Daily Life of Ancient Rome
What did the city of Rome look like?
• Rome had about 1 million citizens in Rome and
50 million in the entire empire.
• Roman Forum:
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Government Buildings
Temples
Meeting Halls
Theaters/Stadiums
Monuments
Walking the Streets of Rome
• Streets filled with soldiers and Roman citizens
• Police/Soldiers rarely patrolled the poor
neighborhoods
• Dangerous to be out at night
• Rich families didn’t travel alone even during the
day
• Senators roamed the streets with their body
guards
Housing
Rich
Poor
• Lived in spacious homes
▫ Contained indoor Pools
▫ Open atriums
▫ Dining Rooms
▫ Many Rooms w/ murals,
mosaics, statues and
fountains
▫ Built with stone and marble
• Lived in small and dark
apartments
▫ Crowded, Noisy and Dirty
▫ Without kitchens
▫ Built with wood
▫ Dangerous
Roman Apartments
Law and Order
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Twelve Tables
Roman Constitution
Trial by Jury
“Whatever pleases the emperor is law”
• Most common crimes in Ancient Rome (stealing,
assault, and murder)
• Romans believe that one law should apply to all
citizens (not the case)
Religion
• Religion was very important to the Romans
▫ Adopted many Greek Gods
▫ Also adopted gods from other conquered cultures
▫ Viewed emperor as a god
▫ Later, Christianity became the official religion of
the Roman Empire
Family Life
• “A Roman father’s word was law in his home”
• Roman men were expected to provide for their
family
• Wealthy women ran their households (bought
slaves and trained the family’s slaves)
• Roman’s only kept healthy babies
• Found it strange that the Egyptians raised all
their children
Family Life Cont’d
At nine days old:
Named in a special ceremony
A good luck charm (bulla) was placed around their
neck Wore their bullas throughout childhood
Roman girls became adults when they married between
ages 12 and 18.
Weddings
(bride) wore a white toga and veil
(groom) also wore a white toga with leather shoes
Food and Drink
• (Poor) Cooked on small grills or fast food places
called “thermopolia”
• (Rich) had a wide variety of food choices
▫ Fruits, Chicken, Geese, Snail, Rabbit, Fish,
Cheese, Bread, Oatmeal-like Cereal, Olives,
Celery, Parrots, Jellyfish, Beans, Vegetables etc.
▫ Milk, Wine, Water, Hot Water w/ Honey
Create a Power Point and Inspiration for Chapter
35: Daily Life in the Roman Empire
1) Go back and look at the reading on pages 335-345.
2) Add 1-3 more facts to your organizer for each subtopic on a separate
sheet of paper.
3) Create a detailed Power Point with facts and explanation/insight
into Roman Life (in your own words) and images.
4) Power Point should include (Introduction, 4-8 aspects of Rome’s
daily life, pictures, summary slide comparing the Rich and the Poor
and an overall summary slide about life in ancient Rome.
-3 days to be completed (4 point rubric)
-summary slides are written in paragraph form
-Quiz on Daily Life of Rome and Architecture on Tuesday 3/4 (Your
PP is your study guide)
-Presentations will be next week!
Create a Power Point and Inspiration for Chapter
35: Daily Life in the Roman Empire
1) Go back and look at the reading on pages 335-345.
2) Add 1-3 more facts to your organizer for each subtopic on a separate
sheet of paper.
3) Create a detailed Power Point with facts and explanation/insight
into Roman Life (in your own words) and images.
4) Power Point should include (Introduction, 4-8 aspects of Rome’s
daily life, pictures, summary slide comparing the Rich and the Poor
and an overall summary slide about life in ancient Rome.
-3 days to be completed (4 point rubric)
-summary slides are written in paragraph form
-Quiz on Daily Life of Rome on Monday (Your PP is your study guide)
-Presentations will be next week!