Rich and Poor

A rich family might own 500 slaves. Some very wealthy Roman families might own 4,000 slaves. An emperor might command a personal slave population of 20,000. Household slaves did just about every job imaginable. They cooked, served meals, cleaned, and took care of the children. Each slave might have only one job – folding the master’s clothes or fixing the mistress’s hair, for example.

In contrast, the vast majority of those who lived in the city had tiny apartments in five-story apartment buildings called insulae. In some cases, an entire family would crowd into a single room.

For every wealthy home in Rome, there were 26 blocks of insulae. Most insulae were dark and had no heat or running water. The poor got water from public fountains outside.

The Roman writer Juvenal described the poorer neighborhoods of Rome in the A.D. 100s:

Most of the city [is] propped up with planks to stop it collapsing. Your landlord that have been there for years and says, “Sleep well!” although he knows that the house itself may not last the night. I wish I lived where there were no fires, no midnight panics.

In these crowded conditions, fires and crime were serious problems. Lack of sanitation also contributed to the spread of disease. The problem was so severe that about onefourth of the babies born in Rome did not live through their fist year. Half of all Roman children did not live to be 10 years old.

Ex. 2. Translate this text into English.

Золотой век

«Золотой век» – согласно представлениям древних – период, когда люди вели счастливую жизнь – без раздоров, войн и тяжелого труда. Легенда возникла в Элладе в период становления классового общества, когда жизнь части общинников ухудшилась: они должны были трудиться для знати, испытывая унижения. Как рассказывает Гесиод в поэме «Труды и дни» (109 – 201), людей «золотого века» создали боги, когда правил Крон (Кронос). Они не знали горя, ни забот, ни старости, проводя дни в застольях. Земля сама приносила плоды, и на ней паслись многочисленные стада.

Пришедший на смену «золотого века» серебряный век наделил людей всяческими благами. Однако Зевс истребил людей за то, что они не пожелали приносить богам жертвы. Затем, по Гесиоду, наступил медный век: люди создавали медные орудия труда и оружие, они существовали за счет войн и грабежей, чем уничтожили воинственное, но справедливое и благородное поколение героев. Они погибли во время похода семерых против Фивской и Троянской войны. Свой век Гесиод называет железным: люди вынуждены постоянно трудиться, горе и заботы не оставляют их, а сама жизнь стала краткой. Вместо законов на земле правит сила; исчез стыд, и человечество идет к гибели – Зевс погубит и это поколение.

Легенда о «золотом веке» была популярной в римской литературе (см., напр., «Метаморфозы» Овидия).

Discussion

1. How did the Romans build a peaceful and prosperous Empire?

2. What did Augustus do for the city of Rome and for the provinces?

3. What policies did the Roman emperors follow in order to unify the empire?

4. What role did social rank play in Rome life?

5. How did life differ for people in the three Roman social classes?

6. How was life different for rich and poor Romans?

7. How did the emperors provide “bread and circuses” for the people of Rome?

8. How was trade carried on within the Roman Empire?

Summary

Summarize the information from the unit and be ready to speak on the following points.

1. Emperors of the Pax Romana.

1. Caesar;

2. Augustus.

2. Social classes in the Empire.

3. Family life in the Empire.

4. Religious Practices.

5. The Roman economy.