Alexandra Grondelski & Sophie Black
Religion
“Christianity was also tolerated at first in Rome. The Christian religion forbade the worship of
any other god, and, like the Jews, Christians would not accept statues of the emperors in their
place of worship. The Roman banned Christianity and began a long campaign against the
Christians. The Emperor Nero was especially cruel to them, accusing them of starting the great
fire in A.D. 64 and having many of them thrown to the lions at the Games. But the situation was
to change. Later emperors tolerated Christianity as the religion spread; in A.D. 391 it was even
declared the state religion, and Rome became the center of Christianity.”
Sheehan, Sean. The Ancient World: Rome. Austin. Steck-Vaughn Company. 1999. Print.
“Christianity had been persecuted in the Roman Empire since the very early days. Despite this,
Christianity had grown. When Constantine left Britain and was about to begin the battle for
Rome, he thought he saw a vision in the sky. He believed he saw a cross, and the words, IN HOC
SIGNO VINCES, meaning “You will conquer this sign”. After his success in battle Constantine
allowed Christians to worship one god. Later he even made himself the head of the Christian
church in Rome. Now the state god-the emperor- was also leader of the Christians, and this
made Christianity much more important in the Roman Empire. Constantine adopted the first
two letters of Christ’s name. They are X (chi) and P (rho) in the Greek alphabet. They have been
in so many decorations of the time.”
Sheehan, Sean. The Ancient World: Rome. Austin. Steck-Vaughn Company. 1999. Print.
“Although the Roman Empire ended a long time ago, we know a great deal about it. When the
Romans adopted Christianity, they set up many monasteries where monks spent a lot of their
time copying out famous books. Alongside Christian books, much of ancient Roman literature
was also preserved, and that is how we know the history of ancient Rome.”
Sheehan, Sean. The Ancient World: Rome. Austin. Steck-Vaughn Company. 1999. Print.
Romans were incredibly superstitious. Some bad luck signs could have been “shown” to the
Romans just before the fall of the Empire!
They had future foretellers (oracles) that were rarely not listened to. Maybe one foretold of
Rome in a bad time, or “visioned” it in some way.
In times of a national crisis, the Romans consulted books of the Prophecies written by the Sibyl,
a prophetess who lived in caves in Cumae in the Early republican times, The book contained
advice on how to interrupt the will of the gods.
Poorer people had ways of foretelling the future, including palm reading and throwing dice.
People also thought illness could be cured by miracles or by treatments suggested in dreams. To
have such dreams, a patient slept in the temple of Aesculapius, the god of medicine.
Haruspices were priests who studied the internals of sacrificed animals. It was thought that the
shape of an animal’s liver, and the preseneelabesnee of blemishes on it, would reveal gods
views on government projects and politics.
In Rome there was a group of 16 prophets. They examined the sky for flocks of birds,
cloudscapes, lightening, and other natural events. They believed these things were omens that
could reveal the opinions of the gods.
Clothing
“Most clothes for men and women are based around simple shapes and usually made from a
large, rectangular piece of cloth. This is folded to be worn and held in place with a brooch called
a fibula, or tied with a belt and buckle. As all sewing is done by hand, the Romans do as little as
possible.”
Sims, Lesley. A Visitor’s Guide to Ancient Rome. London. Usborne Publishing Limited. 1999. Print.
“Clothes are generally made of wool or linen. Fine linen and silks are imported from Egypt and
Greece, but they’re extremely expensive and worn by the seriously wealthy. Men tend to wear
clothes in their natural state of cream, or bleached white, but women wear a variety of shades.
Vegetable and mineral dyes are used to brighten cloth. The richer you are, the brighter and
varied your clothes.”
Sims, Lesley. A Visitor’s Guide to Ancient Rome. London. Usborne Publishing Limited. 1999. Print.
“Togas are only worn by Roman citizens and their sons. They’re very heavy, not to mention
tricky to wear.”
Sims, Lesley. A Visitor’s Guide to Ancient Rome. London. Usborne Publishing Limited. 1999. Print.
“…, they wear a long dress called a stola. These are plain too, although wealthier women wear
stolas of silk in dazzling shades including red, yellow, purple and blue. Dressier stolas, with
elaborate embroidery, are worn on special occasions. On top of the stola many women wear a
palla, a long, rectangular scarf. When out of the house, most women cover themselves up,
either with a veil or by wearing the palla draped over their heads.”
Sims, Lesley. A Visitor’s Guide to Ancient Rome. London. Usborne Publishing Limited. 1999. Print.
“Pale skin is very much in vogue, so arms and faces are whitened with powdered chalk. Ash is
used to darken lids and eyebrows; lips and cheeks are reddened with plant dye or the sediment
from red wine.”
Sims, Lesley. A Visitor’s Guide to Ancient Rome. London. Usborne Publishing Limited. 1999. Print.
“For Roman men, the term ‘fashion victim’ has as much-and painful- relevance as for women.
Though hairstyles are simple (most men sport a close crop), they face the daily torture of a visit
to the barber for a shave. Blunt iron razors, and only water on the face beforehand, mean cuts
are an unavoidable hazard. If you decide to risk a visit, you might like to bear in mind this cure
to stop bleeding: spider’s webs soaked in oil and vinegar. Poorer women pull their hair back into
plain buns, but the rich suffer long hours having their hair dressed- piled high upon their heads
and teased into ringlets or braids. If hair isn’t naturally curly, heated tongs are used. Blonde and
red hair are currently the most fashionable. Rather than resort to dye, some women simply have
a wig made from the blonde or red hair of a slave.”
Sims, Lesley. A Visitor’s Guide to Ancient Rome. London. Usborne Publishing Limited. 1999. Print.
“But the toga is more than a fashion statement. It tells the world you’re a citizen, and not a
slave. Just think of all the fuss we make on a boy’s 14th birthday- the day when he puts aside the
purple-banded toga of childhood for the all- white toga of manhood.”
Langley, Andrew et al. The Roman News. Hong Kong. Candlewick Press. 1996. Print.
A purple stripe in the middle of the toga meant that you are in the Senate or are a Senator.
Food and Drink
“Bread is a staple part of the Roman diet and loaves come in a selection of sizes. You can buy
them plain or with added seeds, nuts, herbs or spices. Each baker puts in his own unique blend
of ingredients. Look for the distinctive pattern or mark on some loaves. Just like famous brand
names, several bakers have their own mark to encourage customers to return to them.”
Sims, Lesley. A Visitor’s Guide to Ancient Rome. London. Usborne Publishing Limited. 1999. Print.
“A huge variety of produce is brought in daily from farms outside the city.”
Sims, Lesley. A Visitor’s Guide to Ancient Rome. London. Usborne Publishing Limited. 1999. Print.
“There are so many people living in Rome these days that farmers can’t grow enough to fill us
all. Half the time you can’t even find basic foods like bread and beans or vegetables and fruit in
the stores here, let alone things like fish and meat. And then, meat’s so expensive! I can’t afford
it often on my wages, I can tell you.”
Sims, Lesley. A Visitor’s Guide to Ancient Rome. London. Usborne Publishing Limited. 1999. Print.
Language
“When the Romans conquered a new area, its inhabitants had to learn the language of their
conquerors, because the new administration was conducted in Latin. This was not the language
of literature or public speaking but the everyday speech of peasants and soldiers. It survived
after the fall of the empire, spoken all over the Roman world in various provincial forms. These
dialects, when they fused with the languages of the barbarian invaders, grew into the modern
European languages. Many of them –particularly Portuguese, Italian, French, Spanish, and
Romanian- are very closely linked to Latin. Others, like English, are more distantly related, but
still contain thousand of Latin words.”
Marks, Anthony et al.Romans. London. Usborne Publishing Ltd. 2003. Print.
“A more formal, official Latin was preserved by the Christian Church.”
Marks, Anthony et al.Romans. London. Usborne Publishing Ltd. 2003. Print.