{"id":297,"date":"2024-10-10T15:52:38","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T15:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/?p=297"},"modified":"2024-10-10T15:56:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T15:56:00","slug":"roman-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/?p=297","title":{"rendered":"Roman life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Everyday Life Was Like in Ancient Rome<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhistoryfacts.com%2Fworld-history%2Farticle%2Fwhat-life-was-like-in-ancient-rome%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ancient Romans gambling<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ancient Roman history is usually dominated by larger-than-life rulers such as Julius Caesar and eloquent senators such as Cicero. However, these men led an empire of millions of everyday citizens who were usually less concerned with conquering the world than they were with putting bread on the table and simply enjoying life. A look at the lives of typical Roman citizens reveals a culture that in many fundamental ways is not so different from ours; the ancient Romans worked, played, socialized, and expressed themselves \u2014 albeit often quite rudely. Here are six facts that offer a glimpse of what it was like to be an average citizen in one of the world\u2019s largest and most influential empires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/historyfacts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/07\/1_HF_Everday-Life-Ancient-Rome_baths.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1759\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alamy.com\/search\/imageresults.aspx?cid=B933GPF4K3Z626YV5R7BHULQL5DVYPT2BU4X4T98DJKCHWBW8ZPGDTNT43M7J7U6&amp;name=INTERFOTO%2b&amp;st=12&amp;mode=0&amp;comp=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">INTERFOTO&nbsp;<\/a>\/ Alamy Stock Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-no-matter-where-you-went-you-could-always-find-a-public-bath\">No Matter Where You Went, You Could Always Find a Public Bath<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Romans were masterful architects of public baths, called thermae. These were&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/Roman_Baths\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">complex facilities with elaborate heating systems<\/a>&nbsp;where Romans from all walks of life came together to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/thermae\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">relax, socialize, and of course, get clean<\/a>. Bathing in the Roman thermae wasn\u2019t just a simple dip in the water \u2014 there was a whole process involved. A visitor would begin by doing some&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/roman-baths-an-integral-part-of-life-in-the-ancient-empire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">light exercise<\/a>&nbsp;followed by a hot bath, then a warm bath, and then a cold bath; they could also spend time in a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/Roman_Baths\/https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/Roman_Baths\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">steam room or get a massage<\/a>. Public baths were a central part of Roman culture, and some citizens even considered them a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/empires\/romans\/empire\/baths.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">symbol of Roman identity<\/a>. In fact, baths were such an essential component of daily life that they were built in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordbibliographies.com\/display\/document\/obo-9780195389661\/obo-9780195389661-0370.xml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nearly every part of the Roman Empire<\/a>, even in its most remote regions. Roman thermae could be found&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordbibliographies.com\/display\/document\/obo-9780195389661\/obo-9780195389661-0370.xml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as far north as the British Isles<\/a>&nbsp;and as far south as Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html\">https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/historyfacts.com\/world-history\/article\/facts-about-the-elizabethan-era\/\">5 Facts About England\u2019s Elizabethan Era<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/historyfacts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/07\/2_HF_Everday-Life-Ancient-Rome_Graffiti.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1760\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/search\/photographer?photographer=Werner%20Forman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Werner Forman<\/a>\/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-empire-s-cities-were-filled-with-graffiti\">The Empire\u2019s Cities Were Filled With Graffiti<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Archaeological evidence from well-preserved ancient Roman cities such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/roman-graffiti-painting-pompeii-herculaneum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pompeii and Herculaneum<\/a>&nbsp;reveals that, much like people in modern society, the denizens of ancient Rome liked to express themselves through some good old-fashioned graffiti. Since the ancient Romans lived a few millennia before the invention of spray paint, they had to make do by&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/ancientgraffiti.org\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scratching and carving<\/a>&nbsp;their designs and messages into plaster surfaces around the empire\u2019s cities. Graffiti carved by everyday Romans&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/roman-graffiti-painting-pompeii-herculaneum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">can be found<\/a>&nbsp;on the walls of bars, public baths, and other places where people commonly went to socialize. Ancient Roman street art ranged from simple drawings of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/lucius-romans\/2016\/07\/15\/visiting-a-bar-in-ancient-rome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stick figures<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/ancientgraffiti.org\/Graffiti\/themes\/Figural\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">animals<\/a>&nbsp;to colorful,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/kashgar.com.au\/blogs\/history\/the-bawdy-graffiti-of-pompeii-and-herculaneu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">R-rated jokes and insults<\/a>. While some of the more famous Romans, such as emperors and statesmen, were commemorated through huge monuments and stately statues, graffiti was often a common person\u2019s best shot at leaving their mark on the world, and many ancient graffiti artists included their names in the messages they left, to be remembered by future generations \u2014 even if it was just for a rude boast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html\">https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html\">https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/historyfacts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/07\/3_HF_Everday-Life-Ancient-Rome_Workday.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1761\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/search\/photographer?photographer=Heritage%20Images\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Heritage Images<\/a>\/ Hulton Fine Art Collection via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-roman-workday-ended-at-noon\">The Roman Workday Ended at Noon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The ancient Romans didn\u2019t have clocks they could use to count the hours of the day. Instead, they kept track of the time using the position of the sun, and employed&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/scholarworks.uni.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article=1074&amp;context=csbsresearchconf#:~:text=Three%20main%20types%20of%20timepieces,cloudy%20days%20and%20at%20night.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">devices such as sundials<\/a>&nbsp;to divide the day and night into 12 evenly spaced units called \u201chora\u201d (hours). Since tracking the sun was the Roman citizen\u2019s principal timekeeping method, the workday was structured around solar positions that were easy to measure with the naked eye, such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/history\/news-wires-white-papers-and-books\/roman-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sunrise, noon, and sunset<\/a>. For this reason, a typical citizen would usually start their&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1-_OyOHKMxpxyXoOFLViG6tOP3_hOSu5iIConjM2_buk\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">workday at dawn<\/a>, which marked the first \u201chora\u201d of the day, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/article\/637\/roman-daily-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stop working at noon<\/a>. This left the rest of the afternoon open for leisure, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.romanobritain.org\/11_work\/raw_romans_at_work.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">citizens from all levels of Roman society<\/a>&nbsp;would spend that time attending&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/article\/637\/roman-daily-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sporting events, theatrical performances<\/a>, and the all-important&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.romanobritain.org\/11_work\/raw_romans_at_work.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">public baths<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/historyfacts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/07\/4_HF_Everday-Life-Ancient-Rome_Gamble.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1762\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/search\/photographer?photographer=Hulton%20Archive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hulton Archive<\/a>&nbsp;via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-roman-people-loved-to-gamble\">The Roman People Loved to Gamble<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A love of gambling extended to all levels of ancient Roman society. Less-wealthy citizens would place bets on a wide variety of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unrv.com\/entertainment\/games-and-gambling.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">board games<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unrv.com\/entertainment\/games-and-gambling.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dice games<\/a>, which they played in taverns, city streets, and other public spaces, while the rich would build&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unrv.com\/entertainment\/games-and-gambling.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">private gaming rooms<\/a>&nbsp;in their homes. Romans would also frequently bet on the outcomes of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unrv.com\/entertainment\/games-and-gambling.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gladiator fights and chariot races<\/a>. (For the most part,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-society\/entertainment-in-ancient-rome\/gambling-of-ancient-romans\/#:~:text=Of%20course%2C%20only%20men%20were,They%20played%20indoors%20and%20outdoors.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">only men were permitted to gamble<\/a>, though women were allowed to participate in games of chance during special festivals.) Even the Roman emperors got in on the action. Rulers such as Augustus and Nero were&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/pdf\/1412559.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">known for<\/a>&nbsp;their gaming habits, and for betting small fortunes on a single throw of the dice. Roman Emperor Claudius even had a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/pdf\/1412559.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">custom-made carriage built with a gaming table<\/a>&nbsp;so that he could gamble while traveling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html\">https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/historyfacts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/07\/5_HF_Everday-Life-Ancient-Rome_Roman-Forum.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1763\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alamy.com\/search\/imageresults.aspx?pseudoid=%7b2DFE3825-56A4-4A00-9538-147B501CFCCD%7d&amp;name=De%2bLuan&amp;st=11&amp;mode=0&amp;comp=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">De Luan<\/a>\/ Alamy Stock Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-roman-forum-was-the-center-of-public-life\">The Roman Forum Was the Center of Public Life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With its location right in the middle of the city,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Roman-Forum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Roman Forum<\/a>&nbsp;was quite literally the center of everyday life in ancient times. It was where the typical Roman citizen could shop, talk, and find entertainment. It was also the site of most of the city\u2019s public gatherings, the Roman courts of law, and the meeting place of the Roman Senate. What\u2019s more, the forum housed some of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/Roman_Forum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rome\u2019s most important religious sites,&nbsp;<\/a>including multiple temples dedicated to Roman deities. In other words, if you were a Roman citizen, chances were good that you\u2019d be making frequent visits to the forum for everything from daily errands to grand citywide ceremonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html\">https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/historyfacts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/07\/6_HF_Everday-Life-Ancient-Rome_Caesar.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1764\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alamy.com\/search\/imageresults.aspx?pseudoid=%7b5D2EC62C-7FE2-481E-96C1-E93CD4603376%7d&amp;name=FALKENSTEINFOTO&amp;st=11&amp;mode=0&amp;comp=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FALKENSTEINFOTO<\/a>\/ Alamy Stock Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-there-was-a-temple-where-citizens-could-go-to-worship-caesar\">There Was a Temple Where Citizens Could Go to Worship Caesar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One prominent temple in the Roman Forum was dedicated not to the worship of a mythological god, but to the former&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/education.nationalgeographic.org\/resource\/julius-caesar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dictator of Rome<\/a>, Julius Caesar. During the funeral games held in Caesar\u2019s honor shortly after his&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/education.nationalgeographic.org\/resource\/julius-caesar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">assassination in 44 BCE<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ancient-history-blog.mq.edu.au\/cityOfRome\/Temple-Deified-Julius\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a comet appeared in the sky for seven days<\/a>, which the Roman populace&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ui.adsabs.harvard.edu\/abs\/2021AAS...23720201L\/abstract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">interpreted<\/a>&nbsp;as a divine omen that Caesar\u2019s soul had ascended to the status of divinity. This popular belief that Caesar had become a god was codified into law two years later in 42 BCE, when the Roman Senate&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksinsiderome.com\/blog\/becoming-a-god-the-deification-of-julius-caesar\/#:~:text=The%20official%20deification%20of%20Julius,by%20Augustus%20in%2044%20BC.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">officially declared<\/a>&nbsp;him a deity. After this, a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/Roman_Forum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">temple was built in the forum in Caesar\u2019s honor<\/a>. It even had an altar where Roman citizens would offer&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/history\/ancient\/romans\/roman_religion_gallery_06.shtml#:~:text=Another%20element%20in%20the%20Roman,Julius%2C%20by%20the%20Roman%20state.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sacrifices to the deified leader<\/a>, just as they would to supernatural Roman gods such as Jupiter and Saturn<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html\">https:\/\/35e9c2f324b84b8de6261b1de2d29750.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Everyday Life Was Like in Ancient Rome Ancient Roman history is usually dominated by larger-than-life rulers such as Julius Caesar and eloquent senators such as Cicero. However, these men led an empire of millions of everyday citizens who were usually less concerned with conquering the world than they were with putting bread on the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=297"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":300,"href":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297\/revisions\/300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caesarsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}