Roman Britain - Everyday Life

1. The Romans built well-organised towns with amphitheatres, public baths and rows of open-fronted shops.

2. Roman towns had straight streets and neat rows of buildings.

3. Roman buildings were usually made from stone, brick or concrete, which the Romans invented.

4. Roman shops were open to the street and the goods on sale were usually made in the workshops inside

5. Shopping malls existed in larger Roman towns..

6. Roman women usually did the shopping, taking their servant with them to carry their purchases.

7. Roman towns often had amphitheatres and theatres for entertainment, and chariot racing in the nearby fields.

8. Public baths were very popular - they were an important part of Roman life and most tried to visit once a day.

9. The baths consisted of hot and cold pools, steam rooms, saunas and exercise rooms

10. Small Roman baths held 300 people, large ones 1500.

11. The Romans invented a hypocaust, a form of underfloor central heating, to heat their homes.

12. Men were in charge of the family, and made the important decisions, women ran the household.

13. Rich Romans lived in town houses which were built round courtyards and faced inwards as protection from burglars.

14. The Romans put mosaics on their floors and painted the walls.

15. Many Roman families had slaves.

16. The Romans believed in many different gods and goddesses and had a shrine to a household god in their homes.

17. Roman men wore knee-length tunics, fastened with belts and for important occasions they wore togas made out of wool.

18. Roman women wore a long tunic with a stola, which was a dress, over the top and belted at the waist.

19. The Romans held their clothes together with pins and brooches and both men and women wore leather shoes or sandals.

20. Roman women liked make-up and jewellery.

21. Roman children went to private school or studied at home, using wooden tablets and metal styli for writing.

22. Roman children had toys such as balls, hoops, board games, dolls and wooden swords.

23. At birth, Roman children were given a bulla, or amulet.

24. Girls wore this until they married and the boys until they were sixteen or seventeen.