Rome
People living in Rome loved their city. They admired it for all the precious monuments and the beautiful architecture that was around them. The social class in Rome was the rich and the poor. You were either a very rich person living in an enormous house, or a beggar on the street that relied on the government for food. The rich people of Rome lived in villas, or country estates. Villas would contain about three generations of family and contained a kitchen, multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, a nice garden and a pool. However, the poor lived on the streets and relied on the government for housing and food. Some people were considered middle-class and they lived in apartments with one window. People living in apartments would cook inside afraid of fire. The women in Rome had more rights then women in Greece, but the rights depended on how wealthy the woman was and the status of her family. There were a lot of slaves in Ancient Rome, and they did not have many rights. However, the slaves in the households were better taken care of because they had easier jobs, such as taking care of children, rather than a job in labor outside.
Greece
Women stayed in the house with children. People thought that women needed to be protected, and they had no freedom. They could not vote. However, they could be a priestesses in a religious group. Running the home and family was a job of the women. Women’s hobbies were spinning and weaving. They looked after the supplies of the family. It was the women’s job to train slaves if the family was wealthy enough to have them. Women who had little money found jobs such as pottery making, tending sheep, or manufacturing cloth. Men had a lot of more privileges than the women. For example, men were allowed to vote and work. Slaves were a lot of help because the men could focus more on their jobs. The male in the family was the most respected. Lastly, they were free and self-governed. Slaves were the lowest class in Greece. They did a great deal of work such as labor, constructing buildings, digging silver, assisted artisans by making pottery, cooked, and cleaned. In Greece, 1/3 of the population was slaves, and slaves were not considered citizens. Lastly, most of the slaves were from foreign areas. Foods eaten in Greece were typically very simple. Bread was the common breakfast, and midday meals consisted of cheese, olives, and bread. Dinner would be a hot meal that had a side of fish, vegetables, cheese, fruit, and even cakes sweetened with honey. Athenians ate little meat, and wealthy families ate meat only ate meat during religious festivals.
Comparing and Contrasting Daily Life
Daily life in Rome and Greece was a little different. The main difference in my opinion is that the women in Rome had more rights than women in Greece. They did not have to hide inside of the house and they could go to festivals being able to sit next to their family. Some differences are that in Rome, the slaves in the household were better taken care of than the slaves in general in Greece. Another contrast is in Greece, the family would typically be just intermediate family. In Rome, three generations of family lived under the same roof. In conclusion, the daily life in Rome had some more rights than the life in Greece.