How to be a Roman: A Day in the Life of a Roman Family

Paul Chrystal

Jul 2017 · Amberley Publishing Limited

About this ebook

How to be a Roman is a fascinating guide to day-to-day life in ancient Rome. Explore the early Empire through the eyes of a typical Roman family – father, mother, son and daughter – and discover the daily routine of each member of a bustling Roman household. The lives of Roman men and women differed considerably: when a Roman husband might be standing up to speak in the Senate, his wife may be giving birth to the family's heir. The education experienced by their sons and daughters would also vary depending on their sex and their parents' expectations for their future. And a typical middle-class Roman family was not made up of the core relatives alone. Learn the daily routine of the various servants and slaves that would have dressed, fed and cared for their Roman masters, and meet the various merchants and tutors who offered the services that made the Roman way of life possible. All areas of life are covered in this comprehensive guide to life in ancient Rome: from getting dressed and eating breakfast to braving the busy markets and practising religion. There are parts of this daily routine that may seem startlingly similar to our own way of life, and of course there are areas that could not be more different (unless watching a gladiator fight or corresponding with a Roman general on the edge of Empire are usually included in your day-to-day routine)! This exciting book is aimed at 12–18 year olds and will allow them to discover ancient Rome as experienced every day by citizens and slaves alike.

About the author

Paul Chrystal was educated at the Universities of Hull and Southampton where he took degrees in Classics and wrote his MPhil thesis on attitudes to women in Roman love poetry. He appears regularly on BBC local radio the World Service as well as publishing features for national newspapers and history magazines. He has been history advisor for a number of York tourist attractions and is the author of many books on a wide range of subjects, including histories of northern places focussing on Yorkshire, social histories of tea, chocolate and confectionery and various aspects of classical literature and Roman history. Paul lives near York and is married with three grown up children.