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.

The Egyptian emeralds would have looked this these (from Brazil) when taken from the ground. (Géry Parent / CC BY-ND 2.0)

6 March, 2022 - 18:00 ashley cowie

Vast Roman-Period Emerald Mines Revealed in Egyptian Desert

A topographic scan of emerald mines in Egypt’s Eastern Desert has revealed scores of time locked chambers, tunnels and sacred spaces dating to the Graeco-Roman and Byzantine periods. Emerald mines...

31 March, 2017 - 18:54 Kerry Sullivan

Were Catapults the Secret to Roman Military Success?

The Roman Empire conquered the known world in large part due to its army. The Roman Army was a formidable force of training and discipline led by military minds who established organizational and...

What was daily life like in ancient Rome?

14 February, 2021 - 12:38 John S. Richardson

Dawn to Dusk: The Highs and Lows of Daily Life in Ancient Rome

Living in the Mediterranean, daily life in ancient Rome revolved around the climate. Unlike the more northern Europeans of the past and today, the ancient Romans started their days early in the...

Two gladiators bear-baiting also depicted on the Colchester vase. (Carole Raddato / CC BY-SA 2.0)

6 March, 2023 - 21:53 Gary Manners

Colchester Vase is First Proof of Gladiator Tournaments in Roman Britain

New research has revealed evidence that gladiatorial combat took place in Roman Britain in the late second century AD. The evidence of these bloody battles was found on a vase discovered in a Roman...

Roman executions at the Colosseum were a gruesome affair, as depicted in The Christian Marturs' Last Prayer by Jean-Léon Gérôme. Source: Public domain

28 May, 2021 - 19:01 Mauro Poma

Roman Executions in the Colosseum: The Stories of Laureolus and Androcles

Public order in ancient Rome was a priority for the elite, who contrived a range of gruesome punishments for purportedly serious crimes deserving the death penalty. As a result, a day of fun and...

Deriv; Left, Roman legionnaire reenactor in period gear. Right, Jabbaren rock painting (Via author)

27 August, 2016 - 03:48 Clyde Winters

The Giant of Algeria: Iconographic Evidence of Roman Expeditions in the Sahara

There are thousands of rock engravings at the dramatic rocky landscape of Jabbaren, Algeria. Jabbaren is an archaeological site in the Tassili N'ajjer National Park in Algeria with some of the most...

Alexander driving off elephants with war pigs and musical instruments in a detail from a French illuminated manuscript from 1420’. Source: The British Library / CC BY 4.0)

22 August, 2022 - 18:51 Sahir

War Pigs: A Flaming History of Nature’s Cutest Creations in Battle

Throughout human history, animals have been effectively domesticated and used as an extension of the territorial desires of human beings. While dogs and cattle became effective elements in the...

Three gold coins on the seabed. Source: Copyright University of Alicante.

26 September, 2021 - 14:44 Sahir

Divers Find Huge 1,500-Year-Old Roman Coin Hoard off The Spanish Coast

Two amateur divers cleaning trash from the seabed of Alicante while holidaying off the coast of Spain have uncovered a cache of 1,500-year-old gold Roman coins. Numbering 53 in total, the gold coins...

3 February, 2018 - 01:55 aprilholloway

Romans Mastered Nanotechnology and Used it for Eye Catching Decoration

A strange chalice made its way into the British Museum’s collection in the 1950s. It is a 1,600-year-old jade green Roman artifact called the Lycurgus Cup. The image on the chalice is an iconic scene...

5 February, 2021 - 13:55 Nathan Falde

Vatican City’s Necropolis Shows How Roman Non-Elites Lived and Died

Beneath Vatican City, excavations of a Roman era necropolis have revealed fascinating details about Roman burial rituals and funerary practices from the first through to the early fourth centuries AD...

The Roman ruins at Valeria in Castilla-La Mancha. Source: Cultura Castilla-La Mancha

22 July, 2021 - 15:05 Cecilia Bogaard

Valeria: Thriving Roman Holiday Resort Emerging From Abandoned Ruins

Standing at these Roman ruins in the Spanish province of Cuenca, it’s hard to imagine that Valeria was a bustling Roman city 2,000 years ago. “You have to imagine a visitor entering the city through...

15th century the basement of a "market house" used as a prison

25 October, 2015 - 13:21 dhwty

Prisons and Imprisonment in the Ancient World: Punishments Used to Maintain Public Order

One of the most well-known forms of punishment today is imprisonment. One could argue that for any society to function properly, public order has to be maintained. This is an important function of...

30 October, 2019 - 12:49 dhwty

Ostia Antica: The First Roman Colony

Ostia Antica is an archaeological site located on the outskirts of Rome . Although the Romans referred to the site as Ostia, this article will use the term Ostia Antica, so as to avoid confusion with...

The Russian Compound excavation site in central Jerusalem and the Roman siege engine ballista stones found there, which were then used to plot the launch location of the projectiles. Source: Yoli Schwartz / Israel Antiquities Authority

11 August, 2022 - 18:53 ashley cowie

Roman Siege Engines Tracked and Traced in Jerusalem

An Israeli archaeologist has been digging up and plotting the location of big roundish rocks in a specific area of ancient Jerusalem. But these are no building blocks, quite the opposite. They were...

31 March, 2017 - 01:53 ancient-origins

Tiller the Hun? Farmers in Roman Empire Converted to Hun Lifestyle

Marauding hordes of barbarian Huns, under their ferocious leader Attila, are often credited with triggering the fall of one of history's greatest empires: Rome . Historians believe Hunnic incursions...

29 December, 2020 - 14:01 John S. Richardson

Classis Ravennas and the Defense of the Roman Empire

For almost 500 years, Classe was an important Roman seaport right up until the early Middle Ages. Protected by surrounding marshes, Classe was well placed for patrolling the Adriatic Sea , but the...

Remains of the Roman toy dog reveal its tiny stature and a healthy diet similar to its owners. Source: Martínez Sánchez / University of Granada

26 March, 2020 - 22:01 Ed Whelan

Ancient Remains Reveal the Romans Had ‘Toy Dogs’ Too

Research in Spain reveals that the Romans loved miniature or toy dogs. In antiquity, many members of the elite had pampered pets. Just as today, many celebrities have ‘toy dogs’ such as chihuahuas...

12 August, 2021 - 18:47 ashley cowie

Artifact Reveals People Were Fed To Lions In Roman Britain

Archaeologists have presented gory visual evidence that problematic people were fed to lions in Roman Britain. Excavations at a Roman house in Leicester, England in 2017 unearthed a dirt-caked bronze...

A 1593 edition of the Corpus Juris Civilis.

22 November, 2018 - 22:41 Mark Miller

Corpus Juris Civilis Law: Created by a Byzantine Emperor and Still Relevant in Courts Over 1,500 Years Later

By the time of Byzantine Emperor Justinian’s reign in the 6th century AD, the Western Roman Empire was kaput, lost to waves of Germanic invaders from the North. Justinian was determined to recapture...

Statue of Boudicca commissioned by Queen Victoria (Rixie / Adobe Stock)

4 January, 2023 - 23:09 Rebecca Batley

Venta Icenorum: Excavating Romans In Boudicca’s Lands

Today the sleepy village of Caistor St Edmund in the country of Norfolk with its typical church spire and green, seems unremarkable but 2,000 years ago the terrain helped shaped the future of the...

Roman emperor in Rome. Source: Giordano Aita / Adobe Stock.

22 April, 2023 - 16:59 Robbie Mitchell

Walking in the Footsteps of Ancient Romans: A Tour of Rome's Streets and Buildings (Video)

The ancient city of Rome was a marvel of architecture and engineering , with impressive buildings that still inspire awe today. The Colosseum , with its massive amphitheater that could hold up to 80,...

An ancient cooper fish hook used to hunt sharks was found on Israeli coasts. Source: Israel Antiquities Authority

3 April, 2023 - 17:08 Robbie Mitchell

The Final Journey: What Happened When a Roman Soldier Died? (Video)

The Roman Empire was built on the backs of its soldiers , who marched and fought tirelessly to expand its borders and fend off its enemies . But what happened when a Roman soldier died? How did the...

From the Old Colosseum, by Valdemar Irminger. Source: Public domain

27 November, 2022 - 18:00 Robbie Mitchell

10 Shocking Facts about the Ancient Romans

When studying ancient societies, it isn’t uncommon to experience some culture shock. Even after researching a society for years, you’ll come across something that will stop you straight in your...

Backgammon as depicted from the 14th century Codex Manesse. Source: Public domain

29 June, 2022 - 15:00 Mark Brophy

The 5,000-Year-Old Ancient History of Backgammon

Despite its modern popularity, not many know that backgammon is actually one of the oldest board games known to man. The story of backgammon stretches back 5,000 years and around the globe, spanning...