What If You Lived in Ancient Rome?

Throughout history, there have been many incredible civilizations that have shaped the way we Live Today. One was Ancient Rome, a once majestic and thriving city whose strong foundations live on to this day. Yet despite all its grandeur, life as an average citizen in Ancient Rome was hard and unforgiving. What strange customs did the Romans have? What was the life expectancy of an average citizen? And what did the Romans do for fun? This is what if, and here's what would happen if, you lived in ancient Rome. Let's imagine you woke up sometime between 27 BCE and 180 CE, the golden age of Rome. Known in Latin by the Romans as Pax Romana or Roman Peace, this epoch began when Augustus came into power after his father, the infamous Julius Caesar, was assassinated. With Augustus on the throne, Rome began a period of rapid development. At its peak, it was home to over 1,000,000 people. It was a truly golden era of architecture, science, art, entertainment, and economic growth. It was a time of peace and prosperity if you were rich. OK, so what's the catch? Well, unless you were part of the 1% that controlled 16% of Rome's wealth, life was tough as a citizen. Up to 50% of all Roman children died before the age of 10, and most adults were lucky if they lived long enough to see their 50s. Even though things were peaceful, battles still happened and soldiers were in demand. Roman armies at this point were largely made-up of volunteers who were hoping for a better chance at life. Most soldiers came from the poorest social class and were stationed at the borders of the empire where the most trouble was expected. As a soldier, you were able to settle in the land where you were stationed once you retired, and if you were particularly good with a sword or a bow, you might be hand picked to join the special forces designed to protect the Emperor or maybe to climb the ranks as a gladiator. They were treated like celebrities, well, at least the ones that survived. With a large portion of the men away from home working as soldiers, women gained more autonomy during this period, serving important roles as city councillors, lawyers, teachers and more. Some women were even gladiators. However, the men in the family still had the privilege of handling the matters of property and finance. Most of the poor lived in cheap wooden houses. Many of them lived in the city slums where crime was rampant. You might find the Emperor Augustus's police force or Cohortes Urbanae patrolling some parts of the city, but generally the poorer areas were lawless and dangerous. Whether you were a soldier, a philosopher, or senator, most Romans ate a similar diet of bread, cheese, grapes, nuts, olives, and meat. If you could afford it, you could eat out at one of the many bakeries in the city. To wash things down. You'd have the option of thick milk, watered wine, or fruit juice. That doesn't sound too bad to me. After lunch, many Romans went to the bath house to swim, play sports, bathe or get a massage. And dinner was just a few hours later, around 4:00 or 5:00 PM in the afternoon. OK, where do I sign up? While many Romans had this luxury, a large portion of them were slaves or clients for rich families. In this patron client system, people were sold and forced to help with all kinds of work, from hard menial labor to highly skilled jobs like teachers, accountants, and doctors. If they were lucky, their patrons would give them a good dinner and they would go home with pockets full of food, and if they did really well, they would eventually be freed. Some poor people were desperate enough to sell their children in times of hardship. Speaking of hardship, if you needed to use the washroom, you could visit one of Rome's public toilets housing over 10 toilet seats out in the open. Oh, that's intimate. These weren't exactly the cleanest toilets. And instead of toilet paper, Romans had a stick with a sponge at the end that they would share. I'll stick with my bidet, please. And when it was time to clean up, many Romans used urine from humans or animals to decontaminate surfaces, treat infections, and even to wash their laundry. It might sound strange, but urea in urine breaks down into ammonia, a strong cleaning agent found in most cleaning supplies today. And if you happened to get sick with epilepsy, you might be prescribed some gladiators blood or liver to consume. Thanks, but no thanks doc. If you managed to save up a little money, you could go shopping at the Trajan's Market, the first ever mall in the world. Or if you were craving more excitement, how about a chariot race at the Circus Maximus? Or an epic gladiator battle? Maybe some theater. And for the budget minded, there were plenty of public executions to go around. But if history is your entertainment of choice, have you ever wondered what the world would be like if Christopher Columbus never discovered America? Well, that sounds like a story for another What if?