Everyday Life in Ancient Rome
In the last 2000 years, everyday life didn’t change that much, but at least we no longer have to do our business in company.
The year is 80 AD, Rome is the glittering capital of the world's most powerful state. In summer will the Colosseum be inaugurated with an unseen spectacle, that’ll last for 150 days. Let the games begin! The rich and the beautiful storm the VIP lodges under the motto of «see and be seen». If you are a peasant, you would also have the possibility to snatch an entry card and this would be one of the few pleasant moments in your daily grind. In the crowded city of Ancient Rome, with more than one million inhabitants, life is no picnic.
One’s own four walls
The housing situation in the Roman Imperial period can be compared to New York in the early 20th century. The Flats were small, stifling, and quite expensive. Even the worst of them could reach a price of 1000 sesterces per year, which was as high as the wage of a peon. Rooms were often sublet, and an average citizen had around three sq.m. (32 sq. ft.) of private space.
