Roman Life

Discover the life and society of the Romans with this collection of articles on all aspects of Roman life. Learn about their food and drink, social structure, politics, government, military, warfare & colonization, housing and architecture, arts, trade & economy, and more. Delve into the cultural practices and traditions of the Roman people to gain a deeper understanding of their way of life.

Representation of how Rome influenced Video Game design

25 July, 2024 - 21:20 ancient origins

Unearthing Ancient Rome's Influence on Video Game Design and Architecture

The ancient city of Rome has left an indelible mark on history, its influence extending far beyond the realm of politics and culture. One of the most modern areas where this legacy can be seen is in...

Archaeologists have uncovered remnants of an ancient Roman city beneath a 19th-century hospital in northwestern France. Source: Emmanuelle Collado/ INRAP

12 July, 2024 - 15:10 Gary Manners

Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Roman City in Rennes, France

In Rennes, northwestern France, archaeologists have uncovered remnants of a vibrant ancient Roman city beneath a 19th-century hospital. This significant discovery, initiated in 2022, is now revealing...

Roman baths at Bath, England. Source: bnoragitt/Adobe Stock

9 July, 2024 - 20:12 Nathan Falde

New Study Shows Britain Enjoyed Explosive Economic Growth in Roman Era

A fascinating new study has produced ample evidence to show that after the Roman Empire conquered Britain in the year 43 AD, the occupied region experienced a period of sustained and intensive...

The only known Lorica Squamata model legionary armor in the world, discovered at Satala Ancient City, Source: Turkish Ministry of Culture/via IHA

22 June, 2024 - 16:31 Gary Manners

One-of-a-Kind Roman Lorica Squamata Armor Restored

One-of-a-Kind Roman Lorica Squamata Armor Restored In an unprecedented conservation triumph, the only known example of Roman legionary Lorica Squamata armor, dated to be around 1500 years old, has...

Top view of the world’s oldest liquid wine

19 June, 2024 - 14:58 Gary Manners

World’s Oldest Wine Found - Imbued with a Cremated Roman Aristocrat!

A n extraordinary discovery was made in a Roman tomb in Carmona, Spain. Among the skeletal remains of six individuals, researchers found a glass funerary urn containing a reddish liquid. At over 2,...

Archaeologists at a re-erected Roman milestone on the Golan Heights Roman highway.

7 June, 2024 - 18:37 Nathan Falde

Key 2nd Century Roman Highway Exposed in Golan Heights

More than 18 centuries ago, the Romans built a two-lane highway that cut across the southern section of an area that is today known as the Golan Heights, which sits on the border between Israel and...

Bikini girls mosaic, Villa del Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicily, Italy

6 June, 2024 - 20:45 ancient-origins

How Did Busy Ancient Greeks and Romans Keep Fit and Healthy?

By Konstantine Panegyres /The Conversation Many people today worry about how to find time to keep fit and healthy in the midst of their busy lives. Believe it or not, but this was also a problem in...

3 June, 2024 - 17:17 Gary Manners

Ancient Roman Maritime Pavilion Excavated off Italy’s Coast

A significant archaeological discovery has been made off the coast of Campo di Mare, Italy, revealing a submerged Roman-era structure that once formed part of a grand villa complex. This find is the...

The Tyrian Purple pigment found at Carlisle Cricket Club Source: Wardell Armstrong

4 May, 2024 - 14:56 ancient-origins

A Regal Hue: The Discovery of Tyrian Purple in Roman Carlisle

In an extraordinary archaeological find at Carlisle, UK, researchers have unearthed what appears to be Tyrian Purple, a rare and historically significant pigment once reserved for the highest...

Sex scene in ancient fresco in Pompeii in the Casa delle Lupanare. Source: BlackMac/Adobe Stock

14 April, 2024 - 22:44 Aleksa Vučković

Roman Brothels, the Controversial Ancient Societal Hubs

Ancient Rome had a very vibrant and complex society, where prostitution played a major role. It was legal, licensed, and very common. In fact, brothels occupied a unique and controversial position in...

Roman Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Source: Sergey Yarochkin/Adobe Stock

12 April, 2024 - 20:39 Robbie Mitchell

Six Things That Made the Colosseum Unique (Video)

The Colosseum , an architectural marvel in Rome, is renowned for its unique features that set it apart from other ancient structures. Its oval design, accommodating over 50,000 spectators , ensured...

Representative image of the Roman cavalry. Source: furyon / Adobe Stock By Aleksa Vučković

5 April, 2024 - 17:48 Aleksa Vučković

Roman Cavalry, the Backbone of Rome’s Great Expansion

In ancient times, no army was truly powerful without a cavalry . The equivalent of modern tanks and special forces, cavalrymen were the terror of the ancient battlefields. A force to be reckoned with...

Building materials piled up ready for installation at the Regio IX part of Pompeii. Source: Pompeii Sites

2 April, 2024 - 22:33 ancient-origins

Preserved Building Site at Pompeii Reveals Roman Construction Techniques

New information relating to Roman construction techniques is emerging from the ongoing excavations at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. In the rooms of the ancient domus in Region IX, insula 10...

Left: The tiny votive axes were probably utilized within an ancient ceremonial practice. Right: Rolled up lead Roman curse tablets found at the site. Source: Red River Archaeology Group

2 April, 2024 - 17:47 Sahir

Remarkable Roman Villa Unearthed from a Bronze Age Site in England

A Bronze Age site in England, housing a ‘richly decorated Roman villa’ from a later period, has revealed a bounty of artifacts and architectural evidence, which includes aisled buildings adorned with...

Detail of the Roman cellar found in Frankfurt. Source: Thomas Flügen / Archäologisches Museum Frankfurt

28 February, 2024 - 21:46 Gary Manners

A Roman Wooden Cellar Unearthed in Frankfurt's Nida

In the heart of modern Frankfurt, Germany, a new window into the past has been uncovered. The recent archaeological discovery of a full, well-preserved Roman wooden cellar in the ancient Roman city...

Archaeologists survey the area near Trafalgar Square, London. Source: © Archaeology South-East

19 February, 2024 - 21:54 Gary Manners

Saxon ‘London’ Was Bigger Than Previously Thought

In a remarkable archaeological endeavor, the team from Archaeology South-East, a division of the UCL Institute of Archaeology, has made groundbreaking discoveries beneath the National Gallery at the...

Building blocks reclaimed from the ruins of the Roman legion base at Tel Megiddo. Source: IAA

14 February, 2024 - 21:22 ashley cowie

Archaeologists Unearth Largest Roman Legion Base in Israel

Archaeologists excavating at the foot of Tel Megiddo in Israel have uncovered “the largest Roman base” ever discovered in the country. Here, during the Roman occupation of Judea, a colony of highly-...

The Roman-era egg was cast into a watery pit, possibly as part of a funeral rite. Source: Oxford Archaeology.

13 February, 2024 - 21:42 Ed Whelan

1,700-year-old Egg Found at Roman Era Site Still Has Liquid Contents

An extraordinary discovery in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, has stunned archaeologists and scientists worldwide: a 1,700-year-old egg, is the only intact specimen from Roman Britain, and now considered...

Left; Cimex lectularius, bedbug. Center; Wing casings (elytra) of Oryzaephilus surinamensis found at Vindolanda. Right: Almost complete wing casing (elytron) of Aphodius sp. Source: Left; Daktaridudu/CC BY-SA 4.0, Center and Right; Katie Wyse Jackson/Vindolanda Trust

7 February, 2024 - 22:01 Gary Manners

Romans Look to Have Brought Bedbugs to Britain

In a fascinating addition to our understanding of ancient Britain, recent archaeological work at Vindolanda, a key Roman garrison south of Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, has unearthed evidence...

The Roman city at Silchester with grid road system and building locations map overlaid. Source: University of Reading

27 January, 2024 - 16:52 Gary Manners

Beneath Roman Britain - An Iron Age Settlement Is Revealed At Silchester

Five decades on from the start of an archaeological dig by the University of Reading, the findings of the investigation will be brought to the public, showcasing the incredible discoveries from...

Representation of Roman god Bacchus, renowned lover of Roman wine.

24 January, 2024 - 13:59 Sahir

Toasted Bread and Walnuts: The Secret to Sophisticated Roman Wine Revealed

Of the many cultural and physical remnants left behind by the Romans, along with everlasting concrete, a love of wine also endures. When the Roman poet Horace contemplates death, he was more...

Conservator Bethan Bryan with the Roman arm guard. Source: Duncan McGlynn / National Museums Scotland

22 January, 2024 - 23:56 ashley cowie

“Absolutely Amazing” Roman Arm Guard Pieced Together After 1,800 Years

Over 100 years ago, a Scot unearthed over 100 fragments of metal which he thought comprised a Roman chest guard. Now, National Museums Scotland have reconstructed the artifact and discovered that it...

An ancient Roman gladiator. Source: Luis Louro /Adobe Stock

21 January, 2024 - 19:51 Robbie Mitchell

The Reality of Gladiator Life and Their Training (Video)

In the world of gladiators , once perceived as either heroic warriors or despised villains, their existence is marked by brutality and ritualized training rather than the romanticized notions of...

Various shots of the mosaic now confirmed dated to the 5th century at Chedworth Roman Villa. Source: Stephen Haywood/Ian Shaw/ © National Trust Images

20 January, 2024 - 16:53 Sahir

Roman Mosaic Date Brightens Up Britain’s Dark Ages in More Ways Than One

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it’s popularly believed that its fall to ‘barbaric’ forces by the beginning of the 5th century, plunged all of Europe into a ‘Dark Age’, where towns and villas...