The daily routine of an ancient roman child started with a breakfast which included bread alongside any other type of food depending on the family’s social status.
Activities like education were reserved generally for mornings and were taught either by their employed teachers or their mothers. During the reign of the Roman Empire, certain kids were sent to their tutors and this became a daily routine.
The female children however, stayed with their mothers at home so as to help them with domestic tasks. Children involved themselves in several games which they also played with toys in the evenings and afternoons during their liesures.
Some assisted their fathers at work, especially children from families with lower social background. Back then, the males happened to be a superior and significant figure in his family due to the fact that women had little or no power in the private and public affairs of the ancient Roman jurisdictions.
FACTS ABOUT THE ANCIENT ROMAN CHILDREN
- The Roman education for children in ancient Rome developed over the centuries. At the dawn of the Roman Republic, education was the major family scheme due to no availability of schools. Nevertheless, there was a gradual change in the whole system over a period of time and in the late era of the Roman Republic and Empire, the educational system was balanced and was based on tuition. The act of employing private teachers to educate the Roman children was emulated from the Greeks and most of the private teachers were slaves from Greece.
- The ancient Roman children played with toys and involved themselves in several games during their leisures. Some of the popular ways which the Roman kids spent their leisures were through ball games, hoop rolling, and kite flying. War games were played by boys theough the use of wooden swords and shields while girls toyed with domestic handmade dolls.
- Warriors had significance in Rome and every male child aim was to be like a warrior and actually become one.
- Meals eaten by the ancient Roman children had similarities with that of adults. It included the breakfast, lunch and supper. The quality or grade of food consumed by families in ancient Rome varied and it was solely dependent on the social calibre of each family.
- The children from wealthy and well-to-do families consumed dates and honey with bread and wheat (which were regarded to be the major common meals taken as breakfast). lunch were eaten at the middle of the day and the types of food eaten at lunch were cold meat, fish, bread, and vegetables.
Supper was regarded as the major meal of the day. For the commoners, they were simple unlike the wealthy ones who had lavish suppers.
- There were great differences between the lifestyle of upper-class and the lower-class children back in ancient Rome. The wealthy ancient Roman children had easy access to good educational facilities, great entertainment and nutritious meals. Unlike the wealthy Romans, the lower-class Roman citizens who were of lower calibre had little privilege when compared to the children of the rich ancient Romans. At first, lots of poor children were not eligible to any form of education which gave them little or no advantage ever since their young age.
- Tunic was the most famous clothing article for the ancient Romans which the outfits were similar both the children and adults. Children wore cloaks over the tunic during winters while the Toga was worn with purple borders by the free wealthy male children and this mafe them socially important. The female children tied a woolen belt around their waist whenever the tunic was worn.
- Both the male and female children of the ancient Romans wore a charm around their necks which was popularly called a “bulla”. They were given to children few days after their births.
- Children were not regarded as human beings until they walked and talked. An estimate of 28 percent of children were said to have died before they aged twelve months.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON FACTS ABOUT THE ANCIENT ROMAN CHILDREN
- Question: The charm worn around the necks of children few days after their birth?
Answer: a bulla - Question: What is the name of the most famous clothing article in ancient Rome?
Answer: the Tunic - Question: What was the major meal of the day in ancient Rome?
Answer: the supper - Question: Most of the private tutors hired to teach the Roman children were from?
Answer: Greece
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