Roman Life :: essays research papers

-BREATH- Since a Roman’s life is very busy and complicated, I picked a couple sub topics for my report. I picked daily meal routines like breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the Forum, Roman school, the public baths, and houses. -BREATH- Most sources say Romans ate three meals a day. The first two would be very small. -BREATH- The very poor people would be glad to even enjoy one meal a day. -BREATH- Breakfast, called ienaculum, would consisit of bread dipped in watered down wine. Sometimes a little honey would be used or dates and olives. -BREATH- Lunch, called prandium, if eaten at all, would be made up of fruits, bread, cheese, or leftovers from the previous night. -BREATH- Dinner, called cena, was the main meal of the day, served in the late afternoon. For the lower class, cena consisted of vegetables and olive oil. For the high class, it would be a seven-course meal. The typical dinner had three courses. -BREATH- The 1st course, called gustus, was appetizers. Mulsum (MULSUM!!!), wine mixed with honey, would be served along with salad, eggs, shellfish, mushrooms, etc. -BREATH- The 2nd course, the meat course, or called lena, would provide pork, poultry, fish, animals hunted, or exotic birds served with veggies. -BREATH- The final course, called the secundae mensae or second table was given its name because at dinner parties, the entire table was removed after the first 2 courses, and a new one was put in its place for desert. This course had fruits, honey cakes, nuts, and wine. -LONG BREATH- For my next sub topic is the Forum. The Forum was the main marketplace and the buisness center, where the ancient Romans went to do their banking, trading, clothes shopping, and marketing. -BREATH- It was also a place for public speaking. The ancient Romans were great speakers and loved to talk. They thought the job of an orator was not to argue, but to argue persuasively. People browsing the Forum would stop and listen, then go back and shop, and maybe leave a sacrifice at a temple or two. -BREATH- The Forum was also used for religous ceremonies and festivals. It was a very busy place! -LONG BREATH- My third topic is Roman school. In school, the goal of education in ancient Rome was to be an effective speaker. The school day began before sunrise, as did all work in Rome. Kids brought candles to use until daybreak. There was a rest for lunch and the afternoon siesta, and then back to school until late afternoon.