1. Will your family life effect your future? Why do leaders want to keep people happy? How do they do so, and at what cost?

2. A Mix of People  At the height of their glory, Rome had the most beautiful monuments and buildings in the world.  The Roman Forum The Roman Forum

3. A Mix of People  Wealth and goods flowed into Rome from all over the empire.  Tourists and merchants flocked to the city.  Narrow streets were jammed with people and carts stuck in traffic.

4. A Mix of People  Society was made up of a few rich people, many poor people, and slaves.  Wealthy had luxuries like never seen before.  Most free Romans were poor and jobless surviving on handouts from the government.  (The grain-fields of Sardinia led to the fall of Rome?)

5. Luxury  The rich had elegant homes in city and country estates called villas, plenty of food in country.  They became famous for overdoing amounts of food.

6. Luxury  Wealthy Romans ate like the emperor, having large feasts, with wild game or a wild boar.  Special occasions required exotic dishes like flamingo, ostrich, or ape; sometimes a snack was a dormouse baked in honey.

7. Luxury  Feasts had entertainment with musicians, dancers, and performers reciting poems  (remember the rhapsodes of Greece.)

8. The Poor  The world of the poor was extremely different from life of wealthy.  People lived in large concrete apartments with public bathrooms at the end of the hall.

9. The Poor  Kitchens did not exist and some poor cooked on fires in the middle of the room.  Many carried food upstairs, waste and trash had to be carried down or thrown from a window.  Cool vocabulary: Defenestration!

10. The Poor  Most houses were made of wood, fires were frequent and deadly.  In 64 A.D. fire destroyed most of the city of Rome.

11. Bread and Circuses  Poor needed wheat to survive, when harvests bad or shipments late, poor rioted, emperors provided wheat to poor.  (The grain-fields of Sardinia led to the fall of Rome? Is this possible?)

12. Bread and Circuses  Emperors also provided entertainment, held in Colosseum in Rome itself.  Or, in other cities round arenas called Circuses were formed.

13. Bread and Circuses  Shows could be violent, the rich and poor crowded to see:  Animal fighting animal... lions and bears.  Animals fighting humans  Humans fighting humans  Army fighting army in recreations of famous battles.  Gladiators

14. Bread and Circuses  People would watch public executions, chariot races, plays by the Greeks, Jugglers, and other amazing feats.  The highlight was the gladiators, trained killers fighting to the death.  Surviving as a gladiator for ten years meant freedom.

15. Family Life  Many Romans had a strong sense of values, including family life.  Writings were discovered filled with happy family life, dedication and love.

16. Family Life  The Roman government rewarded families for having a lot of children.  The father (the pater familias ) was the absolute power in house.  In the early days, he owned his wife, children, slaves and furniture, and could sell his children into slavery.

17. Family Life  Women enjoyed freedom in proportion to husband’s wealth and status.  Wealthy women were extremely independent, wives of famous men became famous themselves.  Wives and mothers of emperors gained political power as well.

18. Slavery  Slavery was very common in Rome.  Every wealthy family had slaves, even poor families might own one.  A few slaves were paid for their work.

19. Slavery  Household slaves of the wealthy were well taken care of, yet had no rights.  The slave/master relationship varied: some trusting, used to raise children and companionship, rising to important positions in household.

20. Slavery  Most slaves led short brutal lives.  Slaves on farms worked chained together in the fields, even slept in chains.  Slaves in mines lived very short lives.  Gladiators risked death.  Warships were powered by trained slaves.

21. Slavery  Movement into slavery was usually by being conquered, incurring debt, or by birth.  Movement out of slavery was limited.  Some slaves saved tips to buy freedom. They might have special skills like chariot racers, or rarely, gladiators.