05 Romans

ROMANS

In Roman times The first Romans lived in the city of Rome over a thousand years ago. They had a strong army and took over many countries. Every Roman town had a big open space where people met, heard the latest news and went shopping.

People of Rome In Rome, there were rich people, poor people and slaves. The most powerful person was the emperor. The emperor ruled over all Roman lands. Men called senators gave him advice. This coin shows the head of Augustus, the first emperor. He won many battles and made Rome more peaceful.

People captured in a battle were often sold as slaves. Rich Romans bought slaves to do hard work for them. Some masters made their slaves work in their storerooms. Other masters made their slaves cook meals for them. Once a year, slaves and masters changed places for the day.

At home In Roman towns, most people rented rooms. Only rich Romans could afford houses. Poor people rented rooms on the top floor. Richer people had big rooms lower down. There were often shops at street level. Romans didn't use wallpaper. They just painted pictures on their walls.

This is a Roman wall painting of a villa. Villas were big houses where the rich lived. Rich Romans had mosaics on their floors. A worker spread plaster on the floor. He made a pattern out of small tiles.