Life and Times in Ancient Rome
The Roman Empire
The legend of Romulus and Remus
Sources about Ancient Rome Works of Roman writers. Livy Ruins of Roman buildings: the Colosseum. Roman artefacts: coins. Excavations at Pompeii.
Pompeii Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Pompeii was buried in lava and ashes and information about life in ancient Rome was preserved.
How was the Roman Empire ruled? Rome was first ruled by Kings. Soon the Romans set up a new type of government called a republic. This meant that Roman citizens could choose their own government. They elected people to the Senate. There were two different types of Roman citizens.
How was the Roman Empire ruled? Patricians: Rich Romans. Landowners. Plebians: Ordinary workers and farmers. Both groups were meant to have equal rights. They were expected to fight in the army and both elected to the Senate which ran Rome. In reality, most plebians were poor and had no time for politics. The patricians had all the power.
How was the Roman Empire ruled? Not every Roman was a citizen. Who was not allowed to be a Roman citizen?
Slaves in Ancient Rome. About one-third of the people living in Rome were slaves. Some slaves were criminals, but most were foreigners who were captured by the Roman army. As the Roman Empire got bigger, more and more slaves were brought to Rome to do the hard work. Slaves belonged to their masters and had to work for them without pay. They weren t free. They worked in houses, on farms, building sites and down mines. They fought as gladiators and raced chariots. Some slaves were educated, so they worked as teachers and doctors. Sometimes slaves were freed by their masters, so they lived as ordinary Romans, but could never become citizens.
From Republic to Empire Romans depended heavily on the Army and their generals to protect them. One general was Julius Caesar. He felt there was too much infighting in the Senate. Caesar was also generous to poor people.he brought in fair taxes and he sold land cheap to help the unemployed. He became so popular that he was able to rule Rome without the Senate. Caesar was eventually killed by members of the Senate, who were envious of his power. Caesar s adopted son became the first Emperor of Rome. This meant he did away with the Senate and ruled alone.
Controlling the Roman Empire In 100 A.D the Roman Empire stretched over 500km and had a population of 50 million. There were many different races, religions and languages. How could this work?
Controlling the Roman Empire The Army The Roman army was very powerful and remained unbeaten for centuries. Soldiers were well trained and paid, and could sell any slaves they captured. The army was divided into legions. There were 30 legions in the empire, with about 5,000 soldiers in each legion. Soldiers had to serve for 16 years. They had to be Roman citizens so most were volunteers or sons of soldiers. They could also serve in the back up army the auxilia. This army was made of conquered armies and friendly tribes. The soldiers served for 25 years and could then become citizens of Rome.
Controlling the Roman Empire There is an old expression, "All roads lead to Rome." In ancient Rome, Rome was the heart of the empire. Each time a new city was conquered, a road was built from that city back to Rome. Roads were built in straight lines. Many had gutters. Along the side of road, the Romans built road signs called milestones. Milestones did not give any information about other towns in the area. Milestones told how far it was back to Rome. The Roads
Traveling into Rome If you visited Rome 2,000 years ago you would take a ferry boat from the port of Ostia to the centre of Rome. You travelled along the Appian Way and saw tombstones all along the road. It was forbidden to bury or cremate any corpse in the city in case it polluted the sacred places.
Traveling through Rome Roman streets were lined with houses, blocks of flats, shops and workshops. People threw their rubbish out onto the street, so these were filthy. Stepping stones were often placed on the street so that people could avoid getting their feet dirty.
Traveling through Rome The streets were so crowded with people during the day that all carriages were only allowed to enter the city at night. The most famous place in Rome was the forum where the main market was held. People went there to shop, do business or just chat. Going through the centre of the forum was the Via Sacra, the holy road. When a Roman general won a war, he would march his armies in a triumphal procession down the Via Sacra. Behind his chariot, the defeated walked in chains. They would later be sold as slaves.
Via Sacra Roman Forum
Living in the Roman Empire The kind of life you lived in Rome depended on whether you were rich or poor. Patricians lived in elegant mansions on the hills around Rome. Plebians lived tightly packed together in blocks of flats.
A Plebian Home Plebians lived in small flats called insulae. They were anywhere from four to ten storeys high. They were cheaply built with wood, so fires were common. The flats were small. The whole family, the parents, the grandparents, the children were cramped into one or two rooms. It would have been too dangerous to have fires for cooking, so the plebians probably ate at the food shops called thermopolia, which lined the streets. The higher up you lived in the insulae, the cheaper the rent. Piped water was only supplied to the ground floor, so water had to be carried up several flights of stairs. There were no indoor toliets, so people had to use pots or the public toliets. The contents of the pots and other rubbish would be thrown out of the window onto the street below.
Living in Roman Empire Plebian Style
The Patrician Villa A Roman villa composed of: The atrium A walled garden Slaves quarters Rainwater Tank Front Rooms sometimes used as shops.
The Patrician Villa The villas were surrounded by a high wall. Inside the front door was a hall open to the sky called an atrium. The atrium had marble columns and bronze statues of gods or of the owner. Other rooms opened off the atrium. Bedrooms, dining rooms, reception rooms, as well as a kitchen and storerooms. There was very little furniture chairs, couches and beds. Floors had colourful mosaics, and there were bright paintings on the wall.
The Roman Family The Roman family included; The husband and wife Married sons Their wives and children Poor relatives and slaves. The Father was the head of the family. He had power over everyone in the family from his wife to his slaves. Children were expected to obey their parents in all things. The father arranged the marriages of all his children.
Roman Women Roman women could not become citizens or vote in elections. But they could inherit property and some were successful in business. Among the plebians, women ran shops and worked in trades and crafts. They were also good at weaving, silverwork and making perfumes. Women could become priestesses, hairdressers, midwives, and some were even doctors.
Most children did not go to school. They had to start work in their teens. Mothers taught their daughters how to manage a household and to spin, weave and sow. Girls married young, usually in their early teens. Some rich girls had tutors at home, that taught them about Greek literature and how to play an instrument. Education
Education Boys from rich families might be taught by an educated slave, others went to school. The school day started at dawn with the boys sitting on backless benches, studying reading writing and arithmetic. They studied Roman numerals. At 12 or 13, they went to schools where they learned about Greek and Latin writers and discussed their ideas. They practiced oratory (art of public speaking), which would help them if they were elected to the Senate later in life. What did they write on? A Writing Tablet The romans did have a kind of paper made from reeds, and wrote on animal skins, but this was too expensive for children to write on. Schoolboys would write on wax tablets with a pointed stick called a stylus. They then rubbed the wax smooth and started again. Did they read books? A school would only have a few books. Books had to be written by hand. They were usually made from one long piece of paper rolled around a stick. This was called a scroll.
Food and Drink in Ancient Rome Romans didn t eat much during the day. For breakfast, they had bread dipped in wine, with olives, cheese or raisins. For lunch they had cold food such as bread, salad, fruit and nuts. Wine, sometimes mixed with water was the preferred drink. Dormice was a popular delicacy in Rome.
Food and Drink in Ancient Rome Patrician Style! The main meal of the day was known as the cena, often lasting several hours. Between courses there was often entertainment such as dancers or gladiator fights. For starters; there were savoury titbits such as oysters, mussels and raw or cooked vegetables. A favourite food was stuffed dormice. Main courses were usually roast or boiled meat, covered in rich, spicy sauces. These sauces helped to cover up the taste of food that was not very fresh. For dessert, Romans ate pastries, nuts and fruit such as figs and grapes. Honey was used to sweeten the food because they didn t know about sugar. Guests lay on couches, propping themselves up on their left arm. They ate with their fingers and between courses slaves came around with water and towels so guests could wash their hands.
Food and Drink in Ancient Rome Plebian Style Poor Romans ate bread, porridge, beans, lentils and maybe a little meat. Most poor Romans depended on handouts of bread from the government to survive. This was known as the dole.
Roman Dress - Men The official dress of a Roman citizen was the toga. It was like a sheet draped in folds around the body. Togas were cold and uncomfortable so most of the time men wore a kneelength tunic. The tunic was made of linen in summer and warm wool in winter.
Roman Dress - Women Women wore long tunics belted at the waist. After a girl married, she wore a long woollen tunic called a stola. Women used plenty of make-up and often dyed their hair red. They wore a lot of jewellery rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Both men and women wore leather sandals in the house and shoes outside.
Religion in Ancient Rome The Romans believed in many Gods and saw them as a kind of family. The father of the Gods was Jupiter and all the Gods feared him. Romans prayed to a different God, depending what they wanted.
Roman Gods The early Romans were farmers They did not understand science, instead they believed in forces or spirits These Gods did not have human forms or minds Gradually the Romans were influenced by the Greeks and adopted many of their Gods and gave them Roman names.
Jupiter King of the Gods/Ruler of the Skies Greek name is Zeus Married to Juno Symbols: Eagle, Shield, Thunderbolt and Oak Tree
Mars God of War Greek name is Ares Bloody, fiery character not well liked Symbols: Vulture, Dog
Venus Goddess of Love and Beauty Greek name is Aphrodite Married to Vulcan Symbols: Dove, Sparrow, Swan and Myrtle
Roman Gods The Roman mythology and Gods tell us a lot about what the early Romans thought was important. The Romans valued family, beauty, honor, truth, wisdom, wealth, courage and strength. They were a people who were building a great city and testing the courage and honor that their ancestors would cherish.
The Pantheon Each God had their own temple. Many were in the Forum. (What was this??) The Pantheon was a temple to all the Gods in Ancient Rome. The Pantheon
Household Shrines These shrines were located in the atrium of the house The shrine was called a lararium and it allowed people to pray privately at home to their Lares or household Gods.
A New Religion Romans were tolerant of foreign Gods. As long as people obeyed the emperor and did not cause trouble, the Romans didn t mind what gods they followed. But everyone was expected to worship the Roman Gods too. Christianity was started about 30A.D. by a man called Jesus. Christians were taught that there was only one God and refused to give offerings to the Roman Gods. This was seen as treason by the Romans. Christians were tortured and hundreds executed. Christianity continued to become popular and in 337A.D. the Emperor Constantinople became a Christian and Christianity was made the official religion of the empire.
Burying the Dead When a person died, the family put coins on their eyes to pay their fare to the next world. They believed that the dead person s spirit was rowed across a mystical river called the Styx to the next world. The funeral of an important man was held in the Forum. The body was carried from his villa, accompanied by musicians, dancers and professional mourners. Members of the family followed in chariots. At the Forum, one would make praising the man s achievements. The body was cremated and the ashes were places in a tomb. Some bodies were placed in the underground cemeteries, the catacombs, which lined the roads into Rome.
Entertainment in Ancient Rome Great wealth flowed from the Roman Empire into the city of Rome. This meant that the entertainment was cheap, so even plebians could afford it. Even for the poor, life in the city was lively. The ancient Romans enjoyed many different kinds of entertainment. Plays were performed in large open air theaters. There were lots of theatres, and even the small ones could seat 7,000 people. If ancient Romans wished to go out, there was always something going on, like the great State festivals including shows in the theatres, races, and fights in the arenas. These were free spectacles that citizens could enjoy. Since most events were free, poor people could attend as well as the rich. Some events were scheduled during the day, some were scheduled at night. If wealthy Romans stayed home, they lit oil lamps, to enjoy the evening. Wealthy Romans might invite friends over for a dinner party. The poor, unless they went out, went to bed as soon as it got dark as they couldn't afford to keep oil lamps burning.
Romans liked to bathe a lot, they considered themselves very clean people and they build splendid bath houses. They did not only go to the public baths to get clean but also to meet with friends and exercise. There were also places to eat, rest, play games and read at the baths. The public baths were not free and people had to pay to go there but it was quite cheap. Men and Women bathed in separate baths. Three main sections in the public baths: frigidarium (cold bath), tepidarium (warm bath) and caldarium (hot bath). Roman Baths
Gladiators in the Colosseum The Colosseum was a huge public entertainment center. The Colosseum could seat 45,000 spectators. Some people were not lucky enough to have a seat in the Colosseum. If you didn't mind standing, the Colosseum could hold up to 70,000 spectators! This is where the ancient Romans gathered to watch bloody combat between gladiators, and battles between men and wild animals. This is where they threw people to the lions! To see men being killed was very entertaining to the ancient Romans. On occasion, they flooded the Colosseum with water, to hold naval battles. During the battles, many competitors died. The ancient Romans were great builders. They built things to last. The Colosseum was built of concrete, faced with stone, as were most amphitheaters. It was built in the early days of the Roman Empire, around 70 CE. It was designed to host huge spectacles. Anyone could attend the events in the Colosseum. Admission was free.
Chariot Racing The ancient Romans loved chariot racing. In early Roman times, young nobles used to race their chariots around the 7 hills of Rome. People had to scatter to get out of the way. They stopped for no one. In the 6 th century BC (about 2,500 years ago!), the ancient Romans built the Circus Maximus in the city of Rome. Basically, the Maximus was a race track. It was designed to race chariots. Women could attend the races. They could sit with men. That was very unusual. The original Circus Maximus was built out of wood. It burnt down a couple of times. During the Roman Empire, the Circus Maximus was rebuilt using marble and concrete (an ancient Roman invention!). The Circus Maximus was not the only circus in the Roman Empire. The Romans built circuses (outdoor racetracks) all over the Empire. The Circus Maximus was the most well known race track. It could seat over 250,000 people! Admission was free. Anyone could attend the races, including Rome's poor. There were races every day. It was the height of success to race in the Circus Maximus.
The Fall of the Empire Why do you think the Roman Empire didn t survive?
The Fall of the Roman Empire Around the edges of the Roman Empire, especially in the area we now call Germany, there were many warlike tribes. They included the Vandals, the Goths, the Saxons and the Franks. The Romans called them barbarians because they could not write and did not live in cities. These tribes waited for their chance to attack the empire and get some of Rome s wealth.
The fall of the Empire As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day," and neither did the Roman Empire fall in a day. There are a number of reasons for the collapse of the Roman Empire a decline that took place over many hundreds of years. The rise of Christianity did play a small, but not insignificant, part in the decline, in that it eroded traditional Roman beliefs and values and caused conflicts between Christians and those who continued to hold onto the old pagan philosophies. These conflicts led to persecution of the Christians, until the first Christian Emperor of Rome, Constantine, put a stop to the persecution. Most historians believe that there is a long list of causes for the fall of the Roman Empire. The internal causes included political corruption, economic problems, and a series of leaders that let's face it were more interested in their personal gain than in the welfare of the common people. The external causes ranged from disease and plagues that ravaged the population, to attacks and defeats from the Germans, Huns, and various barbarian tribes that weakened the Roman military and vastly decreased the amount of territory controlled by the Empire. By 286 AD, the Empire was a mere shell of itself, and the Emperor Diocletian split the Empire into two: East and West. The Eastern Empire would eventually become the Byzantine Empire, while the Western Empire would decline into nonexistence. By 476 AD, the remnants of Roman Empire were finally destroyed, after barbarian tribes removed the last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus, from power and Roman rule over Europe was no more.
Achievements of the Empire The legacy of the Romans is extremely important. Many things that form part of everyday life were introduced or improved by the Romans. Over the centuries since the collapse of the Roman Empire, Romans ideas, literature, art and architecture have influenced many people around the world. Look at the influence of ancient Rome in your books on p.68 and find out how the Roman Empire still influences our everyday life.