6.2 Daily Life and Customs in Archaic Rome

Roman housing reflected social hierarchies, from patrician domus to plebeian insulae. Living conditions varied widely, with the wealthy enjoying spacious homes and the poor crowding into apartments. Public works like aqueducts improved urban life for all.

Family structure centered on the paterfamilias, who held authority over the household. Extended families and slaves were common. Religion permeated daily life through state rituals and household worship. The economy relied on agriculture, crafts, and trade.

Housing and Social Structure

Living conditions across social classes

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• Patrician housing featured domus, large single-family homes with atrium central courtyards channeled rainwater to impluvium basins and included tablinum offices for receiving clients
• Plebeian housing consisted of insulae multi-story apartment buildings with upper-floor cenacula and ground-floor tabernae shops
• Rural housing ranged from villa rustica farmhouses for wealthy landowners to simple tuguria huts for peasants and slaves
• Building materials varied from wattle and daub for poorer dwellings to stone and concrete for wealthier homes
• Sanitation and water supply improved through public latrines, bathhouses, and aqueducts for water distribution

Roman family structure and roles

• Paterfamilias male head of household wielded legal authority over family members and controlled property and finances
• Materfamilias wife managed household affairs and supervised children's education
• Sons were groomed as future heirs and citizens while daughters forged potential alliances through marriage
• Extended family included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins living together or nearby
• Slaves and freedmen formed integral part of household structure performing various domestic duties
• Clientela system established patron-client relationships for social and economic support
• Marriage customs emphasized arranged unions for political and economic alliances
• Naming conventions utilized tria nomina system for male citizens (praenomen, nomen, cognomen)

Religion and Economy

Religious practices in daily life

• State religion overseen by pontifices college of priests and Vestal Virgins guarding sacred flame
• Household worship centered on Lares guardian deities and Penates gods of the pantry
• Agricultural festivals like Saturnalia winter solstice celebration and Lupercalia fertility festival marked seasonal changes
• Divination practices included augury interpreting bird signs and haruspicy examining animal entrails
• Temple worship involved votive offerings and animal sacrifices to appease gods
• Religious calendar distinguished dies fasti for legal and public business from dies nefasti prohibited for certain activities
• Founding myths of Romulus and Remus and Aeneas Trojan origins shaped Roman identity

Economic activities and occupations

• Agriculture focused on grain cultivation and olive and grape production for staple foods and trade
• Animal husbandry involved sheep and cattle raising for wool, meat, and dairy products
• Artisanal crafts flourished in pottery making and metalworking creating everyday items and luxury goods
• Trade and commerce centered in the Forum marketplace and expanded to long-distance trade with Etruscans and Greeks
• Mining operations extracted valuable resources like salt, copper, and iron
• Construction projects included road building and aqueduct and temple construction employing many workers
• Military service provided career opportunities for citizen-soldiers in the legion
• Slavery supported domestic service and agricultural labor throughout Roman society
• Professional occupations emerged for scribes, record-keepers, teachers, and tutors
• Political careers followed the cursus honorum sequence of public offices for ambitious citizens