Throughout the history of humanity, there have been many ancient civilizations that have, in one way or another, shaped our current way of life.
One of these civilizations was ancient Rome – the majestic state of antiquity, the solid foundation of which has been preserved to this day. But despite all the greatness of the empire, the life of an ordinary citizen in ancient Rome was difficult.
Historians suggest imagining a time traveler who returned to the past sometime between 27 BC. and 180 AD. – the golden age of ancient Rome. This era began with the rise of Emperor Augustus after the assassination of his father, the famous Julius Caesar.
Life was not easy for the Romans
With the arrival of the new emperor, Rome entered a period of rapid development. It is at its peak became home to a million people. It was truly a golden age of architecture, science, art, entertainment and economic growth. It was a time of peace and prosperity. If you were rich, of course.
If you weren’t part of the 1% elite that controlled 16% of Rome’s wealth, your life wouldn’t be easy. Up to 50% of all Roman children died before the age of 10. Most adult Romans lived to be 50 years old at best.
Despite the prevailing peace, local conflicts still occurred, which put the military profession in high demand in ancient Rome. The Roman armies at the time consisted of volunteers looking for a chance at a better life.
Soldiers came from the poorest strata of society and spent most of their service on the borders of the empire, where the situation was unstable. After their retirement from military service, the Romans were able to settle on the land where they served.
If a soldier was particularly good at wielding a sword or bow, he could be one too selected to join the special forces that protected the emperor. There was also the opportunity to become a gladiator, which in ancient Rome was treated like celebrities, at least those who survived.
Because the vast majority of men were away from home, women gained more independence during that period. Roman women held important positions as city council members, lawyers, teachers, and so on.
However, men in the family still had the privilege of deciding on property and finance issues. Most of the poor lived in cheap wooden houses. Many of them were in urban slums, where crime flourished. In some areas the streets were patrolled by the so-called urban cohorts (Cohortes Urbanae) of Emperor Augustus. But the poorest areas still remained dangerous.
For the most part, soldiers, philosophers or senators ate about the same. The daily diet of the Romans consisted of bread, cheese, grapes, nuts, olives and meat.
Depending on their income, residents of ancient Rome could purchase bread from numerous bakeries and wash down their meals with milk, diluted wine, or fruit juice.
Wealthy Romans went to the bathhouse after lunch, where they could not only take a steam bath, but also play sports, swim, get a massage or simply wash. After the water treatments, around 4-5 o’clock in the afternoon, the Romans sat down for dinner.
The rest of the Romans, who were born poor, served in the homes of wealthy families. Such hired workers in Rome were called clients; they were free citizens who surrendered under the protection of their patron. Sometimes this system even made it possible to sell people.
Customers performed a variety of jobs, from heavy labor to highly skilled professions such as teachers, accountants and so on. If the customers were friendly, the customers received a good meal and returned home with food for the family. For truly excellent work, clients can even be truly released.
But more often than not, desperate poor families sold their own children to patrons.
The daily life of the ancient Romans
There were also great oddities in the daily life of the Romans. For example, to relieve yourself you had to go to a public toilet, which had more than 10 seats in the open air. Instead of toilet paper, the Romans had a stick with a sponge on the end, which they shared as needed.
When it came time to clean the house, many Romans considered urine the best disinfectant. In addition, both human and animal urine were used. It was also used to wash clothes and treat infections.
This may seem strange, but it’s true: the urea in urine breaks down into ammonia (NH3), a powerful cleaning agent found in most household cleaners today.
And in cases of epilepsy in ancient Rome, they could prescribe the blood or liver of a gladiator.
If the Romans had even a little money in their wallets, they could go shopping at Trajan’s Market, the world’s first shopping center. For excitement: go to chariot races in Circus Maximus or a gladiator fight. There were also a large number of theaters and for the poorest there were many public executions.
