Daily Life, Work, and Leisure in Ancient Rome
A Roman’s Daily Routine
The typical Roman was an early riser, getting up at dawn. He would wash his hands and face, dress, and prepare for the day’s activities. Clothing usually consisted of a tunic and a toga.
The first activity was often the salutatio, where numerous clients would visit their patrons (wealthy employers or benefactors) to offer greetings (ave or salve). Many clients carried a basket (sportula) to collect food or a small sum of money for the day.
After this, the Roman had a frugal breakfast (ientaculum) and went about his occupations. The workday in Rome typically ended around noon. Lunch (prandium) followed the end of the workday.
After lunch, Romans usually took a nap (meridiatio) until about two o’clock. The afternoon was then devoted to leisure activities.
Dinner (cena) was eaten before sunset, and bedtime was typically early. Dinner usually consisted of three parts:
- Appetizers (gustatio): Snacks or hors d’oeuvres served with honeyed wine (mulsum).
- Main Course (primae mensae): Fish, seafood, or meat, accompanied by plenty of watered wine.
- Dessert (secundae mensae): Fruit and pastries.
In the homes of the wealthy, dinners often lasted until midnight or even late dawn. This frequently continued with a comissatio (drinking party), involving more wine, conversation, and entertainment such as dancers, mimes, acrobats, and clowns.
Roman Professions and Economy
Romans were primarily devoted to livestock and agriculture, which formed the core of the early economy. The word for money, pecunia, derives from pecus (livestock). Flocks were herded on the ager publicus (common pasture land). Romans cultivated vegetables, cereals, vineyards, and orchards.
As the city grew, new needs arose. The traditional profile of ranchers and farmers diminished, while a manufacturing and commercial city emerged, populated by merchants and craftsmen. Free men typically monopolized the professions considered noblest: judges, priests, and lawyers. Roman citizens also included financiers, traders, and artisans.
Leisure and Recreation in Rome
Roman youth favored gymnastics and sports in the Campus Martius (Field of Mars), near the Tiber River. Activities included horse riding, driving chariots at high speed, racing, swimming in the Tiber, and dancing.
Adults might play games like marbles or dice, or enjoy walking and chatting in porticoes and gardens.
The Roman Baths (Thermae)
The public baths (thermae) were central to Roman leisure. The essential parts included:
- Changing room (apodyterium)
- Cold bath room (frigidarium)
- Warm bath room (tepidarium)
- Hot bath room (caldarium)
Baths often had additional rooms for massage, gymnastics, and other activities. They were centers for social life, sports, and even intellectual pursuits. Large public baths featured open-air porticoes, gardens, promenades, shops, exercise grounds, gymnasiums, conversation rooms, libraries, museums, and art galleries.
Artisan Guilds (Collegia)
Craftsmen were often grouped into guilds (collegia) and sometimes occupied entire streets, which took their names (e.g., street of the dyers, street of the scythemakers).
King Numa Pompilius is traditionally credited with creating the first nine guilds:
- Musicians (tibicines)
- Goldsmiths (aurifices)
- Construction workers/Carpenters (fabri tignarii)
- Dyers (fullones)
- Shoemakers (sutores)
- Tanners (coriarii)
- Copper workers/Smiths (aerarii)
- Potters (figuli)
- A ninth guild encompassing all other trades.
Other important professions organized within these or similar guilds included:
- Blacksmiths (fabri ferrarii): Produced swords, knives, plows, sickles, etc.
- Goldsmiths (aurifices): Worked gold.
- Potters (figuli): Made pottery.
- Carpenters (fabri tignarii): Built beams, ceilings, and furniture (both practical and ornamental).
- Dyers (infectores or offectores): Dyed fabrics in various colors.
- Tanners (coriarii): Processed hides and skins, supplying materials for items like footwear.
- Bakers (pistores): Also involved in confectionery.
- Barbers (tonsores): Always busy, as Romans typically did not shave themselves.