How did the Romans live?
When the Romans came to Britain they brought their way of life with them.
- Over time, the people of Britain and the Romans mixed.
- The Britons began to live the Roman lifestyle and the Romans took on local customs.
How did towns and houses change?
The Romans built new towns.These were often protected by walls and there was everything a citizen of Roman Britain would need inside:
- houses
- shops
- temples
- meeting spaces
- workshops
- bathhouses
| Important Buildings | Used for |
|---|---|
| the forum | meeting place and markets |
| the baths | public place to wash |
| the latrines | public toilets |
What were houses like?
People mainly lived in small villages of wooden houses with thatched roofs.
The biggest city in Roman Britain was Londinium (London).
Aquae Sulis (Bath) was a town famous for its baths.
Wealthy Romans also built grand country houses called villas.
- Villas were large farms with a big house for the owners.
- They had many rooms, some with beautifully painted walls, and mosaic floors.
- They had lots of servants and farm workers to help run the villa.
Most of the Roman villas found by archaeologists are in the south of England. The governor of Britain had a palace in London. Another palace was beside the sea, at Fishbourne (near Chichester in West Sussex).
What was a Roman family like?
- Men were in charge of the family in Roman Britain. Mothers were thought to be less important than fathers.
- Men worked the land or in trade. Some joined the Roman army which had soldiers from all over the Empire, from Spain to North Africa.
- Boys from rich families learnt Latin and wrote on wax tablets. They were also trained with swords.
- Children could be married at the age of 14 and marriages were often arranged between families.
- Life for women in Roman times was often hard.
- Women ran the home, cooking and raising the children. In wealthy families, enslaved people often did this work.
- Many women died young (in their 30s), because childbirth could be dangerous and diseases were common.
Watch: Children in Roman Britain
Find out what life was like for children in Roman Britain
What was life like for children in Roman Britain?
Discipline for children was very firm in Roman times as it was thought to make them strong, to improve their character and, for boys, to prepare them for life in the army.
Before the Roman invasion, most British children learnt about their histories and their tribal customs through stories and songs shared with their families around a fire at night. But once the Romans were here then, for the posh kids at any rate, you had to learn to read and write. And what they were learning to read and write was, of course, Latin.
This is a wax tablet and it's what school children in Roman Britain would have used when they were learning to read and write.
It's really cleverly designed, because it's basically just two bits of wax put on top of some wood, and they're joined together with a bit of string or leather here. And this doesn't look like it, but this is a Roman-style pen - it's just a bit of pointy metal. And the very clever thing is that you could write down your word, and I'm going to write a word, "Londinium", which is what the Romans called London. But, if you made a mistake, then you could rub it out with this flat end of the pen.
So, I'm writing Londinium and it will look like I've made a mistake at the end, because when they were writing capitals, the Romans didn't use a U, like we use, they used a V instead. So, it looks like I've written Londinivm, but I haven't. I've actually written the Roman name for London - Londinium.
Some girls were educated, but it was mainly the boys. And if you were poor or a slave, then it was very, very unlikely that you'd get the chance to be taught at all.
Those children privileged enough to receive an education learned reading, writing and maths, as well as other subjects, such as how to speak in front of an audience, which would prepare them for important jobs, like being in the Roman army.
What technology did they bring?
- The Romans were very good at building roads and bridges.
- To make sure soldiers and supplies could move from town to town quickly, the Romans made their roads as straight as possible.
- Many Roman roads survive today, 2,000 years later.
Although they didn’t invent the arch, the Romans were the first people to build arches into big buildings and aqueducts which were like a bridge with a stone channel to carry water on top.
Aqueducts were built to supply towns with water from springs, rivers or lakes.
The Romans liked to keep clean. Towns and forts had underground drains to take away dirty water and sewage.
The drain pipes were flushed with water from the baths, so they didn't get too smelly.
Fresh water and sewers were important. Without them, people risked catching diseases.
When were the Romans in Britain?
Activities
Activity 1: Roman homes
Click on the labels below to find out about the different rooms of a Roman villa.
Activity 2: Important Roman buildings
Click on the town below to find out about some of the important buildings.
Activity 3: Quiz – Life in Roman Britain
Get ready for the SATs with videos, activities and games
Refresh your knowledge and practise your skills for the maths and English SATs.
More on Roman Britain
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