Roman Empire

​Daily Life in the Roman Empire

TCI Lesson 11

• Rome was a place of great contrasts. There were palaces and temples ​and many wealthy people but most people lived in small apartments and were relatively poor.

• There were hundreds of thousands of slaves. Most of the slaves had been captured in war.

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TCI Lesson 11 Section 1

​Daily Life in ancient Rome

• The city's Forum was a gathering place, much like a downtown today.

• ​People and goods came to Rome from all over the world.

• Wealthy Romans had beautiful homes and money to buy expensive things. However the rich were a small minority of the population.

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​Daily life

Multiple Choice

What was the Forum?

• a track for chariot races

• a central gathering place

• a wealthy country house

• a site of fights with lions

Multiple Choice

What was a common way to become a Roman slave?

• having skill at a craft

• doing poorly in school

• being captured in a war

• losing a political election

• Most Romans were poor and lived in filthy neighborhoods full of crime and disease.

• The children of these Romans often died before age 10.

• ​To keep the poor from becoming angry Roman emperors donated food and entertainment. ("Bread and Circuses")

​Daily life

• The empire had cities, like Rome, but most people lived in the country.

• Most people living in the country were also poor and lived on small farms.

• ​Some wealthy people in the countryside had large farms and many slaves.

​Daily life

• Romans had always believed in law and order. In the republic this was provided by the Senate and the Tribunes. In the empire whatever the Emperor ​said or wanted was law.

• ​Crime was common in the city of Rome. As a result the laws were very strict.

​Law and Order

• People accused of crimes had their case decided by a jury.

• Romans believed in the law applying equally to all people. It was rarely enforced this way however, poor Romans were not citizens and usually received harsher punishments than the rich.

​Law and Order

Multiple Choice

Who made the decisions at Roman trials?

• a jury

• a senator

• the victim

• the emperor

• Romans believed in many of the Greek gods. They believed that the gods controlled their daily lives.

• Religious festivals were held throughout the year and religion was a part of daily life.

• ​Each home had an altar and the hearth (fireplace) was seen as sacred too.

Religion

• Romans began to see the emperors as gods.

• New types of religion were allowed in Rome as long as they did not encourage disloyalty to the emperor.

Religion

• The word of the father ("Paterfamilias") in a Roman family was law. Even adults had to obey their father.

• ​Men were expected to provide for their families . In poorer families the husband and wife would both have to work.

• ​Romans only kept strong children. If the father felt a baby was too weak it was left outside to die or sold into slavery.

​Family Life

• Roman boys were became men in a ceremony between the ages of 14 and 18.

• Roman girls were considered adults once they married, usually between the ages of 12 and 18.

• A man did not become a paterfamilias until his father died.

​Family Life

Multiple Choice

When did a man become a paterfamilias?

• when he got married

• when his own father died

• between the age of 14 and 18

• when he gave his toys to the gods

• Poor Romans cooked on small grills or depended on ​Roman "fast food" places. Even the rich romans would eat as these thermopolia.

• ​Bread, beans, spices, a few vegetables, cheeses, and meats were the main foods. Favorite drinks included plain water and hot water with herbs and honey.

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​Food and Drink

Multiple Choice

The poor often ate food that was

• bought at "fast-food" shops.

• prepared for them by slaves.

• cooked in their kitchen at home.

• from a fancy, expensive market.

• Wealthy Romans ate fancier foods than poorer Romans did.

• ​Some favorite foods for dinners were mice cooked in honey, roasted parrots stuffed with dates, salted jellyfish, and snails dipped in milk.

​Food and Drink

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Wealthy Romans lived in grand houses, built of stone and marble. Thick walls shut out the noise and dirt of the urban city. There kitchen was located outside (open fire)

Housing

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Many of the poor crowded into tall apartment buildings. Others lived in small apartments above the shops where they worked.

​​Housing

​During dinner parties for wealthy Romans guests would lay on couches and eat delicious meals prepared by slaves. While they feasted, they listened to slaves play music.

Housing

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Poor Romans apartments were cramped, noisy, and dirty. Filth and disease-carrying rats caused sickness to spread rapidly. Fire was another danger since many of the buildings were made of wood, and the cooking grills caught fire easily.

​​Housing

Multiple Select

Why was the home of a wealthy Roman unlikely to burn down?

• It had a chimney.

• Kitchen was located outside.

• It had small rooms.

• It was built of stone.

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

• ​Wealthy families tutored their kids at home until about age 6 when they were sent to school.

• ​School lasted from early morning until 2 or 3 in the afternoon.

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Education

• Roman boys learned Latin, Greek, math, science, literature, music, and public speaking. They typically became soldiers, doctors, politicians, or lawyers.​ Upper-class boys remained in school until age 12 or 13. Boys from very wealthy families often school until they were 16.

• ​Girls might become dentists, real estate agents, or tutors.

Education

• Wealthy Romans had a lot of leisure, because slaves completed the work.​

• ​Roman emperors made sure to provide the poor with “bread and circuses”—food and entertainment—to keep them occupied and happy. Besides the numerous festivals throughout the year, rich and poor alike flocked to two spectacles: gladiator contests and chariot races.

​Recreation

Multiple Choice

Why did the Roman emperors give the poor “bread and circuses” - food and games for free?

• so the poor would not rebel

• so the poor could learn to read

• so the poor would not eat meat

• so the poor could make more money

Romans watched gladiators fight in large public arenas/coleseums. Both men and women were gladiators. Usually, they were slaves or prisoners of war, although some won or bought their freedom eventually. The crowd shouted as the gladiators fought each other and wild animals to the death.

​Recreation

Multiple Choice

Why was fighting a regular event in the Colosseum?

• to protect the city from raids

• to entertain the audience

• to express the anger of the poor

• to decide who should be emperor

A favorite gathering place was the Circus Maximus, a huge racetrack capable of accommodating 200,000 spectators. There, Romans watched thrilling chariot races. Wealthy citizens rested on cushions close to the track, with shades protecting them from the sun. The poor sat on wooden benches high above the track.​

​Recreation

Multiple Choice

Why did thousands of Romans go to the Circus Maximus?

• to eat a free meal

• to watch chariot races

• to enjoy the dancing bears

• to shop for everyday clothing

• ​90 percent of the empire's people lived in the country.

• ​Wealthy Romans often owned country estates with large homes, called villas. A villa was a place for Romans to invest their money in raising crops and livestock.

​Country Life

• ​The empire's farms provided much of the food for Rome and other cities.

• ​Slaves did much of the actual work of farming. Overseers, or supervisors, closely watched the slaves and often treated them cruelly.

​Country Life

Many people in the countryside were not slaves, but their lives were still difficult. They lived in huts and worked their own small farms, trying to earn enough to survive. Or, they labored on the estates, tending the animals, helping with the crops, or working as servants.

​Country Life