oman Empire

Daily Life in the
oman Empire
.1 Introduction
In the last chapter,you learnedhow Rome becamethe centerof a
wling empire.In this chapter,you'll explorewhat daily life was
for peopleliving in the empire at the height of Rome's powernd 100c.e.
"All roadslead to Rome," boastedthe Romans.For thousandsof miles.
markersshowedthe distanceto Rome. But more than roadsconnecttheempire's50 million people.They were also connectedby Roman
t, Romancustoms,and Roman military might.
If Rome was the centerof the empire,the Forum was the centerof
. The word forum means"gatheringplace." The original forum in
was an open areausedfor merchants'stalls,races,games,and
In time, the Forum
a sprawling complex of
buildings,meeting
temples,theaters.and
. This collection of
ildingsand plazaswas the
of Rome'sreligious,
busigovernment
and
life. If
wantedto find out what
was like for people in the
Re lig i o n
Empire,the Forum
be a good place to start.
In this chapteqyou'll visit
bustlingcenterof Rome's
empire.You'll learn about
areasof daily life in
ientRome and discover
different life was there
therich and the poor.
Daily Life in theRomanEmpire 335
35.:
I
1
\1
\
.t
I
:\
'r,tffi
'---,
T hea r e akno wnastheForum
was 35.2 Daily Life in Ancient Rome
theheartof Rome's
business,
If you had visitedRome in the flrst centuryor two c.8.,you
g ove r n m e an
n t,dreligious
life.
would haveseena city of greatcontrasts.Nearly a million people
lived in the empire'scapitalcity. Rome was full of beautifultemples.statelypalaces,and f-loweringgardens.Yet most of its people lived in tiny apartments
crammedinto narrow,dirty streets.
In the city's markets.wealthyRomanwomen shoppedfor
goods,accompanied
by their slaves.Proudsenatorsstrolledwith
their bodyguardswhile soldierstrampedthroughthe streets.
Merchantsand crafispeoplelaboredat their trades.Foreigners
roamedthe streetsfiom suchfarawayplacesas Britain, Spain,
and Egypt.And in the midst of it all were Rome'ssl4vsshundredsof thousandsof them,many of them capturedin war.
Peopleand goodsf-lowedinto Rome from the four cornersof
the empire.WealthyRomansspentfabuloussumsof moneyon
They
silk, pertumes.jeweledweapons,and musicalinstruments.
decoratedtheir homeswith statues,fountains,and fine pottery.
But the rich were only a small part of Rome'spopulation.
filled
Most of the city's peoplelived in filthy neighborhoods
with crime and disease.Their childrenwere lucky to live pastthe
ageof 10.To keepthe poor from becominga dangerousmob,
Romanemperorsgaveaway food and providedentertainment
like gladiatorgamesand chariotraces.
The empirehad many largecities,but most peoplelived in
the countryside.There,too, most of the peoplewere poor.Some
workedtheir own smallfarms.Otherslaboredon huse estates
ownedby the rich.
Let's takea closerlook at daily life in the empire.
336 Chapter35
Ror
republ
law. In
one Rr
Eve
tions.I
in soc
wear s
their o'
sticks r
govern
Ron
most fr
police I
the poo
Somes
that the
Rom
themse
men trie
wearing
they tra
and chil
were tol
alone,e
Any I
poor, co
else of a
zensdec
personsI
win thej
might wr
to court (
children
Roma
law shou
Still, und
law wasr
The poor
mentstha
times eve
35.3 Law and Order
)u
)ople
tem)eo)ts.
f
with
)rs
dn,
war.
:rs of
yo n
They
tery.
)n.
ed
pastthe
nob,
nent
:d in
: Some
itates
Romansalways believedin the rule of law. In the days of the
republic,the Senateand the assemblieswere importantsourcesof
law. In the empire,the ultimate sourceof law was the emperor.As
oneRomanjudge said,"Whateverpleasesthe emperoris the law."
Even in the empire,however,Romanshonoredtheir old traditions.The Senatecontinuedto meet,and senatorshad high status
in society.They even had their own stylesof clothing.They might
wear specialrings, pins, or togas(robes).Important senatorshad
their own bodyguards.The guardscarriedfasces,bundlesof
stickswith an ax in the center.The fasceswere symbolsof the
government'sright to use physicalpunishmenton lawbreakers.
Romanlaws were strict,but crime was commonin Rome.The
mostfrequentcrimeswere stealing,assault,and murder.Roman
policekept an eye on richerneighborhoods
but rarelypatrolled
thepoorer sectionsof the city.
Somestreetswere so dangerous
thatthey were closedat night.
Romanstried to protect
againstcrime.Rich
themselves
mentried to hide their wealthby
wearingold, dirty togaswhen
theytraveledat night. Women
andchildren in rich families
weretold never to go outdoors
alone,evenduring the day.
Any Roman,includingthe
poor,could accusesomeone
elseof a crime. A jury of citizensdecidedthe case.Accused
persons
sometimestried to
winthe jury's sympathy.They
mightwear rags or dirty clothes
h courtor have their wives and
childrensob in front of the jury.
In Rome's
courts,lawyersrepresentedbothaccusedpersonsano
theiraccusers.
Romansbelievedthat one
lawshouldapply to all citizens.
Still,under the empire Roman
was not appliedequally.
poor faced harsherpunishthan the rich and someeven torture.
Daily Life in the Roman Empire
33'7
35.!
Far
of the
Even I
Ror
familit
poor fi
order t
Wer
trained
were a(
Bullswereoftenofferedas a
s acr ifi ce
to M a r s,theRoman
godof war.
338 Chapter35
35.4 Religion
Religion was very importantto the Romans.In an earlierchap
ter, you learnedthat the Romansadoptedmany Greek gods.They
also adoptedgods from other culturesto createtheir own group
of Romangods.
Romanswantedto pleasetheir gods becausethey believedthat
the gods controlledtheir daily lives. At Rome's many templesand
shrines,peoplemadeofferingsand promisesto the gods.They
often left gifts of food, such as honey cakesand fruit. They also
sacrificedanimals,includingbulls, sheep,and oxen.
When someonewas sick or injured, Romanswould leavea
small offering at a temple in the shapeof the hurt part of the
body. For instance,they might leave a clay foot to remind thegod
which part of the body to cure.
Specialfestivalsand holidays,or holy days, were held
throughoutthe year to honor the gods. But religion was also
a part of daily life. Each home had an altar where the family
worshipedits own householdgods and spirits.The family hearth,
or fireplace,was sacredto the goddessVesta.During the main
meal of the day, the family threw a small cake into the fire asan
offering to Vesta.
In time, the Romanscameto honor their emperorsas gods.
One emperor,Caligula,had a temple built to housea statueof
himself madeof gold. Every day the statuewas dressedin the
type of clothesthat Caligula was wearing that day.
As the empire grew, foreignersbrought new gods and forms
of worship to Rome.The Romanswelcomedthesenew religions
as long as they didn't encouragedisloyalty to the emperor.
Ron
only st
newbor
that pec
Babi
nine da
around r
Childrer
throughr
Betw
18,a Ro
becomin
ceremon
bulla, alt
hood toy
gods.
Roma
ceremon
of childh
adults wl
ried, usu:
of 72 ano
Weddi
temple. T
white tog
The groor
toga, alon
that he ha
mal fat. B
did not be
ias until h
35.5 Family Life
ier chapds.They
group
tved that
rples and
They
ey also
ave a
'the
d the god
I
also
nily
.y hearth,
r main
ire as an
gods.
rtueof
in the
I forms
religions
or.
Family life in Rome was ruled by the paterfamilias,or "father
of the family." A Roman father's word was law in his own home.
Evenhis grown sonsand daughtershad to obey him.
Romanmen were expectedto provide for the family. In richer
families,husbandsoften held well-paid political positions.In
poorfamilies, both husbandsand wives often had to work in
orderto feed and care for their families.
WealthyRoman women ran their households.They bought and
trainedthe family's slaves.Many wantedmoney of their own and
wereactive in business.Often they bought and sold property.
Romanbabieswere usually born at home.The Romanskept
onlystrong,healthybabies.If the father didn't approveof a
newborn,it was left outsideto die. Romansfound it strange
thatpeoplelike the Egyptiansraisedall their children.
Babieswere namedin a specialceremonywhen they were
ninedays old. A good-luckcharm called a bulla was placed
aroundthe baby's neck.
Childrenwore their bullas
throughoutchildhood.
Betweenthe agesof l4 and
18,a Romanboy celebrated
becominga man. In a special
ceremony,
he offered his
bulla,alongwith his childhoodtoys and clothes,to the
gods.
Romangirls did not have a
ceremonyto celebratethe end
of childhood.They became
adultswhen they were married,usually betweenthe ages
o f 12a n d 18.
Weddingswere held at a
temple.The bride wore a
whitetoga with a long veil.
Thegroom also wore a white
toga,along with leathershoes
thathe had shinedwith animalfat. But the new husband
didnot becomea paterfamiliasuntil his own father died.
parents
Roman
allowedonly
strong,
healthy
babies
to live.
F o ry o u n gme na n dwom e ni n
gettingmarried
Rome,
was a step
intoadulthood.
Daily Life in the Roman Empire
339
35.i
I n Ro m e 's
bu stl ing
marketplace, 35.6 Food and Drink
me r ch a nsold
ts manykindsof food
What Romanscookedand ate dependedon whetherthey were
a n do the rg o o d s.
rich or poor.Only the rich had kitchensin their homes.The poor
cookedon small grills and dependedon "fast food" placescalled
thermopolia,where peoplecould buy hot and cold foods that
were readyto go. Even the rich often bought their daytime meals
at thermopoliabecausethe servicewas fast and convenient.
The main foods in ancientRome were bread,beans,spices,
a
few vegetables,
cheese,and meats.Favoritedrinks includedplain
water,hot waterwith herbsand honey,and wine.
For breakfast,Romansusually ate a piece of breadand a bowl
of beansor porridge.Porridgewas an oatmeal-likecerealmade
from grainslike barleyor wheat.Lunch might includea smallbit
of cheeseand bread,and perhapssomeolives or celery.
For dinner,poor Romansmight havechunksof fish along
with someasparagusand a fig for dessert.Wealthy Romansate
much fancierdinners.Besidesthe main part of the meal,theyhad
specialappetizers.
Somefavoriteswere mice cookedin honey,
roastedparrotsstuffedwith dates,saltedjellyfish, and snails
dippedin milk.
Romanmarketsoffered many choicesto thosewho could
afford them.Wealthy Roman women or their slavesshoppedfor
the perfectfoods for fancy dinner parties.Merchantsoften kept
playful monkeysor colorful birds on display to attractcustomers.
Their shelveswere packedwith fruits, live rabbits,chickens,
geese,basketsof snails,and cuts of meat.Large clay jars were
filled with a salty fish saucethe Romansliked to pour over the
main dish at dinner.
340 Chapter35
Lik
differe
and fo
airy hr
by sid
apartn
We
grand
marbl
keep o
Ins
hall ca
family
cool.l
Be)
guests
covere
tiles.(
had be
water.
Dur
meals
played
and th
Nea
ings.C
they w
kitche
meals
which
smoke
The
cramp
and dir
sickne
was an
buildin
and thr
easily
fire brt
much <
35.7 Housing
>re
or
ed
a
ain
rwl
e
bir
e
had
:or
pt
LOfS.
.e
Like food, housingwas very
differentin Rome for the rich
andfor the poor.The spacious.
airyhomesof the rich stoodside
by sidewith the small,dark
apartments
that housedthe poor.
WealthyRomanslived in
grandhousesbuilt of stoneand
marble.The walls were thick to
keepout the noiseof the city.
Insidethe fiont door was a
hallcalledan atriutrtwherethe
familyreceivedguests.An indoorpool helpedto keepthe atrium
cool.An openingin the roof let in plentyof light.
Beyondthe atrium,therewere many roomsfbr the family and
guests.
The fanciestroom was the dining room. Its walls were
coveredin pictures,both paintedmuralsand mosaicsmadeof
tiles.Gracefulstatuesstoodin the corners.Somedining rooms
hadbeautifulfountainsin the centerto provideguestswith cool
water.
Duringdinnerparties,guestslay on couchesand atedelicious
mealspreparedby slaves.While they ate.they listenedto music
playedby slaveson flutesand stringedinstrumentslike the lyre
andthe lute.
Nearby,many of the poor crowdedinto tall apartmentbuildings.Otherslived in small apartments
abovethe shopswhere
theyworked.Without proper
kitchens,
the poor cookedtheir
mealson small portablegrills,
whichfilled the roomswith
smoke.
The apartmentswere
cramped,
noisy,and dirty. Filth
anddisease-carrying
ratsallowed
sickness
to spreadrapidly.Fire
wasanotherdanger.Many of the
buildingswere madeof wood,
andthe cookinggrills caughtfire
easily.
In 64 c.e..a disastrous
firebroke out that burneddown
muchof the city.
Inthisatriumof a wealthy
Ro ma nh' so mey, o uc a ns e et h e
o p e n inin
g t h ero o ft h a tle tin l i g h t
a n dt h ein d o opr o o tl h a th e l p e tdo
c o o tl h eh o u s e .
Un lik teh eric h ,Ro me 'pso o r
livedin crowded,
dirtyapartment
in g s .
b u ild
Daily Life in the Roman Empire
341
35.
Roman
Ch ild r efrno mw ealthier
families
weretaughtbytutors.
instrument
stylus a pointed
usedforwriting
If you had grown up in ancientRome,your schoolingwould
have dependedon the type of family you were from. Many poor
childrenin Rome were sentto work insteadof to school.They
learnedtradeslike leatherworkingand metalworkingto helpearn
TI
recre
Rom
time,
mucl
enjol
theat
ance
B
relax
exer
to be
art g
R
cuse
Besi
alike
moneyfor their families.
In wealthierfamilies,boys and girls were tutoredby their
fathers,and often by slaves,until they were six or seven.Then
they went off to school.Classeswere held in public buildingsand
privatehomes.Many of the tutorswere educatedGreekslaves.
A typical schoolday in Rome beganvery early in the morning.
Studentswalked throughcrowded streets,carrying their supplies
in a leathershoulderbag.On the way, they stoppedat local
breakfastbars.There they bought beans,nuts, and freshly baked
breadto munchon while they walkedto class.
Insidethe schoolroom,studentssaton small stoolsaround
the tutor. They useda pointed pen called a stylus to copy down
lessonson small woodenboardscoveredwith wax. When the
lessonwas over, they rubbedout the writing with the flat endof
the stylus so they could use the board over again.The schoolday
Colc
they
glad
thou
ente
T
Mar
The
We:
cus
wit
fror
wo
the
lasteduntil two or threeo'clock in the afternoon.
Roman studentslearnedLatin, Greek, math, science,literature,
music, and public speaking.Girls were trainedto becomedentists,
real estateagents,tutors,or midwives(nurseswho helpedwith
childbirth).Boys typicallybecamesoldiers,doctors,politicians,
rat
bu
co
po
35.8 Education
or lawyers.
Studentsstayedin schooluntil age l2 or 13.Boys from
wealthy families often continuedtheir studiesuntil they were16,
when they beganto managetheir own properties.
342 Chapter35
c
wi
ne
be
w
b
35.9 Recreation
vould
y poor
fhey
:lp earn
eir
Ihen
ings and
AVES.
norning.
upplies
ll
baked
und
r down
the
end of
ool day
terature,
dentists,
with
.cians,
:I
,ete 16,
Therewere many fbrms of
recreationin Rome.Wealthy
Romanshad lots of leisure
time,because
slavesdid so
muchof the work. The rich
enjoyedgoing to playsin public
theatersand musicalperformancesin one another'shomes.
Both rich and poor often
relaxedat Rome'spublic baths.Therethey could bathe,swim,
exercise,and enjoy a steambathor a massage.
Besidesplaces
to batheand swim, the bathshad gardens,libraries,shops,and
art galleries.
Romanemperorsmadesureto give the poor "breadand cir-
A t t h eCirc u Ma
s x i m u sd,a n g e r o u s
c h a riora
t c e st h rill e tdh o u s a n dosf
sDectat0rs.
sssss"-f6od and entertainment
to keepthem busy and happy.
Besidesthe many f-estivals
throughoutthe year,rich and poor
alike flockedto two spectacles:
gladiatorgamesand chariotraces.
Gladiatorgameswere held in largepublic arenaslike the
Colosseum.
Both men and womenweregladiators.
Usually
theywere slavesor prisonersof war.The crowd shoutedas the
gladiatorsfbught eachotherand wild animalsto the death.Many
thousands
of gladiatorsdied bloody and painfuldeathstor the
entertainment
of the spectators.
gatheringplacewasthe Circus
The Romans'favorite
Maximus,a hugeracetrackwith room fbr 200,000spectators.
s ere
Ro me 'gsla d ia t ogra m e w
ThereRomanswatchedand sambledon thrillinc chariotraces.
bloody-anddeadly.
Wealthycitizenssaton plush
cushionscloseto the track.
with shadesprotectingthem
from the sun.The poor saton
woodenbencheshigh above
thetrack.
Men and womensatin separatesectionsat the Colosseum.
butat the CircusMaximusthey
couldsit together.A Roman
poetsaidthe CircusMaximus
wasthe bestplaceto meeta
newboyfriendor girlfriend
you neverknew who
because
wouldsit next to you.
A t a Ro m avi
n l l a,lushlands c ap insu
g r r o u nded
a large
n 0u se .
35.
In
Empi
thrivi
were
city's
Ril
35.1O Gountry Life
v i lla a l ar g ehousein the
country
344 Chapter35
Rome was only one of many citiesscatteredthroughoutthe
RomanEmpire.But 90 percentof the empire'speoplelivedin the
country.There.too. rich and poor had very diff-erentlives.
WealthyRomansoften ownedcountryestateswith large
homescalledvillas. A countryestatewas a placefor Romansto
investtheirmoneyin cropsand livestock.And the villa wasa
pleasant
placeto relaxin the summer'sheat.
When they went to the country.wealthyestateownerschecked
up on how their f'armswerebeing managed.But they had plenty
of time left over for readingand writing as well as hunting,
picnicking,andtakinglong walksin the freshair.
The empire'sfarms providedmuch of the food for Romeand
othercities.They producedgrain fbr bread,grapesfor wine,and
olivesfor oil. Goatsand sheepprovidedcheese,and their skins
and wool were usedto makeclothing.Cattleand pigs wereraised
fbr their meat.Farmersalsokept beesfor makinghoney,the
sweetenerusedby the Romans.
Slavesdid much of the actualwork of farming.Overseers,
or supervisors,
kept a closeeye on the slavesand often treated
themcruelly.
Many countryfblk were not slaves,but their lives werevery
hardall the same.They lived in hutsand workedtheir own small
farms,trying to earnenoughto live. Or they laboredon the great
estates,tendingthe animals,helpingwith the crops,or workingas
servants.In the flrst centuryc.8., SaintPaul,a Christianwriter,
summedup the lives of the empire'spoor.He wrote,"He who
doesnot work shall not eat."
worst
spect
poor I
many
To
Yet a
the en
attracl
teachi
foundi
35.11 Ghapter Summary
the
J in the
t
ans to
ts a
:hecked
plenty
re and
g, and
;kins
: raised
:le
lrs,
ated
very
r small
e great
rking as
'riter,
who
In this chapter,you learnedaboutdaily life in the Roman
Empire.As the centerof the vast empire,Rome becamea
thriving city. Yet Rome's magnificenttemplesand monuments
were surounded by narrow,dirty streetscrowdedwith the
city's poor.
Rich and poor did have somethings in common.They
worshipedthe samegods, and they enjoyedsomeof the same
But in both the city and the countryside,rich and
spectacles.
poor lived very different lives. While the wealthy enjoyed
manypleasures,the poor struggledto survive.
To the proud Romans,Rome was the centerof the world.
Yet a great changewas brewing in a poor and distantpart of
theempire.In a province called Judea,a man namedJesuswas
attractingfollowers. In the next chapter,you will learn how his
teachingsgave rise to a new religion, one that would shakethe
foundationsof the mighty Roman Empire.
women
Ma n ywe a lt h yRo man
we rea t t e n d ebdy p e r s o n a l
servants.
I
I
I
I