1. 35.1 Daily Life in the Roman Empire
“All roads lead to Rome”
The Forum
Means “gathering place”
Open area for merchants stalls, races, games and plays
Heart of religious, business, and government life

2. 35.2 Daily Life in Ancient Rome
Home to 1 million people
Slaves
Many captured in war
Rich
Spent money on perfumes, silk, jewels, instruments
Poor
Filthy neighborhoods
Crime
Disease
Children lucky to live to the age of 10

3. 35.3 Law and Order Republic Empire Laws strict, but crime common
Senate and Assemblies
Empire
Emperor
Laws strict, but crime common
Stealing, assault, and murder
Police patrolled good neighborhoods; ignored poor areas
Rich disguised themselves as poor
Any Roman could accuse someone of a crime
Jury of citizens decided the case
Poor faced harsher punishments than the rich

4. 35.4 Religion Adopted gods and goddess from others
Gods/goddesses controlled daily life
Left gifts/offerings at temples
Every family had an altar for the household gods
Every day threw a small cake into fire as an offering to Vesta (family goddess)
Emperors elevated to god-like status
Foreigners brought their religions to Rome

5. 35.5 Family Life Paterfamilias
“Father of the family”
Fathers word was law
Roman fathers decided who lived and who died
Only become a paterfamilias when your father dies
Boys offered his childhood things to the gods
Girls were married between 12 and 18

6. 35.6 Food and Drink Rich Poor Staples Had kitchens
Fancy meals with special appetizers; mice in honey, roasted parrots, salted jellyfish and snails dipped in milk
Poor
Ate at “thermopolia” or fast-food restraunts
Staples
Bread, beans, spices, cheese, meats, water, and wine

7. 35.7 Housing Rich Poor Built of stone Large and airy
Atrium with a pool
Dining room with beautiful murals
Poor
Most lived in apartments over where they worked
Small, portable grills
Cramped, noisy and dirty
Built of wood (fire danger)

8. 35.8 Education Poor Rich Boys Girls Sent to work instead of school
Learned trades; metalworking and leatherworking
Rich
Tutored by fathers or slaves until 7, then went to school
Walked to school
Used a stylus to write
Boys
Became soldiers, doctors, politicians, lawyers
Girls
Dentists, tutors, midwives

9. 35.9 Recreation Rich Baths “Bread and Circuses” Colosseum
Plays, theaters, music
Baths
Rich and poor alike
Bathe, swim, massage
“Bread and Circuses”
Food and entertainment to keep the people docile
(prevent rebellion)
Colosseum
Male and female gladiators
Entertainment
Circus Maximus
Racetrack with chariots

10. 35.10 Country Life 90% of Roman Empire lived in the country
Wealthy owned villas
Summer retreat from Roman heat
Provided the food for Rome
Slaves did most of the work
Treated cruelly
Typically very poor
“He who does not work shall not eat”