Location: Ancient Rome was located exactly where modern Rome is today, along the western coast of central Italy.
History: The Ancient Romans acquired many of their cultural habits from the Ancient Greeks.The Greeks inspired the Romans from everyday customs and laws to architectural designs and style.The Ancient Romans were first governed by what is called the Twelve Tables. This provided the basic code and standard of living for all Romans.Later, all decisions were led to the discretion of the court’s judges, most of whom were corrupt. The Twelve Tables were followed by The Gracchi, which was developed and implemented by the emperor Caesar Augustus. Historians have noticed that some of the Roman’s emperors have had mysterious deaths, which have little or no record of how they happened. This was during the time when the Roman emperors ruled, this time followed the demise of the Roman Republic.
Daily Life: The daily life of the Ancient Roman started with breakfast. The lower class Romans (Plebeians) usually fed on bread dipped on wine or water while the upper class Romans (Patricians) fed on meat, fruit, vegetables, bread, and used honey to sweeten their food.When Romans dressed for the day, men wore togas for some time until they advanced on to tunics which wore like T-shirts and were ultimately more practical. The young boys’ tunics hung down to their knees and were bordered with crimson. When the boys became men, at sixteen or seventeen years of age, then they selected the all-white tunic. Romans many times went to the Forum. The Forum was the business center of town where people could do their banking, trading, shopping, and marketing. Public speaking, festivals, and religious ceremony were also conducted at the Forum. During the day the children actually attended organized schools. The Romans acquired and used part of the ancient Greek system of education. The goal of education in ancient Rome was to be an effective speaker. School started before sunrise and did not end until late afternoon.In early Roman days, a child’s education took place in the home where parents taught their children everything they knew. The father instructed his sons in Roman laws, history, customs, and physical training. This prepared them for war.Girls were taught to spin, weave, and sew by their mothers. Romans also went to public baths which were most common in ancient days. Most Roman men and women tried to visit the baths at least once a day.The baths had hot and cold pools, towels, slaves to wait on you, steam rooms, saunas, exercise rooms, and even hair cutting salons. At one time there were as many as nine hundred public baths in ancient Rome. The smaller ones held about three hundred people while the larger ones could hold up to one thousand five hundred. Later in the day the wealthier Romans rested while the poorer worked throughout. At the end of the day the Romans worshipped a large variety and great number of gods. Most Romans had a room or a shiny object in their home just for the purpose of worshipping these gods. The Romans also loved entertainment. There were many theaters and most were free to the public so all could attend regardless of class or wealth.
The Roman family was patriarchal. The father of the family was seen as the head and the representation of the clan. Not only family lineage was involved in the group. Property, land, servants, and freeman were under the authority of the father and considered members of the family. The purpose of large families was for work and the preservation of the unit.
Roman houses were built around a courtyard that was open to the elements. The open roof vented smoke and let the rainwater in. The open center usually contained a leisure area with a bath, chairs, and sometimes a garden. The interior of the house contained rooms for the nuclear family, a dining room, and indoor bathrooms.
Best Known Features: The Ancient Romans were well known for their architectural ability. They constructed great buildings such as the Collesseum, auquaducts, and the Pantheon.The first architects were priests who wanted a location so they could say “whatever happens is a sign from the gods.” The Roman architects first learned from the Greeks but when they became a world power they built with more imagination.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on Ancient Roman culture.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL of this page.
Resources:
“Architecture.” http://www.public.usit.net/lbadillo/arch.html 26 September 2000.
“Daily Life in Ancient Rome.” http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Romelife.html#CHEAT 26 September 2000.
“Daily Life in Rome, Roman Law.” http://www.uvm.edu/~classics/life/index.html 26 September 2000.
“Family.” Roma. http://www.mclink.it/n/citrag/roma/doc/civil/ecv_021.htm
”House.” Roma. http://www.mclink.it/n/citrag/roma/doc/civil/ecv_022.htm
“Food.” Roma. http://www.mclink.it/n/citrag/roma/doc/civil/ecv_025.htm
By, Matthew Parliament