Download Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome
Life in Ancient Rome
Key Terms
• Gladiators
• Colosseum
Roman Values
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Discipline
Strength
Loyalty
It you had all these
qualities you were said
to have the virtue of
gravitas
• Strength > beauty
• Power > grace
• Usefulness > elegance
People of Rome
• Most lived in the
countryside and worked
on farms
• Merchants, soldiers,
slaves, foreigners, and
philosophers lived in
Rome and smaller cities
• Crowded, noisy streets
• Diverse society
Slavery in Rome
• Widespread and
important to economy
• About 1/3 of population
• Prisoners from
conquered lands
brought back by Roman
armies (men, women,
and children)
Slavery in Rome
• Slaves could be bought
or sold
• Considered property of
their owners
• Could be punished,
rewarded, set free, or
put to death as their
masters saw fit
Slavery in Rome
• In city and farms
• Usually treated cruelly
and did hard labor all day
long
• Usually slaves of wealthy
were treated better
• Some strong, healthy
male slaves forced to
become gladiators, or
professional fighters
Religion
• Polytheistic
• Gods and Goddesses were
guardian spirits of each
family
• Symbols of the states
• People were expected to
worship the gods
• Closely connected to
Greek gods
• Worship of emperors also
became part of religion
Life in Rome
• Wealth and social status
made a difference in
how one lived
• Rich lived extravagantly
• Large homes with
gardens, slaves, and
luxuries
• Parties for hours with
foods that were rare
and costly
• Roman Table Manners
Life in Rome
• Most people barely had
necessities for life
• Most of city’s
population was
unemployed
• Poor people crowded in
wood tenements, or
apartments
• Fire was always a
danger
City Life in Rome
Roman Toilets Video
Life in Rome
• Bath Houses were a
meeting place, bathing
place, and socializing
place
• Same gender only
• Romans were very clean
people
• Different types of pools
• Had stores and places to
eat
• Poor and slaves could not
use
Entertainment
• Free games, races,
mock battles, and
gladiator contests
• Provided by gov’t
• To distract and control
the large number of
people in the city
• 150 holidays a year
Gladiators
• Gladiators were used as
entertainment
• Fight animals
• Stage battle reenactments
• Fight each other
• Usually to the death of
something, sometimes
left up to the crowd
• Gladiator Fights
(Prisoner to Hero)
Reflection
Explain why you have wanted to or not wanted
to live in the Ancient Roman cities during Pax
Romana.