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.

Skeletons from a vaulted chamber in Herculaneum. Source: L. Fattore, Sapienza University of Rome / Sciencemag

28 August, 2021 - 14:27 ashley cowie

Roman Diets Exposed: Who Ate Best? Elite Roman Men, Or Women?

Archaeologists in Italy have discovered significant ‘dietary gender differences’ in an exclusive pocket of the ancient Roman Empire. Skeletons found at Herculaneum have provided new insights into the...

The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators by American muralist Edwin Howland Blashfield. Source: Public Domain

27 July, 2022 - 14:58 Mark Brophy

5 Celebrity Gladiators of Bloodthirsty Ancient Rome

Fierce fighters, enslaved and forced into a world of violence and brutality, Roman gladiators provided gruesome entertainment to the Roman public, training for months in specialized schools managed...

Modern-day legislation has been heavily influenced by Roman law. Source: Anneke / Adobe Stock

12 June, 2021 - 02:03 John S. Richardson

Roman Law and Its Lasting Influence On the Legal System of Europe

During the creation of the mighty Roman Empire, between 753 BC and 1453 AD, the Romans not only created the political institutions of Roman governance, but they also set up a series of legal...

28 October, 2022 - 22:58 ashley cowie

Take Heed Of The Jovial Roman Skeleton

We’re back in Turkey for the second time this week. Having told the story of the excavation of the oldest church in the world, now we are covering the ancient Roman “Jovial skeleton”. Earlier this...

The discovery of the first ditch of the Roman fort. Source: Exeter City Council.

27 September, 2019 - 22:53 Ed Whelan

Roman Fort Discovered Hidden Beneath English Bus Station

A long-lost Roman fort has been uncovered during a construction project in the British town of Exeter. The discovery stunned archaeologists as there was no record to indicate that there was a...

This 2,000-year-old villa had luxurious ancient Roman underfloor heating. Source: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa

6 November, 2022 - 13:50 ashley cowie

2,000-Year-Old Roman Villa Found in Germany had Luxurious Underfloor Heating

In 15 BC the Roman Emperor Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, and his brother Tiberius attacked, subdued, and destroyed a Celtic settlement and founded the city of Cambodunum. Today, the foundations of...

English archaeologists have stumble upon a once-in-a-lifetime Romano-British settlement near Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire. This skeleton and a caltrop, a Roman era area denial weapon, similar to police spikes used to stop cars today, were unearthed at the Grange Paddocks site. Source: East Herts District Council

11 May, 2022 - 22:38 Nathan Falde

Archaeologists Stumble Upon Key Romano-British Trade Center

Archaeologists performing excavations near Bishop’s Stortford, an historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, have uncovered the ruins of a Romano-British settlement that served as a commercial...

The Classis Britannica was an important fleet in the Roman Navy. Source: RadoJavor/Deviant Art

29 July, 2020 - 13:59 John S. Richardson

Powerhouse of the Roman Navy: The Classis Britannica

The Roman Empire is perhaps best known for its legions, which were famous for their ability to overcome even their greatest defeats. However, while the legions of Rome were the all-conquering land...

29 October, 2020 - 23:49 B. B. Wagner

The Graveyard Prostitutes of Rome and Beyond

Ancient regulars of the world’s oldest profession may have grown bored with the “usual” items on the coitus menu. That may be why ancient Rome enjoyed a thriving sexual ecosystem with robust variety...

30 January, 2016 - 03:48 Natalia Klimczak

Gladiatrix: Female Fighters Offered Lewd Entertainment in Ancient Rome

Female gladiators (gladiatrix) were just a thing of legend for many years. However, decades of research have made it possible to finally confirm their existence and importance in the Ancient Roman...

"Ertränken im Fass oder Sack", a 1560 sketch showing ‘punishment of the sack’.

23 January, 2018 - 02:00 ancient-origins

Mythbusting Ancient Rome: Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Early Roman history is full of stories about the terrible fates that befell citizens who broke the law. When a certain Tarpeia let the enemy Sabines into Rome, she was crushed and thrown headlong...

Ribchester Helmet, discovered in the summer of 1796 by the son of Joseph Walton who was playing behind his father’s house in Ribchester, Lancashire, England

25 May, 2020 - 20:18 dhwty

The Sinister Roman Cavalry Helmet of the Ribchester Hoard

The Ribchester Helmet is a cavalry helmet dating to the Roman period in Britain. As indicated by its name, the helmet was found in Ribchester, Lancashire, in the northwest of England. The Ribchester...

31 December, 2020 - 14:04 Nathan Falde

Remote Sensing Technology Uncovers 66 “Hidden” Roman Bases In Spain

Utilizing advanced aerial imaging and state-of-the-art remote sensing techniques, a team of historical and archaeological researchers have been able to chart the location of 66 previously...

Top Image: Speleologists explore the Aqua Augusta, a Roman aqueduct that was previously the least-documented aqueduct in the Roman world. Source: Associazione Cocceius

4 February, 2023 - 21:55 ashley cowie

Uncharted Section of Augustan Aqueduct Discovered Beneath Naples

Built in the early first century BC during the Augustan era in Naples, Italy, the “Aqua Augusta” is one of the largest and most sophisticated aqueducts in the Roman Empire. Now, a previously unknown...

Roman inflation from 90 BC onwards eventually brought the Roman Republic to its knees! The Roman Forum, the financial and political center of the city and the Republic would have been a busy place as Roman inflation began to destabilize the entire Roman world. Source: Jebulon / CC0

12 April, 2022 - 14:58 Nathan Falde

Roman Republic Experienced Deep Financial Crisis in 90 BC, Study Shows

In the early first century BC, the Roman Republic experienced a multiyear financial crisis, which we can call “Roman inflation.” But while scholars knew that some kind of breakdown in the Roman...

12 June, 2021 - 22:55 dhwty

Hannibal: The Carthaginian General Who Took on the Romans

Hannibal Barca was a Carthaginian general who lived between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. He is perhaps best remembered for his military campaign against the Romans in the Second Punic War. Thanks to...

21 January, 2021 - 00:48 dhwty

High Fashion of Ancient Rome: Togas and Stolas

The toga is arguably the best-known garment from ancient Rome. Initially, the toga was worn both by male and female Roman citizens. Later on, however, the toga was used exclusively by men (high class...

Gladiators after the fight, José Moreno Carbonero (1882)

1 July, 2018 - 15:44 Julia Huse

Gladiators: Were any of them Christian?

The persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire is no secret. Christians posed a dangerous threat to the security of the Empire by refusing to worship the pagan gods, whose favor was seen as...

Reconstruction drawing of the communal latrines at Housesteads Roman fort (Vercovicium) on Hadrian's Wall. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2010).

12 July, 2015 - 14:30 Bryan Hill

Money Does Not Stink: The Urine Tax of Ancient Rome

The ancient Romans have passed many traditions on to modern day society, but they certainly had a different perspective on urine. It was seen as much more useful than today. They used it as a...

Various photos of the statue of a man holding a large phallus. Source: Noonans

2 March, 2023 - 17:59 ashley cowie

For Sale In Britain: A Small Ancient Man With A Colossal Penis

While metal detecting in a field, a British couple thought they found an ancient cart wheel piece, but it turned out to be a small human figure with a large bronze, hinged penis. Noonans auction...

An aerial view of the 2,100-year-old Roman camp of Lomba do Mouro at Melgaço, Portugal. Source: University of Exeter

29 June, 2021 - 01:56 ashley cowie

Oldest Roman Camp of Northern Hispania Found in Portugal

A vast 10,000-man Roman camp has been discovered in northern Portugal. Not only is it one of the biggest ever discovered, but it’s also the oldest ever discovered in northern Hispania (the name of...

Ruin of a second-century public toilet in Roman Ostia.

20 November, 2015 - 00:50 ancient-origins

Rats, Exploding Toilet Seats and Demons of the Deep: The Hazards of Roman Sewers

I have spent an awful lot of time in Roman sewers – enough to earn me the nickname Queen of Latrines from my friends. The Etruscans laid the first underground sewers in the city of Rome around 500 BC...

The extensive Roman road network has contributed to 2,000 years of economic prosperity for cities and towns that maintained them, according to a recent study. Source: Sean Gladwell / Adobe Stock

22 November, 2022 - 17:57 Sahir

Study Reveals Lasting Prosperity Along the Roman Road Network

Some 2,000 years after the Romans established their extensive road network, regions lying along it remain the most affluent, a recent study has found. The Roman road network links contributed to...

8 October, 2020 - 17:58 Saurav Ranjan Datta

10 Fierce But Often Forgotten Enemies of Rome

Rome, this very name conjures up images of an ancient empire so vast that experts from different ages have been spellbound by the unprecedented magnanimity of its reaches. Ancient Rome defined the...