Rome
Chapter 13: The Rise of Rome
Lesson Four Notes: pp. 452-458
IV. The Daily Life of Romans
A. Family and Society
1. Head of the Roman family was the father.
2. Fathers had limited powers over other members of the family, and could not punish without good cause.
3. Roman women ran the household. They also could inherit property and could run the family business, but really had little power outside of the house and could not vote.
4. Most parents gave their children some home schooling.
5. Rich families had the boys go to private schools to learn.
6. Daughters would stay home and learn household skills. Girls were usually married by age 14, boys a little later.
7. Patricians and Plebeians changed to upper and lower classes. A new middle class developed – prosperous business leaders and officials.
8. Slaves made up the lowest and largest class in society, about 1/3 of the population.
9. Slaves did a wide variety of jobs, including physical labor jobs.
10. Many revolted, but no revolts were successful. Thousands of slaves died in these revolts.
B. Roman Beliefs
1. Originally, Romans worshipped spirits of natural items including rivers, woods and fields. Slaves
2. They build shrines for these spirits.
3. Romans adopted Etruscan ideas of gods in human forms and rituals that could tell the future.
4. Romans adopted Greek gods and changed their names.
a. Zeus was changed to Jupiter
b. Hera was changed to Juno
c. Poseidon was changed to Neptune
d. Aphrodite was changed to Venus
e. Ares was changed to Mars
f. Apollo stayed the same Jupiter
5. From the Egyptians, the linked religion to government. Priests were government officials and the emperor was the head of the church.
6. Roman gods were symbols of the state.
7. Over time, even the emperor himself became a god; at first, they worshipped them after death, but later worshipped them as a god on earth.
C. Life in Roman Cities
1. At the height of the Roman Empire, Rome was nearly 1 million people.
2. Much of the city was unemployed and poor, making the city crowded, dirty and noisy.
3. They lived in apartments in small rooms with no water or toilets.
4. Fire was a constant problem.
5. To feed the poor, the government provided free grain.
6. Rich lived in large homes in the countryside.
7. Romans build sewers and plumbing systems to improve situations.
8. They build Aqueducts – a system of channels and pipes that carried fresh water into the city.
9. Many of these aqueducts still are in use today.
10. Public baths houses were for all classes and were used as social events.
11. To distract people from the problems of city life, the government provided entertainment at large public arenas.
a. Circus Maximus was a large oval stadium used for chariot races.
b. The Colosseum was another famous arena used for watching gladiator fights. Gladiators were trained warriors who would fight to the death.