Life in Roman Times
As with many cultures, a person’s quality of life depended in many ways on their rank within the social structure.
Two Romans living at the same time in the same city could have very different lives.
Rich…(Patricians)
For wealthy Romans, life was good. They lived in beautiful houses (domus/villas) – often on the hills outside Rome, away from the noise and the smell. They enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle with luxurious furnishings, surrounded by servants and slaves to cater to their every desire. Many would hold exclusive dinner parties and serve their guests the exotic dishes of the day.
…and poor (Plebians)
Poorer Romans, however, could only dream of such a life. Sweating it out in the city, they lived in shabby, squalid houses (insulaes) that could collapse or burn at any moment. If times were hard, they might abandon newborn babies to the streets, hoping that someone else would take them in as a servant or slave. Poor in wealth but strong in numbers, they were the Roman mob, who relaxed in front of the popular entertainment of the time – chariot races between opposing teams, or gladiators fighting for their life, fame and fortune.
Although their lives may have been different, they did have some things in common. In any Roman family life, the head of the household was a man. Although his wife looked after the household, he controlled it. He alone could own property. Only he decided the fate of his children and who they would marry.
Shared rituals
There were other traditions that all Romans shared. Whatever their individual circumstances, all Romans observed certain practices at dinner time, the main meal of the day. Although they might eat very different food, they ate it in roughly the same way.
And Romans of all classes made a point of visiting the baths after work each day. There they would mix freely with their fellow citizens, exercising, washing and chatting. To citizens, the baths made them feel superior to the rest of the world – they made them feel Roman
Fathers
Ancient Rome was a man’s world. In politics, society and the family, men held both the power and the purse-strings – they even decided whether a baby would live or die. Families were dominated by men. At the head of Roman family life was the oldest living male, called the "paterfamilias," or "father of the family." He looked after the family's business affairs and property and could perform religious rites on their behalf.
Insulae
Most citizens living in Rome and other cities were housed in "insulae." These were small, street-front shops and workshops, whose owners lived above and behind the working area. Several insulae would surround an open courtyard and would, together, form one city block.
The insulae were usually badly built and few had any running water, sanitation or heating. Constructed from wood and brick, they were dangerously vulnerable to fire or collapse.
Lifestyles of the rich and famous
Life was very different for the upper classes. Wealthier Romans – including those who lived in the countryside – lived in a domus. This was a house built around an unroofed courtyard, or atrium.
The atrium acted as the reception and living area, while the house around it contained the kitchen, lavatory, bedrooms (cubuculi) and dining room, or triclinium. The rooms and furnishings would reflect the wealth of the family and, for some, would be incredibly luxurious. The wealthiest Romans might have a private bath or library, while others kept two homes – one in the city, the other in the clean air and quiet surroundings of the countryside.
*Dinner time
Although they led very different lives, citizens generally observed the same mealtime rituals, whatever their wealth or rank. Breakfast and lunch were usually light meals, often eaten with colleagues or friends in the noisy cafes and taverns that lined Rome’s streets.
Dinner was a different matter altogether and was taken very seriously. The triclinium, or dining room, held three couches, arranged around a square table.
*Finger food
Wealthy Romans might have several dining rooms so they could entertain more guests – or they might eat outside in warm weather.
Diners would lie on their sides – leaning on their left elbows – facing the table. Their servants or slaves would serve the food from the empty fourth side of the table. Diners would then eat the food with their fingers or, if necessary, with a small knife.
Wealthy families would usually have three courses. The appetizers, or gustatio, would include eggs, shellfish or vegetables. The entrees, called prima mensa, would usually be cooked vegetables and meat. The dessert, or mensa secunda, would be sweet dishes, such as fruit or pastry.
*Dinner parties
Dinners became fancier affairs when guests were invited. These dinner parties would involve many elaborate courses. Hosts would put on enormous, extravagant meals to impress their guests, often seeking out novelty dishes like ostrich or flamingo. There would often be entertainment between each course, with a literary performance after dinner.
Guests were seated according to their status – the best seat was on the middle couch, to the immediate right of the host. The status-conscious Romans would examine seating plans carefully to discover their rank relative to the other guests.
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