Romans - Part 1

The city of Rome developed from a collection of villages along the river T in I. The Romans conquered I, E, parts of the M E and N A.

How do we know so much about the Romans: Archaeologists have discovered the remains of R t such as P.

Discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum:
In 79 AD the volcano V erupted covering Po in ash and pu. The ash helped pr the town.

Freeborn men and women were known as c. The rich were known as p, the poor as p. S were owned by patricians.

People in History: A Slave in Ancient Rome
Slavery was an i part of Roman c. Millions of slaves worked for the p. They had no r and were completely controlled by their ma.

People became slaves in different ways. Some were c in battle and others were b and sold by t. Sometimes c were sentenced to a life of slavery as p for serious offences. Others were b into slavery.

Slaves had to do all kinds of work. Depending on skills slaves could be trusted as c carers, t, c or d. Many G scholars were bought as p t for rich children. Slaves like these were often t well and allowed to earn f after a certain period of time. Some masters wrote in their slaves w that upon their d slaves could be set free.

A ceremony called m was held to mark the freedom of a slave. Slaves were set free when touched with a special stick called a v. They also wore a straw cap called the cap of l.

For many slaves however life consisted of tough m labour in salt mines and quarries. They often d at a young age. They were usually bought at s markets where they were paraded in front of masters. The stronger and yonuger slaves were always more e.

Other slaves chosen to become g, which offered better conditions during training and a possible path to freedom, but many died before they could reap the benefits.

Housing:

A rich Roman's house was called a d. Beyond the hall was an entrance called the a. There was a p (garden) at the back. The kitchen was called a c and the bedrooms c.

The houses were beautifully decorated with m and m. They usually had running water from the a system.

Most Romans lived in i (modern day flats). Most were around five or six stories high. Stepping stones were placed along the road by these insulae to avoid the rubbish and dirt.

Arts and Crafts:

Rich Romans had mosaics or f painted by artists in their homes. Romans were also skilled potters. Romans also discovered glass-blowing.

The Forum:

The Forum was the market place at the centre of Rome. Here people bought f. It was very busy, especially on every e day when a market was held. A long road called the V S runs through the centre of the forum.

Food:

Food like do, pig, boar's head, honey c and g were served. The guests usually l around the dinner table. No k or forks were used. Poor people ate s, cheap m and some received free grain known as the d.

Clothes:

Most Romans wore a t (a type of dress). Men usually wore a t over their tunic. Women wore a cloak called a p. Both men and women wore leather s.

Pastimes:

C racing was probably the most popular sport., usually held in the C M. Racing consisted of s laps around an o shaped track.

The Colosseum:

Games were held in specially built arenas usually between g. After some time a were built to hold these games. The largest of these stadiums was The C. Sometimes gladiators fought blindfolded or against wild a. The e decided if the winning gladiator should live or die by giving him a t up or a thumbs down. After many fights some gladiator s were presented with a w s signalling their freedom.

The Baths:

People went to baths to talk, relax and socialize. The f was a cold room, t was a warm room and the c was a hot room. Roman's didn't use soap, but oil instead. They exfoliated with a stick called a s. The baths also contained a gym, b, restaurants and libraries.