Classics - City life in the Classical
World: Option 2 - Rome (OCR)
State Gods and Godesses
Jupiter
Sky, King of the Gods and lightning
Neptune
Sea, Horses and Storms
Mercury
Messenger
Mars
War
Pluto
Underworld
Apollo
Archery and the sun
Juno
Marriage and Queen of the Gods
Venus
Love and Beauty
Minerva
Wisdom
Diana
The Hunt and wild animals
Vesta
Hearth
Ceres
Crops
Temples
Religious and other functions: the position of the altar, the cult statue, use by worshippers.
Sacrifice
Its purpose, surroundings, officials, animals, the ritual from the selection of the animal to the
disposal of the remains.
Life in the Home
The role of the paterfamilias: his rights over family members and slaves, his involvement in the
education of his son, duties connected with religion, family finance; his responsibilities towards his
clients.
The wife: status, rights and duties, daily activities, spinning and weaving, the supervision of slaves,
the wife as mother.
The dinner party (cena): the organisation, guests, entertainment, purposes
Slaves: ways to become a slave, skilled and unskilled slaves, the purchasing of slaves, duties inside
and outside the home for both male and female slaves, opportunities for freedom.
Education
The education of boys and girls in preparation for their adult roles.
Subjects studied at the schools of the litterator, grammaticus and rhetor; school equipment (stilus,
wax tablet, pen, ink, papyrus)
Typical Day at the Colosseum
The Colosseum: the arena, size, access, seating, structure
Animal shows: types of animal, the bestiarius, men versus animals, performing animals, fights
between animals, hunts.
Executions.
Gladiator shows: origins as funerary honours, types of gladiator; retiarius, secutors (samnite,
myrmillo), armour, weaponry, typical training for fights (ludi gladiatorii), oaths, status.
Audience involvement.
The significance of the shows for both the Emperor and his citizens.
Typical Day at the Race
The Circus Maximus: the day’s events. The arena, its structure, size, the seating, the track, the spina,
the metae, the carceres.
The teams and colours, the dangers, the status of charioteers and horses, public attitudes, audience
involvement, betting, the social significance of such events.