Ancient Rome Expert Answers Roman Empire Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED
Summary
TLDRIn this informative video, Professor Lauren Ginsberg debunks myths and answers internet queries about Ancient Rome. She discusses the ceremonial use of togas, the practicality of Roman clothing, and the innovative use of urine for cleaning. She clarifies misconceptions about 'vomitorium' as exit pathways, reveals snacking habits in the Colosseum, and delves into the durability of Roman concrete. The professor also touches on gladiators' battles with lions, the Romans' advanced surgical tools, and the vibrant colors of their statues and buildings. She addresses the social aspects of Roman life, including public toilets, children's toys, and the rights of women, concluding with the complexities of defining Roman emperors and the pantheon of gods they worshipped.
Takeaways
- 👘 The average Roman did not wear a toga daily; it was a ceremonial garment due to its complexity and length.
- 🧼 Romans washed clothes in urine which breaks down into ammonia, a common ingredient in modern cleaners, for its cleaning properties.
- 🏟️ The term 'vomitorium' in ancient Rome referred to large stairways for quick evacuation of large venues, not places for vomiting after overeating.
- 🍇 Romans snacked on nuts, fruits, and grilled meat during events at the Colosseum, as discovered from residues found in the sewers.
- 🏛 Ancient Roman concrete has superior qualities, including rapid hardening and self-healing properties, due to the use of quick lime and lime clasts.
- 🦁 Gladiators fought lions in the Colosseum, but many survived and retired, indicating fights were often choreographed rather than deadly.
- ⚕️ Romans invented and used surgical tools that are strikingly similar to those used today, demonstrating their advanced medical practices.
- 🍷 Roman bars, or 'tabernae', were social hubs where people could get food and drink, much like modern neighborhood bars.
- 🎨 Greek and Roman statues were originally painted with vibrant colors, contrary to the pristine white marble appearance often associated with them.
- 🛏️ Roman sexual behavior was diverse and open, with access to contraception and a wide range of sexual expressions.
- 🤴 There is no definitive 'best' Roman emperor, as the concept of a fair ruler in the context of an autocratic empire is subjective and complex.
Q & A
Why did Romans wear togas and when were they typically worn?
-Romans wore togas as a ceremonial gown, and it was not common for the average Roman to wear a toga in everyday life due to its length and complexity. The toga was recognized as a symbol of status and was worn during formal and religious occasions.
What was the basic Roman garment worn by people of any status?
-The basic Roman garment was the tunic or tunica, which was essentially a long T-shirt worn by individuals of any status, male or female.
Did Romans really wash their clothes in urine and why was it effective?
-Yes, Romans washed their clothes in urine because it breaks down into ammonia over time, which is a caustic substance that cleans effectively. The process involved soaking clothes in concentrated urine and then washing them with clean water in multiple vats.
What is the true meaning of 'vomitorium' in Ancient Rome and how is it misunderstood today?
-The term 'vomitorium' comes from the Latin word 'vomit' meaning 'to send forth' and referred to large stairways designed to quickly disperse crowds from stadiums and theaters. It is often mistakenly believed to be a place for Romans to vomit after overeating.
What snacks did the Romans consume in the Colosseum based on recent archaeological findings?
-Archaeological excavations in the Colosseum's drainage system revealed that Romans snacked on nuts, fruits like figs, peaches, and grapes, and also grilled meat on portable grills or braziers during events.
Why does ancient Roman concrete outperform modern concrete and what is the secret behind it?
-Ancient Roman concrete contains lime clasts that are believed to be a result of using quick lime, which superheats the chemical process of concrete hardening and allows it to be self-healing to some extent. This contributes to its durability and resistance to stress.
Did gladiators in Ancient Rome really fight lions and how often did they die in these encounters?
-Yes, gladiators fought lions in the Colosseum, but the frequency of their deaths was not as high as one might think. Many gladiators had successful careers, winning multiple competitions, and deaths were often prearranged.
What surgical tools did the Romans invent that are still in use today?
-Romans did not invent but perfected surgical tools such as scalpels, tweezers, and forceps, which are still used in modern medicine with similar designs and materials.
Did Ancient Romans have bars and what were they like?
-Ancient Romans had bars called tavernas where people could get drinks and food. Excavations in Pompeii revealed that these bars were social hubs in neighborhoods, similar to modern neighborhood bars.
Were Greek and Roman statues actually painted as suggested by recent findings?
-Yes, Greek and Roman statues were painted with vibrant colors and patterns. The Romans were skilled painters and would have found plain white marble statues and buildings to be boring.
What misconceptions exist about the sexual behavior in Ancient Rome and how did Romans view sex?
-Romans had a diverse and open sexual culture with sex happening both inside and outside of marriage for pleasure and procreation. They had access to contraception and had a spectrum of sexual behaviors and interests, contrary to the misconception of Ancient Rome being a 'sexual free for all'.
How did the Romans produce their coins and what materials were used?
-Roman coins were produced through a hand stamping process using molds for the coin's design and metal discs for the base material. The images on both sides of the coin were imprinted by striking the mold with a hammer.
What were the leisure activities of Ancient Romans and did they have holidays?
-Ancient Romans enjoyed leisure time at the coast, especially in the Bay of Naples, and had seaside villas for extended spa-like vacations. Additionally, they celebrated over 100 public holidays featuring various entertainment spectacles like gladiatorial matches and theatrical performances.
What can be inferred about the daily life of an average Roman citizen?
-The daily life of an average Roman involved work in various trades such as shoemaking or sewing, living in rented spaces above their shops, and dealing with common issues like poor maintenance and noisy neighbors.
What is the significance of the hemp plant in Ancient Rome and did they use it for recreational purposes?
-Hemp, known as cannabis in Latin, was valued by Romans for its utility in making ropes and other products. There is no evidence that Romans smoked it or recognized its psychoactive properties for recreational use.
Why is there a discrepancy in the number of Roman emperors recorded by historians?
-The difficulty in counting Roman emperors arises from the empire's size, the presence of multiple claimants backed by armies, usurpers, and the lack of clear rules for declaring an emperor. Sometimes, the only evidence of a claimant's reign is a single coin.
How did Romans view their pantheon of gods and what was unique about their religious beliefs?
-Romans believed in a vast array of gods and divine beings associated with various natural phenomena and aspects of life. They saw the divine in many places and sought to connect with it through religious practices, unlike the specific count of gods in other cultures.
What is the historical validity of the story of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome?
-Romulus and Remus are legendary figures with a story that includes being nursed by a she-wolf, overthrowing an evil king, and founding Rome. However, even Romans were skeptical about the factual basis of this story, viewing it more as a myth similar to other cultural legends.
Outlines
👩🏫 Professor Lauren Ginsberg on Ancient Roman Life
Professor Lauren Ginsberg introduces herself as a professor of Ancient Rome and the host of 'Ancient Rome Support'. She addresses various misconceptions about Roman life, such as the common use of togas, which were actually ceremonial garments, and the everyday attire of Romans, which was the tunica or tunic. She also discusses the practice of washing clothes in urine due to its ammonia content, the true meaning of 'vomitorium' as large stairways for quick evacuation from stadiums, and the types of snacks consumed in the Colosseum. Additionally, she explains the misconceptions about Roman concrete's durability and the myth of gladiators always fighting to the death.
🗡 Gladiators and the Roman Way of Life
The script delves into the reality of gladiatorial combat, explaining that while gladiators did fight lions, many survived numerous battles and could retire to train others. It also touches on the invention of surgical tools by the Romans, the prevalence of bars called 'tabernae' in Ancient Rome, and the vibrant colors of Roman statues and buildings. The discussion continues with the sexual mores of Romans, their access to contraception, and the variety of sexual behaviors. It also addresses the question of the 'best' Roman emperor, highlighting the autocratic nature of the empire and the difficulty in objectively determining a 'good' ruler.
🚽 Roman Hygiene and Public Facilities
This section focuses on the advanced water technologies of Ancient Rome, including aqueducts, sewer systems, and public bathing facilities. It discusses the regular use of baths by Romans across social classes and the existence of public toilets. However, it also points out the limitations of Roman hygiene practices, such as the use of communal sponges, which could spread diseases like dysentery. The paragraph also explores the types of toys Roman children played with, the average lifespan of a Roman peasant, and the evidence of a purpose-built brothel in Pompeii.
🧶 Roman Fashion and Currency Production
The script describes how Romans adapted to winter weather by layering their clothing, utilizing wool for warmth, and wearing thick socks and leather shoes. It also explains the process of Roman coin production, which involved hand-stamping metal discs with molds to create images on both sides of the coin. Additionally, it covers the leisure activities of Romans, such as visiting the coast for extended holidays and participating in public festivals that featured various entertainments.
🏛 Daily Life and Mythology in Ancient Rome
This part of the script discusses the daily life of average Romans, who worked in various trades and often lived in rented spaces above their workplaces. It also touches on the topic of civil wars within the Roman Empire and the challenges in defining and counting them. The script addresses the question of the number of Roman emperors, the diversity of gods worshipped in Roman religion, and the legendary story of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, which is considered more of a myth than a historical fact.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Toga
💡Tunica
💡Fullonica
💡Vomitorium
💡Concrete
💡Gladiator
💡Surgical Tools
💡Taberna
💡Painted Statues
💡Sexual Behavior
💡Aqueducts
Highlights
Romans wore togas as ceremonial gowns, not for everyday wear due to their complexity.
The basic Roman garment was the tunica, similar to a long T-shirt, worn by all social statuses.
Romans washed clothes in urine, which breaks down into ammonia, an effective cleaning agent.
Vomitorium in Ancient Rome were large stairways for crowd dispersal, not places for vomiting after feasts.
Excavations in the Colosseum revealed nuts, fruits, and portable grills as popular snacks.
Ancient Roman concrete contains lime clasts that contribute to its self-healing properties.
Gladiators fought lions, but many survived and retired, contrary to the common belief of high mortality.
Roman surgical tools were advanced and similar to those used today in medical procedures.
Ancient Roman bars, or tavernas, were social hubs similar to modern neighborhood bars.
Greek and Roman statues were painted with vibrant colors, contrary to the common perception of plain marble.
Romans had a diverse sexual culture with various sexual behaviors and interests.
Roman emperors were autocrats, and their effectiveness and goodness are subjective and context-dependent.
Romans had advanced water technologies including aqueducts, sewer systems, and public bathing facilities.
Roman children played with articulated dolls, dice games, walking toys, and building blocks.
The average lifespan of a Roman was lower due to high infant and child mortality, but many lived into their mid-50s.
Archaeologists can identify brothels through the presence of tiny stalls and explicit graffiti.
Roman women had significant rights including property ownership and the ability to run businesses.
Determining the number of Roman civil wars is complex due to varying definitions and historical contexts.
Romans wore woolen socks, thick leather shoes, and cloaks for warmth during winter.
Roman coins were made by hand using a stamping process with molds for each side of the coin.
Romans engaged in leisure activities such as visiting the coast and participating in public holidays and festivals.
Daily life in Ancient Rome involved work, rent payment, and dealing with landlords similar to modern times.
Romans used hemp for its practical uses like making ropes, but there's no evidence of recreational use.
The number of Roman emperors is disputed due to various claimants and usurpers throughout history.
Ancient Romans worshipped a vast number of gods, seeing divinity in many aspects of life.
Romulus and Remus are legendary figures with a story that even Romans were skeptical about.
Transcripts
- I'm Lauren Ginsberg, professor of Ancient Rome,
and I'm here to answer your questions from the internet.
This is Ancient Rome Support.
[upbeat music]
@Abe_Eagle, why did Romans wear togas?
The average Roman did not go out of their house
hanging out in a toga because togas were extremely long,
extremely complicated gowns to put together.
So even extremely elite Roman citizens recognize the toga
as a ceremonial gown.
I like this image because we have all these people
who are wearing things that are decidedly not togas.
What they're wearing is the basic Roman garment
that any one of any status,
male or female would wear,
which is what's called the tunic or the tunica.
And this is essentially a long T-shirt.
@C450hs, did the Romans really wash their clothes in urine?
Yes, and essentially, so do we.
So if you look at any of your household cleaners,
you will see that one of the highest ingredients
generally is ammonia.
It's very caustic, so it's not always very good
for your things, but it cleans extremely effectively
and so the Romans were able to recognize
that urine when stored for quite some time,
tends to break down into ammonia.
So when you would bring your clothes to a fullonica,
so this is a laundromat essentially in the ancient world.
First thing was it would go into a vat
in which highly concentrated urine would be poured
and you would let it sit there.
Then the clothes would be washed with clean flowing water
in three to four separate vats,
until the end, it was basically perfectly clean
and it could be line dried.
FinnHuckster, did the Romans really have vomitorium?
Yes, but not in the way that you mean.
It is true that if you look at some urban plans in Rome,
stadium buildings, amphitheaters, theaters,
places where tens of thousands of people would come,
you'll often find the word vomitorium that's written there
and somehow a myth has been created
that this is where decadent Romans would go
after they ate too much food
and they would purge themselves.
This is not what those words mean.
It comes from the Latin word vomo,
vomere, which basically means to send forth
and so yes, on the one hand send forth your food,
but on the other, it can mean to send forth people.
So what these were were actually large, large stairways
to get lots of people out of a stadium very quickly.
So we actually still use the exact same technology
that Romans called vomitorium.
We just don't call them vomitorium
and I for one, think maybe we should.
@NotlandLEW, man, they didn't even have popcorn
back in Ancient Rome, true story.
What did they snack on in the Colosseum?
This made headlines last summer
because they've actually started to do excavations
in the drainage system of the Colosseum and in the sewers,
'cause if you think about it,
if you go to a rock concert today,
you can see everything sticky on the floor.
People throw their food all over the place.
Where does that go?
In Ancient Rome, it would go down into the drains
and it would go down into the sewers
and that means that things that can survive
for those millennia, we can be able to tell
that those were the kind of foods that were snacked on.
All sorts of varieties of nuts
and residues of nuts have been found in these sewers.
Fruits, for example, figs and peaches
and other fruits, grapes that were easy to carry.
Also, what they discovered was that people seemed to bring
or at least have access to small portable grills,
sort of like tailgating grills, little braziers
where they could grill meat at the time
as you watched people fight to the death and animals die.
@Juadog, why does concrete from ancient Rome stand up better
than modern concrete?
If we look at this dome in the pantheon of Rome,
it looks pretty spectacular today.
If we consider that this dome is made of concrete
and we think of a bridge
that might have been built into your city in the 1970s,
these two things do not look the same.
So just this past summer, a team of civil engineers from MIT
set out to figure out what this was,
and they think that they have an answer.
If you look at Roman concrete,
you can see in the matrix these chunks of white material.
So this group of MIT scientists figured out
that these white chunks called lime class were deliberate
and were also proof
that the Romans used something called quick lime,
as opposed to lime that had been premixed with water,
which had always been the assumption
and the quick lime superheats the chemical process
as it makes concrete
and so one of the things we've always known
about Roman concrete is that it can harden really quickly,
including underwater.
Also, the other property that they were able to recreate
in the lab was that Roman concrete can be self-healing
to a certain amount.
So if you put modern concrete
and roman concrete in a stress environment
so that the concrete cracks,
Roman concrete can actually heal that cracks
and the key that they think they found
is that these lime clasts, these calcifisised white chunks,
would be able to immediately distribute material
to those cracks and help with the self-healing properties.
It is much more expensive to make concrete this way,
so I'm not actually sure that we're about to have
a Roman concrete revolution,
but it is pretty cool that these scientists
think they've recreated what the secret
of Roman concrete is.
@Dylansfault, did those gladiators really fight lions?
How often did they die?
Absolutely, gladiators really fought lions.
It's not even like they would just be released
from a gate and everyone could tell.
An architectural investigation has shown the technology
through which lions below the surface of the floor
of the Colosseum would able to be launched into the air
to suddenly appear.
But the question about how often did they die,
we have tombstones that show gladiators who have won
50 different competitions in their life.
Evidence of gladiators who retire from being a gladiator
and train other gladiators
and so it wouldn't really make sense if every time
they went into the arena there was a 50/50 shot
that they weren't going to walk out.
Instead, what we see mostly when it's human versus human,
gladiator versus gladiator is a heavily stage managed,
choreographed fight that's designed
to be extremely exciting for the audience.
That doesn't mean that they weren't sometimes killed.
We do also have evidence that gladiators could be killed,
but that would've been agreed upon in advance
by whoever was running the games
and whoever had nominal control over the gladiator's life.
We have Getgators.
What did the Romans invent that we still use today?
One thing we wanna poke at is this word invention,
because the Romans sort of took things that existed,
concrete is a good example and perfected it.
But the example I think of immediately
is actually surgical tools, scalpels, tweezers, forceps.
But the actual basic tools, if you looked on say the set
of "Grey's Anatomy" or some medical show
would look extremely similar
to what the Romans were using in the past
and they would be made out of similar types of metal.
From ThisIsNiko, did they have bars in Ancient Rome
or did wine just flow freely down the streets?
Unfortunately, no, but they did have bars
and they had bars all over the place.
So these were often called taverna
and these would be bars where you could get drink,
but you could also get food
and this is a great example.
So this comes from some recent excavations in Pompeii,
in an area that were just open to the public.
And what you can see here is a big counter.
So you can imagine someone behind here
actually serving alcohol, but those big jars
that you see would also have food.
So stews, rich, hot items that people would either get
to have as their primary meal of the day in the bar,
or that they would then take home
where they could heat it up simply.
So these bars show up so often
in these working class neighborhoods of Pompeii
and the analogy I like to use is they show up as often
as a Dunkin Donuts does in the city of Boston.
And the graffiti that we found on them
shows that they're really a social hub of the neighborhood.
It's likely that you would just go to the pub on the corner
much the way we think of neighborhood bars today.
From Atepsflame, come on, I suppose next
you're gonna tell me that all those Greek
and Roman statues were actually gaudily painted?
Yes, I'm here to tell you that all of those Greek
and Roman statues were painted,
but I object to the term gaudily.
When people think about what it was like
to walk around the streets of Ancient Rome,
they think about these things that are here.
Bright white marble, marble buildings, marble statues.
The Romans would've found
all of this white marble extremely boring.
They loved vibrancy and they were also world-class painters.
There was a fantastic exhibit last summer
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
that actually featured a number of recreated statues
in which scientists had very carefully taken tiny bits
of pigment on statues, so you could see that say a statue
of someone like Nero here,
each layer of clothing would be painted with shades,
with texture, with patterns
and the same thing is true with Roman buildings.
Rome was a wash of color.
Nevadaknight67, was Ancient Rome really
a sexual free for all?
So here's the thing, Romans had a very healthy sex life.
Romans had sex inside
and outside the institution of marriage.
Romans had sex for procreation, yes, but also for pleasure.
Romans had access to contraception.
Romans, especially Roman women,
would rise up when they thought that those rights
were being curtailed.
Romans have pictures and works of art
and literary texts that talk about sexual desire,
that talk about sex acts,
that talk about their favorite positions.
Short, it's women on top
is the thing that they seem to like a lot.
Men have sex with women, men have sex with men,
women have sex with women, women have sex with men,
and so much like today, it was really a spectrum
of sexual behavior, sexual performance,
sexual interest.
From thekinocorner, which Roman emperor
was objectively the best?
The Roman Empire was an autocracy,
which means that all Roman emperors were autocrats.
And it means, I don't actually think any of them
were very good people.
I think in general that form of government
doesn't lead to people doing good things.
So I'm gonna take a couple of examples
of good and bad emperors.
We have a friend Nero here
who everyone probably agrees,
the worst of the worst emperors.
And then we have everyone's favorite emperor
on the internet, Marcus Aurelius.
He wrote this nice book of stoic philosophy,
and so people think he's extremely chill
and thus under his empire,
things must have gone particularly well.
But let's ask this question objectively,
the best for whom and was he objectively the best
for the substantial population of the Roman Empire
at that time, who were enslaved?
We always have an idea of what we mean as best for whom
and I just don't happen to think that the Roman Empire
produced anyone that we would consider
to be a fair ruler today.
@RoyallyAri, how often do you think about the Roman Empire?
Well, this is a little bit of an unfair question
because I have to say the answer is more than daily
because it is a professional obligation.
I probably think about the Roman Empire
more than your average person.
@NzeoraHQ, how effective were public toilets
and bathrooms at keeping people clean
and how is hygiene in Ancient Rome?
Romans had extremely advanced technologies of water.
For example, they had extensive systems of aqueducts
that were able to bring clean water
across vast expanses of land.
They had a sewer system,
as of I believe the Fourth Century BC, that's bananas.
They had public bathing facilities.
So it was very regular if you were a Roman,
no matter your status, to actually go and use these baths
on a daily basis to clean yourselves.
And yes, they also had public toilets.
This would not be the only place
that people would go to the bathroom.
But you can see in this that we would have stalls.
They would probably not lead to a lot of privacy
and you can see that running along down the side of them
would be places for channels of water.
So what were the Romans not good at in terms of hygiene
with this water technology?
Well, they didn't understand things like dysentery,
about communicable diseases that way.
And so if you're having say, reusable toilet paper,
which in the Roman world would be a sea sponge
and it's being cleaned in vinegar,
which can do some things.
That's not gonna stop things like dysentery
from being passed along.
@NzeoraHQ, what kind of toys did Roman children play with?
We have so much wonderful information about the value
that was put on playing as a social emotional strategy
for raising Roman children.
One of my favorite is actually this doll.
This particular one is made out of ivory
and what's so impressive about it is you can see
that the limbs are articulated.
So you can see that you can sit this doll down,
you can have her stand up
and this doll actually also has the famous hairstyle
of the Roman empress at the time, Julia Domna.
So she's also a high fashion doll.
We know that dice games were very common.
Walking toys that would clearly teach little toddlers
how to walk and a lot of the building blocks
that teach children how to play with each other
were considered particularly important,
and with this doll could also be considered
extremely beloved objects that someone would keep
well past their girlhood.
From @El_Gringo_Loko,
what was the average lifespan of a Roman peasant?
This is a really great question
because you're gonna find on the internet
when you look this up,
this idea that the Roman average lifespan was 35 years
and then people often think as a result that if you made it
to 35, you were grandparent age
and that's just not true. 'cause we have to think about
what an average means.
Infant mortality in Rome was astronomically high.
Most children died within the first year of birth.
So that was just infant mortality.
Child mortality, about 50% of children died by age 10
and you can see already why that's lowering
and lowering that average.
So if you made it to age 10, as a lower class Roman citizen,
whether you were living in the country,
you had a decently high chance of making it
into your mid 50s and we know plenty of people
lived beyond that.
Our next question is from Krista Callen.
How does an archeologist look at an ancient column
and conclude this was a Roman brothel?
They could not do that.
We do know that there's a very famous purpose-built brothel
in Pompeii, and the building is entirely full
of tiny stalls and in each of the stalls
is only a bed shaped platform.
Above the stalls are extremely graphic sex acts
and then there is graffiti.
And my favorite that has survived is over one stall
and I have to imagine this was from the sex worker
that wrote, "Thrust slowly."
Putting all of those things together, it's pretty easy
to see that this was a place where sex work
was on the agenda.
Numahonetweetu, what rights did Roman women gain
in Imperial Rome?
Roman women couldn't vote, and that's a big one.
But Roman women could be citizens.
Roman women could own property in their own name.
They could inherit property in their own name.
Roman women could be business owners
and some of whom were using their own business sense
to advance their children, especially their sons
in their political ambition.
Roman women could hire a lawyer to defend themselves
or to bring a suit in court.
Roman women lived with a greater degree of freedom
across social classes than we're used to seeing
in the ancient world.
@EngCreamCakes, how many civil wars did Rome have,
including the Byzantine era?
That is a very hard question to answer
for very good reasons.
One is that the Romans thought that civil war
was something inside them
that you had to fight against every day or it would erupt.
Romans had documented civil wars,
and they're the ones that actually came up with this term
where two Roman armies would fight each other,
headed by two Romans.
But what's the difference between that
and an uprising of enslaved people who are part of
the Roman population like Spartacus?
Is that a civil war?
What's the difference between the whole system
of Roman provinces rising up against Roman rule?
They're part of Rome and they're rising up
and they're fighting, but they're fighting
more with guerilla War tactics.
Do we call that a civil war?
You can see it becomes very hard to parse
when one part of Rome is fighting the other.
But it happens all the time.
@BloodOorange, what the fuck did Ancient Romans wear
during the winter?
I know, right, 'cause all the images we see
are in these sort of lightweight linen shirts
and like sandals.
That's our image of Rome and it snowed in Rome.
Well, the key to Roman happiness,
and this would be layers in the same way that it is today
and Romans actually had access, even then, to material
that we know is the best to keep you warm
and that is wool.
So the average Roman would wear socks.
Yes, Romans really pioneered the idea of socks and sandals.
They would wear extra thick socks,
but they also didn't just wear sandals.
They had thick leather shoes
and the more layers of leather,
the better those shoes would be in winter conditions.
And then cloaks, tons and tons of beautiful wool cloaks
on top.
@RobertSmith29th, I was wondering
how the Romans produced their Roman coins
and how they put the emperor onto the coins.
The way the Romans made coins was a by hand process.
So what you would do is you would have a base
and you would put in this base a mold
that had one side of the coin.
And in that mold you would put a metal disc
and I would put it face down.
So you can imagine it's almost like a clam with two molds
and the metal disc goes in here,
then I take a hammer and I whack it.
And that's called stamping.
And that would put the images on both sides of the coin.
From @theistinthought, did Ancient Romans go on hikes
or go to the beach for relaxation?
Yes, there was a heavy leisure time activity in Rome
where people would go to the coast,
especially the Bay of Naples, and have seaside villas
and go to these really fancy baths,
sort of like a spa vacation,
but it could last months.
The extreme elite of Rome
that would have access to these seaside villas.
So the average Roman person probably didn't have a lot
of time to be able to do that.
So what did they do to relax?
Rome had a lot of holidays around a festival calendar
and these festivals would feature gladiatorial matches.
They would feature chariot racing.
They would feature theatrical spectacles,
including the ancient equivalent of musicals.
And we have evidence that people,
even from rural communities, would come in
for these festivals, especially the big ones.
That's because they were state holidays.
In the empire, there were over 100 days of public holidays.
@jus_Tamon, so like in Ancient Rome,
what was living there like?
People worked and then went home and did they pay rent?
The average Marcus, I should say instead of the average Joe,
he could be a shoemaker,
could be someone who sews clothing, could be a launderer.
Any of the activities that you need done
in your general city life would be the same thing
that they would need done in Ancient Rome.
Sometimes home was right above you.
If they were quite wealthy, they might own the space
that their shop is in.
But often they would be renting out both of those spaces
from a landlord
and you bet the Romans complained about their landlords.
Shoddy upgrades, vermin that weren't being taken care of.
A neighbor who parties too hard
and wakes the baby.
@Tweekfan25, did they have weed in ancient Rome?
Yes, but not in the way that you were asking.
Romans really loved hemp as a plant
and they loved how easy it was to make ropes with it.
We find hemp products all over the place
and hemp, the word for it in Latin is cannabis.
So you can see the connection,
but there's no sense that the Romans, first of all,
smoked it.
Smoking was not a particularly good thing in Roman culture.
But there's also not great evidence
that they recognized
its sort of mind altering possibilities.
@Kevin_Feeney, it will always be faintly extraordinary to me
that Roman historians cannot agree on the answer
to the superficially simple question
of how many Roman emperors were there.
So when Augustus is the first emperor,
he declares a successor, Tiberius.
Tiberius becomes the next emperor
and miraculously we have two.
So why is it so hard to keep counting?
Eventually Rome becomes big
and eventually other people decide they could be emperor
and what does it take to become emperor?
For a lot of Romans, the answer is an army
that they're paying can declare them emperor
and they can besiege Rome until they are declared emperor.
Flash forward to later in the Roman Empire
when we have divided centers.
Is the center of Rome the city of Rome anymore, no.
There is a center in Constantinople.
Sometimes it's Milan, sometimes it's Ravenna.
We're getting them multiple emperors
or people who could be perceived as emperors
at the same time.
But we also get usurpers.
Guys with armies that come in, think, "I could do this."
And who gets to declare the emperor at that point?
There aren't rules for this one way or another.
It can become really hard for us to tell who is emperor
and sometimes all we have is a single coin as evidence.
Just one coin that one guy who claims to be emperor minted.
Was he emperor, we have no idea.
@TerraEncounters, how many Gods did Ancient Romans worship?
It's not really fair to ask how many gods they worshiped.
It's more fair to ask what Gods didn't they worship.
Romans saw divine in lots of things.
Springs had a divine being.
Caves had a divine being.
They had a festival to ward off mildew
and it was called the Robigalia and it was in April
and that showed that they also thought that mildew
had a divine spirit in it,
that they could essentially bribe
to not destroy their crops.
So the Romans had a really heavy investment
in seeing the divine in as many places as possible
and finding a way to connect with that religiously.
@ShakeShur, I need someone to tell me if Romulus
and Remus were real, like immediately.
Romulus and Remus are the legendary founders of Rome.
They were twins who had been expelled from their patrimony
by an evil king, and they were supposed to be drowned
in a river and the legend goes that a she wolf found them
and nursed them and prevented them from dying.
And then when they grew up, they were able to overthrow
the evil king and they were able to found
their own civilization.
But even the Romans are pretty skeptical about this story.
You can see a lot of the historians later saying,
really, a she wolf, are we sure it wasn't a sex worker
that we just called a she wolf?
This was a pretty legendary story,
sort of like George Washington and the cherry tree,
and they didn't put much factual faith behind it.
All right, that's all the time we have
for questions for today.
I hope you learn something weird
and interesting about Romans and we'll see you next time.
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