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In Roman times chariot races were very popular so they raised a lot of money. Yet races were also very dangerous. A chariot was built for speed not safety of comfort. Each race team would complete seven laps against eleven others. It was dangerous because chariots might overturn and you would get trampled by the horses or you would get choked by the reins. The Circus Maximus was a long oval shaped building with stands on all sides.
The gladiator games were another popular spot as it was gruesome too. They involved two enemies fighting to the death. Sometimes the gladiators fought wild animals. Under the rule of Julius Caesar the games became more organized. Now there were five types of fighters.
1 Mirmillones- heavily armed
2 Thracians- held a shield and scimitar
3 Retarii- held net, trident and dagger
4 Samnites- used sword, shield and helmet
5 Bestiari- fought animals bare-handed
They fought in the arena (called that after the sand that could soak up blood). Below the arena were hundreds of contraptions to bring up animals controlled by lots of slaves. Originally the Colleseum was five stories high before fire destroyed it.
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Another
important part of daily life was the baths.
The daily ritual of bathing was a symbol of Rome for some people as it proved they were cleaner and therefore better than other countries. Bathing was so important that there was an actual ritual for them. There were five rooms,
The Apodyterium (dressing room)
The Palaestra (gymnasium)
The Frigidarium (cold room)
The Tepidarium (warm room)
The Caldarium (hot room)
Once they had washed thoroughly, they went back through the ordeal reverse order and went home.
In the family side of life men dominated the household while women were expected to act with dignity, modesty and grace. He even chose whether to keep his own children. When the newborn baby was placed on the ground in front of him and he picked it up it was formally accepted into the family. If not they were left on the doorstep for orphanage mothers.
The daily ritual of bathing was a symbol of Rome for some people as it proved they were cleaner and therefore better than other countries. Bathing was so important that there was an actual ritual for them. There were five rooms,
The Apodyterium (dressing room)
The Palaestra (gymnasium)
The Frigidarium (cold room)
The Tepidarium (warm room)
The Caldarium (hot room)
Once they had washed thoroughly, they went back through the ordeal reverse order and went home.
In the family side of life men dominated the household while women were expected to act with dignity, modesty and grace. He even chose whether to keep his own children. When the newborn baby was placed on the ground in front of him and he picked it up it was formally accepted into the family. If not they were left on the doorstep for orphanage mothers.