Daily Life in Ancient Rome

Anybody could apply to be a Roman citizen, but not everybody who applied was fortunate enough to become a citizen. Unlike the Greeks, the Romans were down-to-earth. Also unlike the Greeks, the Romans were realists This can be seen in Roman statues/art. Romans would show things the way they really were, not the way they were "supposed to be".

The Romans were great builders. There were many roads built all over the empire Rome. Every single one of the roads led to Rome. The Greeks had roads as well, but they weren't as high of quality as those of Rome. They also didn't connect in any particular order, since they had nothing to connect to. They didn't have anything to connect to because Greece was divided into city-states. Whereas Rome was the center of the empire.

"For the majority of persons dining in Ancient Rome, meals were centered around corn (grain), oil and wine, and, for the wealthy, different types of exotic foods. Cereals were the staple food, originally in the form of husked wheat (far) being made into porridge (puls), but later naked wheat (frumentum) was made into bread. Bread was the single most often eaten food in Ancient Rome, and was sometimes sweetened with honey or cheese and eaten along with sausage, domestic fowl, game, eggs, cheese, fish, or shellfish."(source)

Roman men wore togas over a tunic. Togas were expensive and made of heavy white wool. They were expensive because they were made well. It required to be cleaned very often. There were many different types of togas...

"*Toga Praetexta: Characterized by a purple stripe, worn by curule magistrates as well as boys until the age of 15 or 16.

*Toga Virilis: The plain toga of a typical citizen. Worn by boys after age 15 or 16

*Toga Picta: A crimson toga embroidered with gold, donned by victorious generals in triumphal processions and the emperors.

*Toga Candida: A toga given a shiny, glossy look by rubbing it with chalk, worn by people running for public office.

*Toga Pulla: Made of natural black wool and worn in funerals." (source)

Roman women wore tunics. And married women wore a stola over the tunic. Most Roman women wore their tunics gathered at the side with a brooch. This was the most common way Roman women dreesed.

"In terms of makeup, a woman's face powder was a mixture of powdered chalk and white lead. Rouge for cheeks and lips was acher or the lees of wine. Eyebrows and eyelashes were blackened with ashes or powdered antimony, and teeth glistened with enamel. A lady chose her jewels, a diadem of precious stones for the hair, earrings, at least one necklace, rings for her fingers, bracelets for her wrists, and circlets for her ankles. "(source)

Barnett, Mary. Gods and Myths of the Romans: the Archaeology and Mythology of Ancient Peoples. Smithmark Publishers. New York. 1996

Hadas, Moses. Imperial Rome. Time Inc Publishers. Canada 1965