The Life of an Ancient Roman
by Many of us have false ideas of the everyday life of a Roman. Did slaves really wear dog tags? Were criminals mauled by bears and lions in the Colosseum? Here are five interesting facts, you may not have know!
Reclining to Dine
Have you ever laid back on your couch and ate your dinner? Well, that is exactly what the wealthy ancient Romans did. They positioned themselves lying on their side, supporting themselves with their left elbow. At official dinner parties the placement of the guests displayed social status. While eating, sometimes they would gaze down at mosaics on the floor. Popular mosaics in the dining area were that of Dionysus (the God of wine), and Aphrodite (the God of sexuality).
Gruesome Entertainment
Criminals in ancient Rome were often used for entertainment purposes. Displays of punishment or forms of execution were held in places such as the Colosseum. There are many cases were criminals were tied to stakes in the center of the theatre and mauled by lions or bears. Other convicted criminals were made gladiators; and often the decision on whether or not they lived was in the emperor’s hands. Wild beasts, such as elephants, tigers, and gazelles were put in the amphitheatre to fight eachother. “Beast Hunts” also occurred, where a trained gladiator would fight a starving animal.
Roman Loos
Plumbing in ancient Rome was surprisingly good. Some of the facilities were very large, seating anywhere from 10-30 people. There was no stalls, and therefore, no privacy. Near the toliets was a bucket of water which contained sponges on sticks. These sanitory things were used instead of toliet paper. How enviromentally friendly is that!
Slaves Wore Dog Tags?
On large plantations slaves usually vastly outnumbered the master. One Roman master apparently had over 50,000 slaves! It was because of these large numbers that some Roman masters made their slaves wear ceramic or metal plaques on chians. These were used as a type of dog tag, so if their slave managed to escape, they’d have a better chance of finding them. Occasionally these tags were attached to belts that the slave wore. Rules were strict and so many slaves did not dare to run away. For example, if one slave ran away, all the rest of the slaves were killed.
Exposing a Child to Die
One of the hardest aspects to understand about the Romans, was how they could leave one of their own children to die? The power of a father in ancient Rome was great. It was his decision, and his decision only, for wether a child of his would live or die. Women had no decision in whether or not they wanted to expose the child. Most of the children who were exposed were females, or males who appeared weak. If a father suspected that the child was illegitamate it was exposed. This “exposure” meant that an infant was left outside in the elements to die. Many of these children were found and sold into slavery. Infants who were disabled or deformed in some way were drowned.
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