Introduction to life in ancient Rome

In the Roman days men were monsters, ten towering meters tall, big black teeth, frightening fangs and green glaring eyes. Well that’s a bit of an exaggeration but the next bit, it’s all true. Men decided everything from whether the child lived to who the child married. The things men use to do, really were monstrous. For example the baby would be laid at the father’s feet. If the baby survived it would live. Otherwise it would die. Another way in which the father would help himself to make decisions on whether his child should live is through a series of tests. These tests weren’t blood tests, health tests no more like fitness tests. Just imagine that you’ve just been born then you have to be put through a fitness test. Just think, you couldn’t protest and you couldn’t even run away.

These tests included:

• The new born is left on the floor after birth to cry for a while before being dressed. Only the fittest survived. It as to be said that this is not the best way to greet your baby. Just think ‘Aww you’re beautiful, let me just wrap you up,’ or ‘One minute while I stick you on the floor to freeze.’ It was amazing if any survived.
• Another test included the baby being dunked under water, only the fittest would survive, as if the baby came back up purple then it was a sign of weakness and the baby would be left to die. We will just have to hope it comes back up blue, the baby might just get away with that one.
• After these tests, if the child was no good for the father then a slave would take it and place it at the side of the road.

So you now know a father’s role in life, let’s take a look at the rest of the family.

Women married as young as 13 years old and it was highly known for women to be pressured into marrying their first cousins so they could combine their grandfather’s land. The women were also expected to teach the children to read and write, along with teaching the girls to cook and sew. So women didn’t have a say in much by the looks of things!

School Days

Boys started school at seven, but girls were refused education and had to stay at home, No one else to talk to, doing the same thing everyday, with nowhere else to go. Girls stayed at home as they had to adapt to a mothers role of sewing and cleaning.

If boys came from a wealthy background they were looked after by a Pedagogue. A pedagogue was an educated slave who would take the boy to school, and if the boy was naughty the slave would whip them. Also boys had to pay for education and if the boys were poor they couldn’t go to school, and this would result in them either being educated at home, or training to follow in their father’s footsteps.

POOR WEALTH STATUS + NO MONEY = NO SCHOOL

Above is the best sum in the world. Talking of sums, Math's back in the Roman days wasn’t like it is now. Look at the questions below. You would think twice about complaining about Math's again.

So! Listen up and answer these if you can ha, ha, ha!

1. LI +L =?	2. X + XC =?
3. C + C + C =?	4. DLV +XXII =?

So when the Romans weren’t being whipped by their pedagogues, being booted out of their homes by their father, or being forced to marry at 13 years old what else was there to Roman life?

Let A Roman Entertain You

Romans had ways to entertain themselves. Okay it wasn’t shopping sprees, or going to watch the footy, or even a game of tenpin bowling. Instead they went to amphitheaters, along with our equivalent of a swimming baths. They also played traditional childhood games, including games that are still played today like Tag.

Roman baths – Romans came to the baths to wash, to socialize and relax. Some even had exercise areas containing gyms.

A Soapy fact! – the baths contained three types of bathing areas. A cold bath- Frigidarium A warm bath – Tepidarium A hot bath - Caladarium

Amphitheaters were the center of entertainment in Roman times; Romans would watch fights between gladiators and wild animals such as bear or lions. The human fighters were usually slaves and the bloodier they were the more the crowd roared. The loser would then be put in front of the crowd, and they would decide whether they died or survived.

Theatre Fact! The amphitheaters held up to 50,000 people. Just like a football stadium with thousands and thousands of seats so the Roman citizens could watch the game in relative comfort. The only difference is the fans don’t get to decide whether the losers die.

Submitted by Emma