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The Romans – Gladiators

It is believed that the first gladiators were slaves who were made to fight to the death at the funeral of Junius Brutus Pera. The spectacle was arranged by the dead man's relatives to honour his death. The tradition was copied at other funerals and then became staged events put…

The Romans – Housing

Ancient Roman housing was bereft of modern conveniences such as indoor plumbing, but they were surprisingly sophisticated as well. There were big differences between the housing of the rich and the poor in Roman times. Poor Romans lived in insulae. An insulae consisted of six to eight three-storey apartment blocks,…

Romans Clothing: What Did They Wear and Why?

Roman clothes were made of wool, spun into cloth by the women of the family. Later on the richer people had slaves to do this work for them. If you could afford to buy clothes, you could buy linen, cotton or silk, which was brought to Rome from other parts…

Roman Food: Plain Sustenance for a Powerful Empire

Despite the opulence of the city of Rome, and the power of its imperial army, Roman food was quite plain by modern standards and served in small portions. As such, the Romans did not eat huge meals. Their main food was pottage. Pottage is a kind of thick stew made…

Who were the Romans? – The Legend of Rome

A legend is a story about a person who did something heroic. It is not based on fact nor can it be said to be the truth. Roman children were told the following legend about how the city of Rome was built. Romulus and Remus Romulus and Remus were twin…