Life in Ancient Rome

Main Ideas
In addition to their own developments in
science and engineering, Roman artists and
writers borrowed many ideas from the Greeks.

The rich and poor had very different lives in
the Roman Empire, as did men and women.
Venn Diagram
Compare and Contrast Use a Venn Diagram like
the one below to show similarities and differences
between the rich and the poor in Rome
Roman Poor Roman Rich
Roman Culture
Romans admired and studied Greek statues,
buildings, and ideas.*

The Romans differed from Greeks in one
important way: the Greeks liked to talk about
ideas, while Romans believed that ideas were
only important if they could solve everyday
problems.
What Was Roman Art Like?
Roman art was much more realistic than
Greek statues.*
Roman architecture was also inspired by
the Greeks: They used Greek-style porches
and rows of columns called colonnades.*
Rows of arches were often built against
one another to form a vault.**
Roman Art

The Colloseum is one example of how magnificent Roman
architecture was. It was completed in A.D, 80 and was a huge
arena that could seat around 60,000 people.

What Does This Have to Do With Me?
The Astrodome in Houston
is commonly referred to as
the Eighth Wonder of the
World and houses
around 42,000 fans.
Although there are other,
larger stadiums, this will
give you an idea of how
magnificent the
Colosseum was, and
would still be, today.
The Pantheon
Roman Literature
The Roman writer Virgil drew some of his
ideas from Homers Odyssey and wrote
the Aeneid.*
The poet Horace wrote satires, which
poked fun at human weaknesses. He also
composed odes, or poems that express
strong emotions about life.
Roman Literature


One of Romes most famous historians was Livy. He wrote the
History of Rome around 10 B.C.*
*Tacitus thought that Romans were losing the values that made
them strong. He accused them of wasting time on sports and other
pleasures.

Roman Literature
*Romans especially liked humorous plays
Two Romans who wrote comedies were
Plautus and Terence.
Roman authors influenced later writers, but
their language, Latin, had an even greater
influence.**
Roman Science and engineering
A Greek doctor named Galen (GAY-luhn)
brought many medical ideas to Rome.
He emphasized the importance of anatomy,
the study of body structure.*
Ptolemy was another important Roman
scientist who studied the sky and mapped
over 1000 different stars.**
All Roads Lead to Rome
Romans built a large
amount of roads and
bridges to connect the
empire.
These were well built
and some have
survived until today*
A Day in the Life of a Roman
*Rome was a huge
city with over a million
people living there by
the time of Augustus.
The Forum was a
marketplace and
public square. It was
at the center of Rome
with the Coloseum.**


Life of a Roman Cont
Wealthy Romans
lived in large,
comfortable
houses.***
Inner courtyards are
called atriums.


Poor people who lived
in cities, had to live in
tall wood or brick
apartment buildings
called insulae, without
any courtyard
Entertainment
Bread and circuses were started by
Roman emperors trying to keep people
from rioting.*
At these events, the people would get free
grain (or bread) and a show (circus).
GLADIATORS
Gladiator contests
gladiators fought
animals and each
other.
Most gladiators were
enslaved people,
criminals, or poor
people. Gladiators
were admired, like
sports heroes today.


Chariot Racing
Chariot races What
could we compare this
to that takes place
today?
Took place in the
Circus Maximus; Latin
for greatest circus

Family life
Family was very important, and families
were large
Paterfamilias The Father of the family
had complete control over family members.
He would punish them severely for
disobedience and arrange their marriages.*


Family Life
Wealthy childrenboys and girlsreceived
an education
through hired tutors
Some boys went to
school.
Rhetoric was public
speaking



Family life cont
*Roman boys became a man between the ages of
14-16. They burned their toys as offerings to the
household gods.
He would put on a toga and join the family
business, become a soldier, or begin a career in
government.
Roman women did not become adults until they
were married, and they wore long flowing robes
called palla.

Women of Rome
Not full citizens
Some became famous
themselves
Livia was the wife of
Augustus and had a say in
Romes politics and was
later honored as a
goddess.*
Womens freedom
depended on their
husbands wealth*
Enslaved people
Slave labor grew as the territory grew*
They worked in homes, fields, mines, and
workshops. They helped build roads,
bridges, and aqueducts.
Many enslaved Greeks were well
educated*
Wages bought them freedom

Enslaved people Cont
Most were treated
horribly and punished
severely for poor work
or running away
Many often rebelled
Spartacus was a
gladiator who led a
revolt in 73 B.C.
Roman Religion
Ancient Romans believed in gods and goddesses*
Greek gods were popular in Rome, but they were
given Roman names. Zeus became Jupiter, the sky
god, and Aphrodite became Venus, the goddess of
love and beauty.

Roman Religion
Romans honored them by offering food
and praying.*
Government officials made offerings in the
temples
Roman Religion Cont
Roman priests looked for signs from the
gods
They would study the inside of dead
animals or watched the flight of birds,
looking for meaning.
Romans began having issues with other
religions as the empire grew