Ancient Rome made enormous contributions to the development of engineering, architecture, medicine, military science, law, and so on. Without any exaggeration, this is one of the most developed and influential civilizations of the ancient world. It got its name from its main city, Rome, which in turn was named after its founders Romulus and Remus – twin brothers who, according to legend, were the sons of the god of war Mars and were nursed by a she-wolf. Scientists are still studying the life of the ancient Romans, and every year they learn something new. For example, relatively recently they found the ruins of a place where ancient Roman rich people once rested. This is an excellent opportunity to briefly understand how the rich and poor people of Ancient Rome lived.
The rich and poor people of Ancient Rome were completely different people
Contents
- 1 What were the inhabitants of Ancient Rome like
- 1.1 Who are the patricians
- 1.2 Who are the plebeians
- 1.3 Slaves of Ancient Rome
- 2 Rich houses of Ancient Rome
- 3 How people lived in the insula
What they were like inhabitants of Ancient Rome
The lives of people in Ancient Rome were different, and depended on social status – however, such a difference existed at almost all times.
Who are the patricians
Patricians had the highest status in Ancient Rome. This social stratum included representatives of noble families, which from the very beginning constituted the ruling elite of Roman society. The patricians owned many lands, had numerous privileges and could directly influence the society and politics of Ancient Rome.
Patricians of Ancient Rome. Source: kulturologia.ru
Who are the plebeians
The bulk of the population of Ancient Rome consisted of plebeians. This segment of the population included ordinary citizens who did not belong to the aristocracy. They could not influence society and politics, but were engaged in various activities such as agriculture, trade, and so on. The plebeians were much poorer than the patricians, so they led a more modest lifestyle.
Plebeians of Ancient Rome. Source: kipmu.ru
Slaves of Ancient Rome
Below the plebeians were only ancient Roman slaves.They were prisoners of war, as well as debtors and their children. Many slaves performed hard physical labor in mines and plantations, but some worked in houses and workshops, where the workload was much lighter. Some slaves lived in terrible conditions and were subjected to humiliation, while others lived in relative comfort. For faithful service, some slaves were freed and they becamelibertines—they remained dependent on their masters, but already had a higher status and became their assistants.
Read also: strong> Why did ancient Roman sculptors specifically break the heads of statues
Rich houses of Ancient Rome
The patricians of Ancient Rome lived in domus. In simple terms, we are talking about mansions with courtyards and gardens. Domuses always had several rooms, including a bedroom, a dining room and even a bathhouse.
Plan of an ancient Roman mansion. Source: geniusly.com
According to IFL Science, on the coast of the Italian city of Cerveteri there are flooded ruins of the pavilion of one of these villas. It is believed that in this place the owners of the domus and their guests admired the views of the Mediterranean Sea. The Pavilion is a structure with a diameter of about 50 meters, the floor of which is made of herringbone masonry – it even has a separate name “Opus spicatum”.
The ruins of the pavilion of an ancient Roman villa. Source: iflscience.com
Today, the resting place of the ancient Roman aristocracy is flooded, and only divers can explore it. But in ancient times, the villa was located along the Aurelian Way – one of the most important highways leading directly to Rome. Based on this, scientists believe that the house with the pavilion belonged to a particularly influential person.
Stonework in the style of Opus spicatum. Source: iflscience.com
Rich Romans, living in their huge houses, could not deny themselves anything. They often hosted sumptuous feasts with a large variety of dishes and exotic fruits and vegetables. It is noteworthy that in ancient Rome they ate lying on their stomachs and never picked up food from the floor, there were certain reasons for this.
You will be interested:The most ancient city in the world in which people live people – it is already more than 10,000 years old
How people lived in insula
The plebeians, that is, the bulk of the population of Ancient Rome, lived in insulae. This was the name of multi-storey residential buildings in which people could rent apartments. They had up to 7 floors, each of which lived several families. The lower floors were built from durable materials like brick and concrete, while the upper floors were built using lightweight materials like wood.
Ancient Roman insula. Source: architecturalidea.com
The apartments in the insulas were cramped, often without a kitchen or toilet – cooking and defecating had to be done in common areas. There was also often no running water or sewerage in these buildings, so water had to be carried from the street. Due to the cramped conditions and lack of any control, the insulas were noisy places with unsanitary conditions. Insulas were located in different parts of the city, but the closer they were to the center, the more expensive the rent was.
The ruins of the ancient Roman insula. Source: bangkokbook.ru
The Ancient Romans, who were not among the elite, ate modestly, their diet consisted of cereal porridges, vegetables, a small amount of meat and other affordable products.
Be sure to subscribe to our Zen channel where comments are open. Also don’t forget about our Telegram channel!
The inhabitants of Ancient Rome worked most of the time. But sometimes they went to theatrical performances and gladiator fights. Archaeologists recently found evidence that even young children attended bloody gladiator fights.