of framing
• were kept a close eye on/ treated cruelly
• The poor
• lived in huts and worked their own small farms to try to earn enough money for themselves to survives
• labored on the great estates, tending the animals, helping with the crops, or working as servants
• were not slaves but lives very similar
• “He who does not work shall not eat, basically summed up the lives of Rome's poor...Said by
  • Saint Paul, a Christian writer