Читать книгу Phoebe Grant's Fascinating Stories of World Cultures & Customs - Phoebe LLC Grant - Страница 6

In ancient Rome, similar to the present, the day started out with breakfast. A wealthy Roman might have eaten meat, fruit, vegetables, bread, and honey, while a lower class Roman would have eaten just bread dipped in water.

After breakfast, Romans would get dressed, usually wearing togas. A toga was like a big sheet that wrapped around the body and draped over one shoulder.

Most of the time, Romans would spend quite a bit of time at the m the center of the city. The forum was a type of market where the people of Rome could do their banking, trading, and shopping. Rome participated in trade and these markets were also a place to go to acquire valuables from other places. Cultural events such as public speaking, festivals, and religious ceremonies were also conducted there.

The public bath was another place to which Romans tried to go at least once a day. At the baths, there were hot and cold pools, towels, slaves to wait on you, steam rooms, saunas, exercise rooms, and hair cutting salons. The baths could hold up to 1,500 people. Later in the day, the wealthier Romans would rest while the poorer Romans worked.

Entertainment was also important to the Romans. The ancient Greeks were intent on watching dramas from a grassy hillside outdoors, but the Romans, in their structured society, built special theatres especially for the plays. There were many theatres set up and they were all free to the public, so many people went to see the dramas that were performed. This gave the Romans a way to relax and to be entertained while they were in the city.

In Rome, the father was the head of the family; he owned the land, the servants, and all the property contained within it. If you were a Roman child, your parents would have taught you at home until you were old enough to go to school.

Mothers would teach daughters how to spin, weave, and sew. Fathers taught sons Roman laws, customs, history, and physical training that prepared them for war. The goal of school was to teach the children to be effective speakers. School started before sunrise in ancient Rome, and ended after sunset.

Weddings and funerals were two events that ancient Romans participated in. In a wedding, the bride would get ready and be escorted to her groom's home. She would sprinkle the door with sacred oil and then decorate it with ribbons. Her groom would then pick her up and carry her into her new home.

The ceremony would take place and the two would sign the marriage contract. After the ceremony there was a giant feast that the bride, groom and their friends and family would enjoy!

Funerals were much sadder than weddings. In ancient Rome, funerals were very noisy because mourners were allowed to show their grief. The deceased body was carried through the city while a flute and horn player followed with music. The procession would stop in the forum and a eulogy would be given about the person who died. Finally, when the burial destination was reached (usually outside the city walls) the body was cremated, the ashes gathered in an urn, and then placed inside a family tomb.