The Romans: Gallery 5 - Daily Life

Sestertius of c. AD 120, depicting Ceres with ears of corn, which in imperial times people demanded as their right, and many received tokens for free issues. (Photo © Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow)

Bronze ticket entitling a family to the grain dole. (VRoma: British Museum: Barbara McManus)

Silver denarius of 113/112 BC: the moneyer, T. Didius, promises to mount a public gladiatorial games if he is elected curule aedile. (Photo © Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow)

Coin symbolizing the grain dole (annona), with the goddess Annona holding a cornucopia, Ceres seated with stalks of grain, and between them a modius, the instrument for measuring amounts. (VRoma: British Museum: Barbara McManus)

Medium sized Roman merchant ship of the end of the third century AD. (Illustration by John Pittaway from Picture Reference Ancient Romans, Brockhampton Press 1970)

Amphora, for transporting or keeping liquids such as wine and olive oil, with a capacity of 20-25 litres. If it had no other cargo, a merchant ship might well carry six thousand amphorae, each weighing 50 kilos, in layers. (Illustration by John Pittaway from Picture Reference Ancient Romans, Brockhampton Press 1970)

Abacus with beads. Roman numerals were not designed for easy computation. Calculation was done with the help of an abacus, or by a complex system involving the use of the fingers, finger-joints, and thumbs of both hands. (VRoma: Landesmuseum, Mainz: Barbara McManus)

Coin of Alexandria, AD 180 - 192, depicting a ship carrying grain from Egypt to Rome. The whole of Egypt had from the time of Augustus constituted an imperial perquisite, in that he had (in his estimation) acquired it by right, and he passed on to his successors the tradition that the emperor owned the land and those who worked it were his tenants. (VRoma: British Museum: Barbara McManus)

Field with olive trees near Hadrian’s villa. (VRoma: Barbara McManus)

Quadrans of Nero (reverse), with laurel branch: it is frequently mentioned as the entrance fee to the public baths.

Semis of Domitian (= 2 quadrantes)

As of Vespasian (= 2 semisses)

Dupondius of Marcus Aurelius (= 2 asses)

Sestertius of Hadrian (= 2 dupondii)

Denarius of Julius Caesar (= 4 sestertii)

Aureus of Augustus (= 25 denarii)

Solidus of Zeno, emperor in the east during the later empire (Coinage photos all © Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow)

Reconstruction of a bakery, with grinding mills, Pompeii. (From Helen and Richard Leacroft, The Buildings of Ancient Rome, Brockhampton Press 1969)

Model of Roman apartment building, Ostia (side view with storage spaces on ground floor). (VRoma: EUR (Rome), Museum of Roman Civilization: Barbara McManus)

Cushion and belt shop: sculptural relief of the Augustan age. (VRoma: EUR (Rome), Museum of Roman Civilization: Barbara McManus)

Trajan’s Market, Rome, second century AD. (From Helen and Richard Leacroft, The Buildings of Ancient Rome, Brockhampton Press 1969)

Going to the baths: mosaic from Villa del Casale, Sicily. The woman at the centre has her children on either side of her. The two others are slaves, one carrying clothes, the other massage utensils. (René Seindal)

Fourth-century AD mosaic from Villa del Casale, Sicily, of female athletes receiving their victory awards. (VRoma: Barbara McManus)

Mid-second-century BC urn with scenes from the lives of the deceased: centre, on military service; right, his marriage ceremony, at which the couple clasp right hands, while in his left he holds a scroll. (VRoma: Museo Montemartini: Ann Raia)

Horse-drawn carriage. (Illustration by John Pittaway from Picture Reference Ancient Romans, Brockhampton Press, 1970)

Fourth-century AD mosaic from Villa del Casale, Sicily, depicting prostitute with a client. It would appear that those whose only or principal source of income came from this trade were required to register with the aedile. (VRoma: Barbara McManus)

Market stall with cabbages, kale, garlic, leeks, and onions. (From Helen and Richard Leacroft, The Buildings of Ancient Rome, Brockhampton Press 1969)

Female gladiators (VRoma: British Museum: Barbara McManus)

Wall painting from the “Villa of the Mysteries”, Pompeii, depicting woman with scroll and a child reading. (VRoma: Paula Chabot)

First-century AD wall painting from Pompeii of a woman playing the lyre in the company of her lover, while a woman stands by. (VRoma: British Museum: Barbara McManus)

Onyx cameo of Livia holding a bust of the deified Augustus. In his will, Augustus formally adopted her into his line, with the name Julia Augusta. Here, Livia wears a diadem and displays attributes of several goddesses. (VRoma: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna: Barbara McManus)

Agrippina was granted the title of Augusta, which even Livia had not received until after her death. Her portrait, and title, appeared on the reverse of coins of Claudius, an unprecedented privilege for a ruler’s wife during her lifetime. (VRoma: Pergamon Museum, Berlin: Barbara McManus)

Gold and silver coins of 54 AD carry portraits of Agrippina and Nero facing each other, but it is her inscription which encircles them: in full, “Agrippina Augusta, wife of the divine Claudius, mother of Nero Caesar”. Nero’s inscription is relegated to the reverse of the coin, round an oak wreath. (VRoma: Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery: Barbara McManus)

By the end of 54 AD, Nero had begun to assert himself. Both heads still appear on the coins, but facing in the same direction, with Nero’s to the fore. The inscription, now, is his: “Nero, son of the divine Claudius, imperator, holder of tribunician power, consul”. (VRoma: Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery: Barbara McManus)

Four female slaves dress the wife’s hair: relief from a family tomb from Neumagen. (VRoma: Landesmuseum, Trier: Barbara McManus)

Julius Caesar as a general (VRoma: National Archaeological Museum, Naples: Barbara McManus). He was responsible for large-scale enslavement.

Slaves working at bleaching and carding cloth: copy of a first-century wall painting from the workshop of Verecundus. (VRoma: EUR (Rome), Museum of Roman Civilization: Barbara McManus)

Terracotta lamp depicting a shepherd whose name was Tityrus. (VRoma: Royal Museum of Art and History, Brussels: Barbara McManus)

Reconstruction of a view in the atrium of the House of Menander, Pompeii, in the first century AD. (From Helen and Richard Leacroft, The Buildings of Ancient Rome, Brockhampton Press 1969)

“You say your hare is not cooked and call for the whip. You’d rather cut up your cook, Rufus, than your hare” (Martial, Epigrams III.94). Wall painting of slaves preparing a meal, AD 50 - 75. (VRoma: Getty Museum, Santa Monica: Barbara McManus)

Mosaic of slaves serving at a banquet, from Carthage third century AD. (VRoma: Louvre, Paris: Barbara McManus)

A boy (centre) recites his lesson to a home tutor: from a second-century AD sarcophagus relief of M. Cornelius Statius. (VRoma: Louvre, Paris: Barbara McManus)

A boy apologises to his teacher for being late: copy of a second-century AD relief. (VRoma: EUR (Rome), Museum of Roman Civilization: Barbara McManus)

Reconstruction of the front of a Roman shop. (From J. Henry Middleton, The Remains of Ancient Rome 1892: VRoma: Barbara McManus)

Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) refers to verses “dictated to me by flogger Orbilius” (Epistles, I, 70 - 1), but in spite of references to corporal punishment in literature and art, it does not seem that it was any more frequent or severe than in many schools in Britain well into the twentieth century. The scene here, on a first-century gilt bronze mirror, draws on Dionysiac symbolism. A maenad and a cupid support the boy down over a table, underneath which is an open tablet and stylus. Silenus, attendant on Bacchus, does the flogging, while another cupid keeps the score on a slate. In a niche above is Minerva, patroness of learning. (VRoma: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Barbara McManus)

First-century BC bronze statue of Roman orator. (VRoma: Archaeological Museum, Florence: Barbara McManus)

A scholar reads a scroll beside an open cabinet containing a further supply. (VRoma: EUR (Rome), Museum of Roman Civilization: Barbara McManus)

Portable sundial - its ground plan is at (1), the face in perspective at (2), and its elevation at (3). The winter solstice (bruma) is given as the eighth day before the calends of January, that is 23 December, and the summer solstice (solstitium) as the eighth day before the calends of July, ie 22 June. (From Cyril Bailey, The Legacy of Rome, Clarendon Press 1923)

Water clock described by Vitruvius (fl. c. 50 - 26 BC). From the tank (A) water drips at a uniform rate through the small pipe (B) into the reservoir (C), in which is a float (D). Shaft (E) is attached to the upper surface of the float. As it rises, its teeth rotate the cog-wheel (F), to which is attached a hand, the position of which indicates the hour on the front of the dial. (From Cyril Bailey, The Legacy of Rome, Clarendon Press 1923)

Paying taxes. (Illustration by John Pittaway from Picture Reference Ancient Romans, Brockhampton Press 1970)

Various types of Roman dress worn by different social classes. (VRoma: Landesmuseum, Mainz: Barbara McManus)

The toga and the palla. (From Antony Kamm, The Romans: an introduction, Routledge 1995)

Conjectural diagram of a toga. (From Sir John Edwin Sandys (ed.), Companion to Latin Studies, Cambridge University Press 1913)

Replica of a Roman sandal. (VRoma: EUR (Rome), Museum of Roman Civilization: Barbara McManus)

Roman leather shoes (top) with modern replicas (bottom).(VRoma: Saalburg Museum: Barbara McManus)

Hairstyles. (Illustration by John Pittaway from Picture Reference Ancient Romans, Brockhampton Press 1970)

Reconstruction of a thermopolium, a shop where hot (and cold) drinks were sold, in Ostia. (From Helen and Richard Leacroft, The Buildings of Ancient Rome, Brockhampton Press 1969)

Family meal. (Illustration by John Pittaway from Picture Reference Ancient Romans, Brockhampton Press 1970)

Reconstruction drawing of slaves preparing food in a kitchen. (Saalburg Museum: Barbara McManus)

Couple reclining at dinner, served by slaves. (VRoma: Kunthistorisches Museum, Vienna: Barbara McManus)

Still life mosaic of food for cooking: two species of fish, two kinds of vegetable, seafood, and a plucked chicken. (VRoma: AICT: R. Scaife)

Dinner-party. (Illustration by John Pittaway from Picture Reference Ancient Romans, Brockhampton Press 1970)

First-century AD wall painting at Oplontis of glass bowl of figs. ( Barbara McManus)

Strip-cartoon wall painting from inn of Salvus at Pompeii. Man on left, to barmaid: “Over here!” Man on right: “No, it’s mine!” Barmaid: “The one who ordered it shall have it. Oceanus, come here and drink it!” ( VRoma: Barbara McManus)

Interior of restaurant, Ostia, with original counters and wall paintings. (VRoma: Barbara McManus)

Roman theatre, Ostia, showing seats, orchestra, and stage. (VRoma: Susan Bonvallet)

Reconstruction drawing by G. Gatteschi of the Circus Maximus. (From Albert Kuhn, Roma 1913: VRoma: Barbara McManus)

Mosaic of two-horse chariot and (behind) four horsemen, each in his colours, from the basilica of Junius Bassus, consul in 331 AD. The driver may be Bassus himself. (VRoma: National Museums, Rome: Barbara McManus)

“A Chariot Race” by Alex. Wagner. (From Albert Kuhn, Roma 1913: VRoma: Barbara McManus)

Third-century AD mosaic of gladiatorial fight. One of them holds up his finger to acknowledge defeat. (VRoma: Praehistorisches Museum, Munich: Barbara McManus)

(From Helen and Richard Leacroft, The Buildings of Ancient Rome, Brockhampton Press 1969)

Reconstruction drawing of gladiatorial combat by J-L. Gerome. (From Albert Kuhn, Roma 1913: VRoma: Barbara McManus)

An ostrich and other exotic birds and animals being loaded aboard a ship for Rome, from a mosaic in the Corridor of the Great Hunt, Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily. (René Seindal)

Bestiarii (beast fighters) with whips try to distract a bear mauling a fallen gladiator. From a floor mosaic of the second or third century AD, Nennig. (VRoma: Barbara McManus)

Reconstruction drawing by G. Nispi-Landi of a naumachia in progress in the Colosseum, with the awnings in place to protect the spectators against the sun. (From Albert Kuhn, Roma 1913: VRoma: Barbara McManus)