Ancient Roman Life was Fabulous for the Rich
How satisfying it must have been to live in Ancient Rome in the first few centuries of our era. But only if you were rich! And a rich Roman was fabulously wealthy, as is to be expected in an imperialist society based on slavery.
Sumptuous homes, imported fabrics, great works of art, excellent entertainment, the finest of food imported from all over the Empire and that very essence of wealth - time.on your hands.
Some of the many luxuries enjoyed by well-to-do Ancient Romans were theatre-going, gym workouts and delicious dining in beautiful surroundings. People haven't changed in a couple of thousand years.
The Womens' World
The Culture of Beauty
Elegance, finery, and beautiful clothes are womens' badges, in these they find joy and take pride, this is the womens' world. (Livy)
Hairstyles, jewellery, cosmetics, skin-care and clothing were of great interest to Roman women. There's nothing unusual in trying to look your best, but the matrons of Rome spent inordinant amounts of time on self pampering.
- Ancient Roman cosmetic cream unearthed in 2003
- The remarkable preservation of the white cream in a tin canister could offer unique insights into 2000-year-old rituals
Portraits of Ancient Roman Women
The Power of Purple
Born into the purple
Clothes were as important a part of ancient Roman daily life as they are for Italians today.Ancient Roman clothing was a symbol of status and power and no other colour more clearly represented prestige than purple. Only the most expensive dyes were used to produce purple and so it became synonymous with wealth and power.
The dyes used for multicoloured tunics were made out of purple shellfish (with colors ranging from deep orange to a black purple) and was said to have left a faint odour that made the wearer "smell of money".
It took some 12,000 Murex shellfish to extract 1.5 grams of the pure purple dye. Legend tells us that Hercules discovered the dye when his dog munched on some snails along the Levantine coast and ended up with a purple mouth.
Most of the clothing fabric was of wool, with some linen imported from Egypt and, later in the Empire, silks or "serica" imported from far-off China. A convincing Wild silk was woven on the Greek Island of Cos. These were extremely light, transparent fabrics in gorgeous hues.
Romans loved colour and used it extensively in their homes and on themselves. We're used to thinking of Ancient Rome in terms of white - like the senator's togas and classical statues, but both statues and buildings were painted in bright colours. As colourful as the clothes, apart from the senatorial uniform.
Roman Remains in Bath
The Serious Matter of Bathing
A Roman would spend time in each one during a session at the baths before moving on to the exercise area (the palaestra), the swimming pool and the gymnasium.
Rich Romans. naturally, would have private baths installed behind the high walls of their homes, but a trip to the public baths, accompanied by slaves toting oils, unguents, hair rinses, mouth wash and skin creams was a social event. Friends would meet up for gossip and a great deal of networking was carried out in the relaxed atmosphere
Minerva in Silver
Ancient Roman Style Sterling Necklace
Minerva's worship was also taken out to the empire - in Britain, she was said to be Sulis, the local Goddess of Wisdom. She was the patron of the healing springs at Bath.
Minerva's Ancient Rome Sterling Silver Coin Necklace
Amazon Price: (as of 11/29/2009)
Add Minerva to your jewelry collection with this sterling silver coin necklace hung by a rolo rhodium chain.
A Day at the Races
Polydorus, a chariot driver from the Reds, and his lead horse, Compressor, are immortalised on a tile mosaic as if they were Heroes of the State.
Chariot racing was the most popular sport in Rome, and the best drivers (agitatores) from the teams of Red, Blue, Green and White enjoyed the same adulation that celebrity film stars receive today.
The upper classes had the best seats in the Circus Maximus (the Big Oval) where they could cheer on their favourites and, while nibbling on dried figs and imported dates, could place discreet private bets on the outcome of the races.
After a long and tiring day of betting and eating, the upper crust would be carried home in canopied litters to discuss, over dinner in the garden, the race results and to philosophise on the rewards and hazards of the race-course as a metaphor for life.
Life in Ancient Rome
A Virtual Tour
The Reality of Rome - virtually speaking.
A lovely tour through the ancient city
A Reminder of Rome
The Magnificent Mousepad
Ancient Rome Mouse Pad
Let your Mouse move on the Eternal City
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 11/30/2009)
What did the Ancient Romans eat?
Menus for Ancient Roman Meals
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Ancient Roman Recipes
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When we think of the food of Ancient Rome, it's usually images of huge banquets which come to mind. But there was a lot more to Roman food than exotic dishes served by slaves at orgies. Lavish feasts there were, but also perfectly ordinary meals,...
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- CoolFoto CoolFoto Nov 22, 2009 @ 9:04 pm
- I've been to Rome and stood in the Coliseum. It was a very moving experience after studying ancient Rome in school.
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- mulberry mulberry Nov 2, 2009 @ 1:25 am
- I guess it wasn't that much different than today. I've been to Rome, love the history. I don't know that there is a period of history I would actually want to live in, but wow, to be able to time travel and spend just a bit of time here and there would be fantastic. Guess this lens is the virtual equivalent!
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- Floorance Floorance Oct 27, 2009 @ 8:08 pm
- What an amazing lens!!! So beautiful and interesting!!! 5*!
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About Susanna Duffy
Lensmaster susannaduffy has been a member since September 25 2006, has rated 3,920 lenses, favorited 128, and has created 206 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Ancient Roman Recipes". See all my lenses
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- Living in Luxury in Ancient Rome
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