Revision Notes – Rome City Life
Paterfamilias
· Male head of the Roman household
· Included slaves and property of the house
· Legal power over the whole household
· Life and death
o If baby was unwanted or illegitimate it could be abandoned
· Oversee education of children
o Appoints a Paedagogus (slave as tutor)
· Arrange marriage for daughter at puberty
· Manage purchase of slaves
· Oversee his wife looking after the household
· Religious head of the family
o Morning prayers at Lararium (family shrine)
o Spirits of family ancestors worshipped (Lares)
o Offerings to Penates (spirits of store cupboard) before meals
o Offerings to gods at births, marriages, funerals
· Breadwinner
o If wealthy he might be a patron to a client
§ Clients appeared at the patrons house at dawn, accompany him to the baths / forum
§ Clients act as his supporters and are expected to vote for him
§ In return may get a hand out of money or a gift each day
§ Might be invited to dine with the patron in the evening.
The Wife
· Women had the same status as children in Rome
· Could not vote
· Under the control of the paterfamilias
· Quality of life depended on social status of husband
· Managed the home
o Assign slaves to duties
§ Cleaning, cooking, fetching water
o Managed the spinning and weaving in the household
o Bring up the children
§ Oversee nursing of infants
§ Ensure sons went to school
§ Teach daughter duties required of a wife
· Motherhood dangerous
o Infection during childbirth
o Children died young as well
· Rich women
o dressed by slaves
o hair done
o perfume, makeup and jewellery
o visit friends and the baths / market
· Poor women
o May work on market stalls
o May be employed in washing or cleaning
Cena
· Dinner party
o Enjoy company of friends
o Make new business contacts
o Social status
· Triclinium
o Three couch room
o Each couch fitted 3 guests
o Mattresses for comfort and divided up with cushions
o Reclined to eat
o Leant on left elbow
o Took food from central table
· Three courses
o Light appetisers
§ Eggs, olives, salad
§ Wine sweetened with honey
o Main course
§ Selection of meats or fish
§ Vegetables
§ Variety of sauces
o Dessert
§ Fruit and nuts
§ Sweet cakes
· Entertainment
o Wine drinking
o Wine watered down
o Toast and drain cups in one go
o Dancing
o Music
o Comedians
o Gambling games – dice
o Poetry recitals
o Philosophical discussion
Slavery
· Accepted part of Roman life
· Relied on labour of slaves in public and private life
· Causes of slavery
o Captured in war
o Babies born to slave mother = slave
o Babies abandoned at birth might be saved as slaves
o Pirates
o Criminals could be condemned to slavery
§ Train as gladiators or work in mines
· Slave markets
o Delos
o Rome
§ Stand on revolving platform at the market
§ Placard round neck
§ Guarantee he was legal owner and they were healthy
§ Slaves fetched between 500 and 2000 denarii
· Jobs
o Educated Greek slaves
§ Tutors for children
o Women
§ Help with domestic tasks such as childcare, cooking, weaving and shopping
o Male domestic slaves
§ Work for paterfamilias
· Accounts
· Accompany him to the baths
· Running errands
o Stronger male slaves
§ Mines
· Conditions grim
· Life expectancy short
§ Farming estates
§ Gladiator schools (Ludi)
· Treatment of slaves
o Depended on job and master
o Total rights of life and death
o Physical abuse
o Some warm and trusting relationships
o No political rights
o Could not marry or own property
o Could earn and save money
· Freedom
o Master could choose to free a slave
§ Served well over long period
§ Performed an outstanding act
§ Earned enough money to buy freedom
o Ex slaves were FREEDMEN
§ Would usually take former masters name
§ Could make money in trade and business (e.g. Vettii)
§ Not full rights as a citizen
· Could not stand for political office
· Children became freemen with full rights
Education
· Early Roman times - no schools
· Children learnt from their parents
o Fathers
§ taught trades
§ Basic literacy and numeracy
o Mother
§ How to manage a household
· Influence of Greece saw development of schools
o Ludus
o Run by a Magister Ludi
· Litterator
o First stage of education
o Most boys attended this stage
o Significant number of girls too
o Age of 7
o Reading, writing, arithmetic
o Repetitive practice
· Equipment
o Wax tablets that can be rubbed clean
o Stilus
§ Sharp end for marking the wax
o Pen and ink
o Papyrus
o Abacus
· Grammaticus
o 14 for those who could afford it
o Taught Greek and Latin, geometry, music and astronomy
o Works of poetry, drama, history and philosophy
o Taught to read aloud and to comment on grammar, figures of speech, mythology etc.
o Girls by now are getting married
o Poorer boys had started work
· Rhetor
o Age of 16
o Pubic speaking
§ Crucial in world with no other communication
§ Important if they are to be a successful public figure
§ Facial expression
§ Hand gestures
§ Argued using issues from history
· Cato
o A different approach
o Took charge of his sons education fully
o Taught him to read
§ It was not right for a slave to scold his child
§ Hurl javelin
§ Ride a horse
§ Fight in armour
§ Box
§ Endure heat and cold
§ To swim
§ Write out his History himself so his son learnt about his countries traditions
§ Did not use bad language in front of the boy
Gods and Goddesses
· Heavily influenced by Greeks
· Matched up their gods with the Greek equivalent
· Jupiter
o Zeus
o King of the Gods
o Weather god who controlled the skies
o Thunderbolt
· Neptune
o Poseidon
o God of the sea
o God of horses and chariot racing
o Trident that caused earthquakes when banged on the ground.
o Dolphin
· Mars
o Ares
o God of war
o God of agriculture before Rome’s expansion
o Armour
§ Breastplate
§ Shield
§ Sword
§ Helmet
· Apollo
o Apollo
o God of prophecy and arts
o God of the sun and archery
o Bow and arrows
o Lyre
o Sun
· Mercury
o Hermes
o Messenger of the Gods
o Communications, trade and business
o Travellers
o Winged sandals
o Caduceus
§ Wand with two snakes entwined
· Pluto
o Hades
o King of the Underworld
o Sceptre
o Pomegranate fruit
o Dog
· Juno
o Hera
o Queen of the Gods
o Wife of Jupiter
o Goddess of women and marriage
o New born child
o Regal crown
o Wedding dress
o Peacock
· Venus
o Aphrodite
o Goddess of Love
o Nudity
o Cupid
o Shell
· Minerva
o Athena
o Tactical warfare
o Wisdom
o Arts and Crafts
o Helmet and spear
o Aegis
o Owl is sacred bird
· Diana
o Artemis
o Virgin goddess
o Goddess of hunting
o The Moon
§ Twin sister of Apollo
o Huntress
o Short robes
o Hunting dog
· Ceres
o Demeter
o Goddess of harvest
o Motherly love
o Sceptre
o Basket of flowers and fruit
o Garland of wheat ears / grain
· Vesta
o Hestia
o Goddess of the Hearth
o Warmth and light
o Centre of the home
o Temple in Rome
§ Vestal virgins tended the flame that came from the ruins of Troy
§ Made the mola salsa that was used in sacrifice
Worshipping the Gods
· Temples
o Same design as a Greek temple
o Rectangular
o High Podium
o The home of the God or Goddess
§ No worship inside the temple
§ Sacrifice in the courtyard outside
o Cult statue housed in the main room (Cella)
o Decorated with sculptures, statues, columns, pediment
· Sacrifice
o Worshipper gives something valuable to the God
o In return hoped for good fortune in the future
o Could be killing an animal or any gift
o Day of sacrifice
§ Go to market and buy an animal
· Perfect with no blemishes
· Heifer offered to Jupiter
· Wear best toga
· Tie ribbons to animals horns
§ Lead animal to the Temple
· If it stumbled it is a bad omen
§ Takes place outside the Temple
§ Pontifex
· Priest covers his head
· Wash hands with sacred water
· Animals head sprinkled with wine and mola salsa
§ Popa
· Stunner
· Hammer blow
§ Victimarius
· Knife man
· Cuts the throat
· Animal is disembowelled and innards removed
§ Haruspex
· Soothsayer
· Examines them for omens
§ Tibicen
· Flute player played throughout to drown out unwanted noise
§ If the omen is good the innards are burnt in a fire on the altar
§ Rest of the meat is cooked and shared out to the participants.
Amphitheatre
· Colosseum
o Theatre of death
o 50,000 spectators
o 80 entrances
o Awning to cover the spectators and keep them cool
o Hierarchy for seating
§ Emperor had his own box
§ Front rows Senators and other VIP’s.
§ Wealthier Romans
§ Soldiers
§ Common citizens
§ Women and slaves at the back if there was space
· Games were paid for
o by the Emperor
o by a magistrate who wanted to run for political office
o Hoped to gain popularity
o Began as funeral games
§ No belief in afterlife
§ Wanted to do something to be remembered when they died
§ Slaves fought to the death in his honour
· Morning – Wild Beasts
o Animals to perform tricks
§ Panthers drawing chariots
o Animal fights
§ Pack of dogs against a lion
§ Bear against a buffalo
o Staged hunts
§ Greenery brought in
§ Often accompanied by a pack of dogs
o Animal against a fighter
§ Bestiarius
§ Armed with a hunting spear
§ Lion or bear
o More obscure animals were popular
§ Giraffes, elephants, hippopotamuses
§ Showed the Emperors controlled the fiercest beasts
§ Showed Rome’s power over far flung places
· Lunchtime – Executions
o Convicted criminals brought to the arena for execution
o Animals used to kill them
§ Ad bestias
o Convicts tied to a stake
o Left to run free
o Christians thrown to the Lions
§ Would not accept that the Emperor was a God
· Afternoon – Gladiator fights
o Used to celebrate a public holiday or a victory
o Gladiators trained
§ Ludi Gladiatorii
§ Slaves
§ Prisoners of War
§ Condemned criminals
§ Fought with wooden swords while training
o Different types of gladiator
§ Samnite
· Crested helmet with a visor
· Breastplate
· Greave on the left leg
· Large shield
· Short sword
§ Myrmillo
· Upper body bare
· Loincloth / belt
· Greave on left leg
· Arm guard on right arm
· Curved rectangular shield
· Slashing sword
· Crested helmet topped with a fish
§ Secutor
· Same as myrmillo
· Plain helmet
§ Retiarius
· Trident
· Net
· Dagger
· Bare head
· Belt, loincloth
· shoulder piece on left shoulder
· skill and quickness
o Each show
§ Parade of gladiators dressed in gold and purple
§ Walker around the arena accompanied by trumpeters
§ Halted and saluted the Emperor
§ Trainers whipped them if they felt they did not fight hard enough
§ Fight continued until one was wounded seriously
· Trumpet sounded
· Finger held up for mercy
· Thumbs pressed, thumbs turned
· Showed Emperor had power of life and death
· If fought well – spared
· If not throat cut
o Official dressed as Charon dragged the body out of the arena – Porta Libitina
· Waste money and time to kill gladiators
§ Distinguished career
· Could earn freedom and retire
· Wooden sword to symbolise this
· Some immensely popular
Circus Maximus
· Capacity of 250,000
· Chariot racing most popular sport
· Paid for by Emperor or magistrate
· Seating less structured
o Royal box and seats for important citizens
o Men women and children could sit together
o Day off work with friends
· Track
o 600 x 200 m
o Covered in sand
o Divided by a long central barrier
§ Spina
o Turning posts at each end
§ Metae
o Ova / Dolphins
§ 7 eggs or dolphins that were recording how many laps were complete
o Carceres
§ Starting boxes
§ 12
· Days Events
o Starting procession
o Trumpeters and flute players while chariots drove round the arena
o Images of gods carried
§ Neptune – patron of horses
o Took place in Carceres
o Presiding magistrate dropped a white handkerchief to start the race
o 7 laps
o Anti- clockwise
o Races lasted about 15 minutes
o 24 races in a day
o Chariots drawn by 4 horses
o Prize giving at the end of the day
§ Victory palm
§ Crown
§ Golden neck chain
· Teams
o Four teams
o Reds, Whites, Blues, Greens
o Each had its own stables and fanatical supporters
o Wore colours and bet heavily
§ Betting illegal but this was ignored
o Charioteers and horses became popular
· Charioteers
o Most were slaves
o Some earned enough to buy their freedom
§ Diocles from Spain
§ Raced for 24 years
§ Multi millionaire
o Dangers
§ Deliberate fouling allowed
§ Crashes
· Dragged to death
· Crushed