Daily Life in the Roman City

by Aldrete, Gregory S.

• ISBN13: 9780806140278
• ISBN10: 0806140275
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-03-30
• Publisher: Univ of Oklahoma Pr

Summary

Although most Romans lived outside urban centers, the core of Roman civilization lay in its cities. Throughout the empire these cities-modeled as they were after Rome-were strikingly alike. In Gregory Aldrete's exhaustive account, readers can peer into the inner workings of daily life in ancient Rome and examine the history, infrastructure, government, and economy of Rome, and life and death, dangers and pleasures, entertainment, and religion as experienced by its emperors and its emperors and its commoners.

Author Biography

Gregory S. Aldrete is Professor of History and Humanistic Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, and the author of Gestures and Acclamations in Ancient Rome and Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome and editor of The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life, Vol. 1: The Ancient world.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. xi
Chronology	p. xiii
Introduction: Roman Cities	p. 1
Ancient Roman Cities	p. 1
Goals and Structure of Book	p. 3
History of Ancient Rome	p. 7
Brief Survey of Roman History	p. 7
The Foundation of Rome	p. 9
Topography of the City: Rivers, Hills, Valleys, and Plains	p. 11
City Development in the Monarchical Period	p. 15
Republican Era Developments	p. 16
Imperial Rome	p. 18
Population of Rome	p. 21
Infrastructure of Ancient Rome	p. 25
Republican Aqueducts	p. 25
Imperial Aqueducts	p. 28
How the Water System Functioned	p. 30
Roman Sewers	p. 33
Roads	p. 36
Bridges	p. 39
Walls	p. 40
Government of Ancient Rome	p. 43
Citizenship	p. 43
The Magistrates	p. 44
The Voting Assemblies	p. 46
The Roman Forum: Buildings and Monuments	p. 47
The People of Ancient Rome	p. 55
Family Structure	p. 55
Women	p. 56
Marriage	p. 58
Children	p. 62
Education	p. 62
Slaves	p. 65
Freedmen	p. 68
Soldiers	p. 71
Living and Dying in Ancient Rome	p. 75
Domus: Private Homes	p. 75
Insulae: Apartment Buildings	p. 78
Health and Medicine	p. 80
Burial	p. 83
Funerary Inscriptions	p. 86
Wills	p. 91
Dangers of Life in Ancient Rome	p. 93
Fires	p. 93
Floods	p. 94
Sanitation	p. 97
Disease	p. 100
Crime and the Law	p. 103
Pleasures of Life in Ancient Rome	p. 107
Gardens	p. 107
Baths	p. 108
Food and Banquets	p. 111
Sex and Sexuality	p. 113
Entertainment in Ancient Rome	p. 119
Hoildays	p. 119
Gladiators	p. 121
The Flavian Amphitheator (The Colosseum)	p. 125
Chariot Racing and the Circus Maximus	p. 128
Beast Hunts	p. 134
Spectacles	p. 136
Theater, Dance, and Pantomime	p. 138
Religion in Ancient Rome	p. 141
Roman Religion	p. 141
Priests and Ritual	p. 143
Religion and Magic	p. 148
Temples	p. 150
Some Famous Temples at Rome	p. 151
Mystery Religions	p. 158
Christianity	p. 163
The Emperors and Ancient Rome	p. 167
The Palaces of the Emperors	p. 167
The Imperial Fora	p. 170
Victory Monuments	p. 176
Arches	p. 178
Columns	p. 181
Emperors Tombs	p. 184
The Economy and Ancient Rome	p. 187
Agriculture	p. 187
Employment and Commerce	p. 190
Roman Money	p. 195
Feeding the City	p. 196
Ostia: An Industrial Port City	p. 203
History of Ostia	p. 203
The Buildings of Ostia	p. 208
The People of Ostia	p. 213
Sea Travel	p. 215
Pompeii: A Time Capsule of Roman Daily Life	p. 219
History of Pompeii	p. 219
Public Buildings	p. 222
Private Homes	p. 226
Economy	p. 229
Daily Life	p. 230
Conclusion: Three Visions of Roman Urbanism: Rome, Ostia, and Pompeii	p. 235
A Brief Guide to Understanding Roman Names	p. 239
A Brief Guide to Roman Timekeeping and the Calendar	p. 241
A Brief Guide to Roman Clothing and Appearance	p. 245
A Brief Guide to Roman Construction Techniques	p. 251
The History of the City of Rome from Antiquity to Today	p. 255
Bibliography	p. 261
Index	p. 269
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