Ancient Rome Daily Life in the Roman Empire

1. Ancient RomeDaily Life in the Roman Empire Date: 1/?/2012 Daily Question: What was life like in the city of Rome? Warm-up Question: Around 100 C.E., at the height of the Roman Empire, Romans boasted/bragged, “All roads lead to Rome.” Why do you think that the Romans said this?

2. “All roads lead to Rome” • For thousands of miles, road markers showed the distance to Rome in order to connect the empire’s 50 million people. • The people of the Roman Empire were not just connected by roads, but by Roman law, Roman customs, and Roman power/might. • If Rome was the center of the empire, the Forum was the center of Rome. • The word forum means “gathering place” • The Roman forum began as a place for merchant’s stalls and for viewing the races, games and plays. However, over time, the forum became a complex of government buildings, meeting halls, temples, theaters, and monuments • The forum was the heart of life in Rome

3. Daily Life • Nearly 1 million people lived in the empire’s capital city (mostly in tiny apartments crammed into narrow, dirty streets). • In the Forum you could find people from all classes – aristocrats, senators, soldiers, merchants, artisans, foreigners and slaves (hundreds of thousands of slaves, mostly captured in war). • Goods from across the empire came to Rome. Wealthy Romans (a small portion of the population) spent a lot of money on silks, perfumes, jeweled weapons, musical instruments, etc. They decorated their houses with statues, fountains and fine pottery. • Given the size of the city, the majority of the population lived in dirty neighborhoods that were filled with crime and disease. Many children didn’t live past the age of ten.

4. Graphic OrganizersSummary of Daily Life in Rome • Law & Order: Romans believed in the rule of law. Laws were strict, but crime was common. Any Roman could accuse someone else of a crime. A jury decided the case. • Religion: Romans made offerings to the gods. Festivals and holy days were held throughout the year. Each home had an altar for household gods and spirits. The Romans also honored their emperors as gods. • Family Life: Each family was ruled by paterfamilias. At nine days old, a baby was given a bulla, which he or she wore throughout childhood. Between 14 and 18, a boy became a man. Girls became adults when they were married, between 12 and 18. • Food and Drink: Only the rich had kitchens. The poor cooked on small grills or bought “fast food.” The main foods were bread, beans, spices, vegetables, cheeses, meats, and garum. Drinks included water and hot water with herbs and honey (tea). • Housing: The rich lived in large houses, built around a central atrium. The poor crowded into apartment buildings. • Education: Many poor children in Rome learned trades, instead of going to school. Wealthier boys and girls were tutored by their fathers or by slaves until they were about 6. Then boys went to school. Roman boys learned Latin, Greek, math, science, literature, music, and public speaking. Upper-class boys stayed in school until age 12 or 13. • Recreation: The rich enjoyed plays and musical performances. Both rich and poor often relaxed at Rome’s public baths. Besides celebrating many festivals, rich and poor alike enjoyed viewing gladiator contests and chariot races. • Country Life: Ninety percent of the empire’s people lived in the country. The wealthy often owned villas. Farms provided much of the food for the cities. Slaves did much of the farm work. Many country people were not slaves, but their lives were hard. They lived in huts and worked their own small farms or on the great estates.

5. Vocabulary • Forum: the center of most of the important public activities of the city Rome and its empire. • Rule of Law: the idea that people should live according to a set of agreed-upon laws. • Paterfamilias: the oldest male of a Roman household; his word was the law for the family. • Colosseum: a large arena in Rome where gladiators’ contests and other games and sporting events were held. • Circus Maximus: a large Roman stadium primarily used for chariot races.

6. A Tourist Map of the City of Rome • As a class, we are going to construct a large tourist map of the city of Rome. • In order to do this, we need to research the different buildings that existed during the Ancient Roman times and learn about what they were used for. • Each group will be given one building/monument to read about and can reference the readings about daily life in Rome • You will make a large 2-D model of that building/monument and a caption to go with it. • 2-D model must be DETAILED (use pictures and descriptions you have) – large poster • Each caption should include: (at least 1 FULL page) • What does the building look like? What is it made out of? • Why did they construct the building? What was it used for? • What does the building tell us about life in the Ancient city of Rome? • We will put all the pieces together to create a map of the city of Rome for the classroom.

7. Tourist Map Groups • Foro Romano (Temple of Rome, Basiliza of Constantine, House of Nero, Hall of Julia (Law Court), House of Domitian, Capitol) • Colosseo • Circo Massimo • Palatino (Palatine Hill) • Pantheon • Thermaedi Caracalla & ThermaediDivcletian • Mausoleum di Augustus • Acquedotto/Aurelian Wall

8. Tourist Map about life in the city of RomePosters • Each group will read through their page on one of the following subjects and make a poster to present to the class: • Law & Order (textbook p. 367) • Religion (textbook p. 368) • Family Life (textbook p. 369) • Food & Drink (textbook p. 370) • Housing (textbook p. 371) • Education (textbook p. 372) • Recreation (textbook p. 373) • Country Life (textbook p. 374) • As groups present their advertisement posters, take notes about daily life in the city of Rome on your graphic organizer.

9. Homework • Make up any missing work