Roman Daily Life Essay

The daily lives of Romans changed throughout the empire's history. In the beginning of Rome's history, there were three classes, high class patricians (far left), middle to low class plebeians (far right), and lastly plebeian slaves (middle). Patricians were wealthy landowners and came from Rome's oldest and most influential families. Plebeians made up most Romans and included artisans, shopkeepers, and owners of small farms. Patrician and plebeian men both had the right to vote, but plebeians lacked many basic rights because of their lower social class. These rights included the ability to hold public office and holding public ceremonies to honor the gods of Rome. The plebeians went on many strikes to gain more rights and finally got to
The city’s forum would be empty because the afternoon was devoted to leisure. For the Romans leisure meant attending gladiatorial competitions, chariot races, wrestling, the theater, or the baths. All of which were also enjoyed by the poor (as many in government felt the need for the poor to be entertained to prevent a revolt.). As elsewhere, whether on a farm or in the city, daily life still centered on the home, and when people arrived in the city, their first concern was to find a place to live. Space was at a premium in a walled metropolis like Rome, and from the beginning little attention was paid to the housing needs of the people who migrated to the city. Tenements provided the best answer and the majority of Roman citizens, not all of them poor, lived in these apartment buildings. Wealthy Romans lived in villas outside the city or in a domus which was the type of house occupied by the upper classes and some wealthy freedmen. The diet of a Roman depended on their economic status. The poor sometimes even had to eat rancid food items which led to malnutrition. Middle class plebeians mostly ate grain or bread. Finally, the patricians enjoyed lavish meals and were served by