For a thousand years, Rome stood at the center of one of the largest empires in the history of the world. It was both the political and spiritual capital of a territory stretching from Britain and Spain the northwest to Egypt and Mesopotamia in the southeast. As the center of imperial life, Rome strove to outshine all other cities. The lives of its famous residents are well documented, but what about the average citizen who did not own slaves and lived on a private estate?
This book presents details about how the more than one million people lived in and around Rome at the height of its imperial glory. Most Romans males worked providing services, selling things, or had jobs in factories or in construction. Women stayed at home, ran the household, educated children, and entertained guests. Roman diets consisted mainly of bread, with cheese and a little meat when affordable, but also often included olives and figs. For entertainment, Romans enjoyed gladiator combat or chariot races. Roman children played in the streets and sometimes attended school, if their parents were wealthy enough to afford it. They had toys such as wooden dolls and horses, toy swords and shields, dice, and carved stones and clay figurines.
Over the years Emperors spent tremendous resources embellishing Rome, and making life easier for its citizens. Buildings like temples and baths, and infrastructures like sewers and aqueducts were designed to improve the quality of life of the residents of Rome. These buildings are also explored in this book.
Fans of history will appreciate the research and details included in this book, and will appreciate that though almost 2,000 years separate us, the ancient Romans led a similar life to ours today.
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