Roman Private Life
From Dickinson College Wiki
How decadent were the Romans?
[Roman morality] Tertullian, De spectaculis; Plutarch, On the Greatness of Rome. Juv. 10, 13?
Why was slavery never effectively challenged in the ancient world?
[Slavery; Freedmen]
Petronius, Satyricon; Apuleius, Golden Ass.
Is the nuclear family a historical constant, or is Roman family significantly different from the modern variety?
[The Family]
Were Roman women oppressed?
[Women; Marriage] Ovid, Ars Amatoria 1. Laudatio Turiae. Juvenal Satire 6.
Was homosexuality accepted in ancient Rome?
[Sex] Juv. 2.
Was ancient Rome a capitalist society?
[Economics; Life in the Country] Juv. 3.
Why didn’t the Romans invent the steam engine?
[Technology]
How clean were Roman cities?
[Urban Conditions; Baths] Juv. 3, Martial.
What did Roman aristocrats do all day?
[Government and Politics]
How practical and useful was a Roman education?
[Education] Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Book 1. Quintilian.
What might have been the appeal of a Roman soldier’s life?
[Army] Vegetius, De Re militari
Were the Romans racist?
[The Provinces; Race and Ethnicity] Claudius’ speech. Juv.
Why were gladiatorial spectacles not thought to be cruel?
[Spectacles]
Did Roman religion provide any moral guidance?
[Religion 1] Apuleius, Golden Ass Book 9.
Did most people in the ancient world believe in astrology, magic, and demons?
[Religion 2] Apuleius, Pro se de magia.
Why did Christianity have little impact until the 4th century AD?
[Eastern Cults and Christianity]
