In many ways the Roman family was like our modern day family, but some of their.
practices we would think absolutely crazy. At the head of the household was the.
paterfamilias; the oldest male member. This man ruled over everything until his death. .
This included all property, earnings, the choosing of marriage partners, and the power of.
life and death. Girls were married at a young age and had to supply a dowry that would.
be returned if divorced. Like today, divorce, adultery, abortion, and birth control not.
uncommon in ancient Rome. Although many of their methods were ridiculous.
Childhood ended at an earlier age than it does now. They would start school.
around the age of six or seven. Secondary education was thought of mostly for boys.
because girls should be married and taking care of a household by that age. This lasted till.
about thirteen or fourteen, then they were finished with school.
Family slaves were fairly well off. They were allowed to eventually buy their.
freedom from money that they accumulated but often would remain in the same house.
with their family after freed. Some of the slaves that tutored the children were often more.
cultured than their master's.
Mealtime wasn't too different than that of today. Breakfast was at dawn, and was.
something simple like bread or cheese. Lunch was a cold meal around noon, and dinner.
was close to lunch time around three. Dinner was their main meal of the day and for the.
rich crowd it was a big event.
Finally the death of a family member was not unlike today's. An undertaker would.
remove the body and it would be placed in a coffin and buried with a tombstone. If you.
were a big somebody than it was a lot bigger deal than if you were one of the ordinary.
folk.
On The Farm.
There was no such thing as stocks and bonds in Rome, so where else for wealthy.
Romans to invest their capital if not in land? This was considered a gentlemen's.
investment and made multimillionaires out of some Romans.
