What is the daily life in Rome like?

From the early days of the Roman Republic to the turbulent rule of disgraced emperors such as caligula, Nero and Commodus, the Roman Empire continued to expand, and its territory extended to the whole Mediterranean Sea and to Gaul and Britain in the north. History records the great achievements of heroes and the long speeches of emperors. Although the imperial office sometimes makes shameful acts, the empire is built on the support of citizens-these unknown people live a relatively quiet life and are often ignored by history. Rome is an international city with Greeks, Syrians, Jews, North Africans, Spaniards, Gauls and Britons. Just like any society, an ordinary Roman citizen wakes up every morning to work, rest and eat, but his or her daily life is often busy, and he or she will live forever.

Population transfer

Outside the city, in towns and small farms, people live a much simpler life-relying almost entirely on their own labor. The daily life of ordinary urban residents is quite different, and it is usually routine. The imperial urban areas-whether Rome, Pompeii, Antioch or Carthage-attracted many people to leave towns and farms in search of a better way of life. However, unfulfilled employment promises have forced countless people to live in poor areas of the city. The jobs they are looking for are often not there, which makes homeless residents very popular. However, it is difficult to find jobs for these new immigrants. Slaves have done almost all trivial jobs and many occupations, such as teachers, doctors, surgeons and architects. Most free people are engaged in various industries, such as bakers, fishmongers or carpenters. Occasionally, poor women will work as hairdressers, midwives or tailors for the rich.

Most apartment buildings in Rome are overcrowded and extremely dangerous, which leads residents to live in constant fear of fire.

Residential-apartment building

As in other places, whether on the farm or in the city, daily life is still home-centered. When people come to this city, their first concern is to find a place to live. In a walled metropolis like Rome, space is very precious, and from the beginning, little attention has been paid to the housing needs of people who moved to the city-apartments provide the best answer. Most Roman citizens, not all poor, lived in these apartment buildings or isolated islands. As early as BC 150, there were more than 46,000 islands and reefs in the city. Most of these crumbling residential buildings are overcrowded and extremely dangerous, which leads residents to live in constant fear of fire and collapse, and some areas are easily affected by the flood of Tiber River. At first, cities rarely consider designing straight or even wide streets (streets are usually unpaved, which may be as narrow as 6 feet or as wide as 15 feet). If there is a fire, it is impossible to enter these buildings easily. When streets were widened and balconies were built to provide safe and urgent visits, Emperor Nero's fire was needed to improve the problem. These "apartments" are usually five to seven stories high (more than seventy feet); However, because many of these properties were considered unsafe, laws were passed under the leadership of Emperor Augustus and Emperor Trajan to prevent them from becoming too high; Unfortunately, these laws are rarely enforced.

Poverty in the whole city is obvious, whether due to lack of education or the way of dressing, life in these apartments reflects this difference. The floor a person lives on depends on his income. Low-rise apartments-the first floor or the first floor of insulae-are much more comfortable than the top floor. They are spacious, with separate dining rooms and bedrooms and glass windows. Unlike other floors, the rent is usually paid once a year. On the higher floors, the rent is paid by the day or by the week, and the room is very narrow. Usually, a family has only one room. A family lives in constant fear of being expelled. They don't get natural light, it's hot in summer and cold in winter, and there is almost no running water-which even means having a toilet or a washroom. Although the city's first sewer system or cloaca appeared in the 6th century BC, it did not benefit the upper class (the lower class had running water and indoor toilets). Garbage, even human excrement, is often dumped in the street, which not only produces terrible stench, but also is a hotbed of disease. For many people, the only choice is to use public toilets. Coupled with the lack of street lights (because of the high crime rate, there is no flow of people at night), dilapidated buildings and fear of fire, for many poor people, life upstairs in apartments is not very happy.

Private villa

On the contrary, most wealthy residents-those who don't live in villas outside the city-live in big houses. These houses, at least in Rome, are usually located on Mount Palatini near the palace. Like many properties, the front of the house (especially in cities such as Pompeii and Herculaneum) usually has a shopkeeper who will conduct daily business there. Behind the store is the atrium, which is a reception area to welcome guests or customers, and sometimes can handle private affairs. Atrium usually includes a small shrine dedicated to family or ancestor gods. The ceiling of the atrium is open, and there is a rectangular pool below. In rainy days, the water flowing out of this opening will be collected and used for other parts of the dome. On both sides of the atrium are smaller rooms called cubes, which are used as bedrooms, libraries and offices. Of course, there is enough space in the dining room or the triangular prism and the kitchen. Behind the dome is the family garden.

domestic

Whether rich or poor, whether rich or poor, whether house or villa, the basic social unit of the whole empire is the family, and since the early years of the Republic of China, the existence of the family has been completely centered on the patriarchal concept-the male head of the household has the power of life and death over all family members (even extended families). If the child is disfigured, if he questions their parent-child relationship, if he already has more than one daughter, or if he just feels so inclined, he can refuse the child. He can also sell any of his children as slaves. Gradually, with the passage of time, this extreme and almost omnipotent control over the family (patria potestas) will decrease. However, this iron law of husband or father does not limit women's rights in the family.

Roman women were responsible for housework and usually the education of their children.

Home is the wife's territory. Although she was initially restricted from appearing in public, she was in charge of the family and was often responsible for the education of her children until she found a tutor. By the end of the Republic of China, she was even allowed to eat and bathe with her husband. Although she is not at the same time as men, she can also watch plays and games. Later, women can be regarded as bakers, pharmacists and shopkeepers. Legally speaking, women's rights have been improved. For example, divorce proceedings can be initiated by the husband or wife.

food

Everyone must eat, and the diet of a Roman resident depends on his or her financial situation, just like his or her housing. For many poor people, this means waiting for the monthly food distribution. For most Romans, the main meal of the day is in the late afternoon, from four to six. Breakfast and lunch are usually snacks, sometimes only bread. Because there is no refrigerator, people shop in many small shops and street carts or city forums every day. Many Italian foods that we think today did not exist in early Rome. There are no potatoes, tomatoes, corn, peppers, rice and sugar. There are no oranges, grapefruit, apricots or peaches. When the rich enjoy imported spices in their food, lean on pillows and be served by slaves, many extremely poor or homeless people eat rotten grains or porridge (lack of quality diet leads to malnutrition for many people). For others, the daily diet includes grains, bread, vegetables and olive oil; Meat is too expensive for the general budget, although sometimes it can only be bought after the sacrifice to the gods (because only internal organs are used for the sacrifice). Wine is a common drink, but for the poor, public fountains can provide water.

Work and leisure

For the rich, a day is divided into work and leisure. Of course, business only takes place in the morning. Most Romans work six hours a day, from dawn to noon, although occasionally some shops may reopen at night. The forum in this city will be empty, because the afternoon is a leisure activity-taking part in competitions (gladiators, chariot races or wrestling), theaters or bathrooms-and the poor can also enjoy it (because many people in * * * think it is necessary to entertain the poor). Even in times of crisis, Roman citizens were still satisfied with bread and games. They can be found in Maximus Arena, Colosseum or Pompeii Theatre.

Throughout the empire, cities such as Antioch, Alexandria, Carthage and even Novo Catago were romanized, including an amphitheater or arena. Pompeii has three municipal bathrooms, two theaters, a cathedral and an amphitheater. During Emperor Claudius, it was closed on 159 days (there was no rest day in Rome); However, Emperor Marcus Aurelius thought it was too extreme and ordered at least 230 business days.

Outdoor bath

Roman citizens need to relax after a busy day's work and competition, and this relaxation time is spent in the bathroom-bathing is very important for all Romans (usually once or twice a week). Bathroom is a social place and sometimes a place for business. In 33 BC, there were 170 in Rome, and by 400 AD, there were more than 800, including the largest and most luxurious baths in Trajan, caracalla and Diocletian. The emperor can always ensure his reputation by building baths. A typical bathroom includes a gym, a health center, a swimming pool and sometimes even a brothel (for more affluent guests). Most of them are cheap to use, even on public holidays. A typical bathroom has three rooms-a warm bathroom or lounge, a warm room or a hot room, and a cold room or cooling room. Slaves are used to maintain the heat of various hot houses and meet the needs of the rich. One of the most famous baths is the one given to this city by Emperor Diocletian. It covers an area of 32 acres and has a luxurious garden, fountains, sculptures and even a runway. It can accommodate 3000 guests. After a relaxing afternoon in the bath, Roman citizens, rich or poor, would go home for dinner.

conclusion

The daily life of a Roman city depends entirely on one's economic situation. However, the city is still a mixture of the rich and the poor, often coexisting. Whether it is heating water in the bathroom, serving them dinner or educating their children, the rich benefit from slave labor. On the other hand, the poor can't receive education, live in dilapidated apartments and sometimes rely on urban charities. Historians are still debating the decline of the empire-is it religion or the influx of barbarians? However, it has also been pointed out that the urban poor-the increase of pollution, unemployment, disease and crime-is a factor leading to the ultimate demise of the Western Empire.