Day in the Life: Ancient Rome

Summary

Forever Ago – “Day in the Life: Ancient Rome”

Podcast: Forever Ago, part of Brains On Universe
Host: Joy Dolo (A)
Co-host: Charlie from Toronto (B)
Guest: Dr. Robyn LeBlanc, archaeologist (C)
Release Date: August 12, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Forever Ago dives into the daily experiences of people living in ancient Rome over 2,000 years ago. Host Joy Dolo and co-host Charlie explore what a day might look like for different types of Romans—rich and poor, men and women, adults and children—using lively historical reenactments and expert insights from archaeologist Dr. Robyn LeBlanc. The episode makes Roman history accessible and fun, unpacking daily routines, food, baths, jobs, and some common misconceptions, while encouraging critical thinking about historical evidence.

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Key Themes & Structure

1. Setting the Scene: Life in Ancient Rome (02:39–06:04)

   • The episode opens with Joy and Charlie imagining what comes to mind when thinking about ancient Rome (tales of war, togas, gladiators, statues, and leafy headdresses).
   • Joy introduces the premise: “So today we’re going to learn what an average day in ancient Rome was like” (02:51).

2. Historical Reenactments: A Roman Day Unfolds (06:23–17:33)

   • Joy and Charlie act out typical daily routines based on social status, age, and gender.
   • Categories covered:
     • Waking Up & Telling Time (07:39–08:22): Romans woke with the sun, dividing daylight into 12 hours using sundials.
     • Elite Men & Patronage (08:27–09:41): Rich men (patrons) provided support and jobs to clients in return for loyalty and votes.
     • Average Men (Clients) (09:41–10:10): Relied on patrons for resources and opportunities.
     • Women’s Lives (10:10–10:28): Managed households, taught children, performed domestic tasks, or supervised workers if wealthy.
     • Children’s Education (10:28–10:57): Sons of powerful families learned “politics, poetry, and war”; others learned at home.
     • Bathing Culture (11:09–15:54): Public baths were huge social centers—“Kind of like a community center, but segregated by gender and people were naked” (15:48, B).
     • Takeout and Eating Habits (16:04–16:38): Street-food restaurants (thermopolia) offered fast meals (lentils, duck, olives, fish), always served with garum (fermented fish sauce).
     • Leisure and Entertainment (16:49–17:33): Games, theater, and sporting events like chariot races were popular.
     • Focus on Dreams (17:33–17:49): Romans believed dreams were messages from the gods, consulted priests about their meaning.

3. Historical Comparison Game: First Things First (11:09–13:18, 31:40–33:46)

   • Joy and Charlie play a ranking game with ancient leaders: Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan.
   • Final order revealed:
     1. Alexander the Great (oldest)
     2. Cleopatra
     3. Genghis Khan
   • Charlie’s reflection: “I was surprised by Alexander the Great coming first because I always thought… ancient Rome took place more recently than I thought.” (33:34–33:46)

4. Expert Interview: Insights from Archaeologist Dr. Robyn LeBlanc (20:42–30:39)

   Archaeology: How Do We Know About Rome? (20:51–22:44)

   • Dr. LeBlanc explains: “It’s basically like being a detective… we study all the stuff that people in the past left behind… even stuff they threw away.”
   • Graffiti offers “one of our best pieces of written evidence… The Romans wrote lots of graffiti all over… telling us about daily lives” (22:07–22:32).

   Variety of Roman Jobs (22:44–24:51)

   • “The Roman Empire was so big… lots of different professions: cooks, barbers, sailors, soldiers, architects, teachers, artists, furniture makers, miners, bakers, blacksmiths.”
   • Pompeii preserved circular loaves of Roman bread.
   • Blacksmiths minted coins—Dr. LeBlanc studies this area.

   Unanswered Questions & Misconceptions (25:29–26:47)

   • Most Romans “lived outside the city… 85% lived in the countryside”—not all city-dwellers.
   • Roman statues were originally painted: “Those white marble sculptures were… painted really bright colors, like red and blue and yellow and even skin tone” (26:31–26:43).

   Teaching & Fun Facts (28:49–29:58)

   • Roman graffiti was often playful—"We have lots and lots and lots of graffiti that's very similar to things people might write on a wall today… my favorite is there's one piece of graffiti where somebody is saying, ‘Hey, stop writing on the walls.’” (29:36–29:58, C)

   Tips for Aspiring Archaeologists (29:59–30:39)

   • “Be comfortable digging in the dirt… but also reading and learning to solve puzzles. Archaeology… is like a detective, but also like putting together a puzzle without all the pieces.” (30:03–30:39, C)

5. Memorable Moments and Quotes

   • Joy (about Roman timekeeping):
     “We used sundials to keep track of the time… depending on where the sun is in the sky, the shadow on the dial lets you know the time like a clock.” (07:50–07:59, A)
   • Charlie on AI and ancient Romans:
     “But they’ll probably be appalled to see that we’ve made our own know-it-all god that can answer literally everything.” (04:37–04:55, B)
   • Joy (on Roman baths):
     “Let me just relax in this bath. Splash, splash. Ah.” (15:54, A)
   • Dr. LeBlanc (on Roman graffiti):
     “The graffiti… will tell us what they bought at the grocery store… We have pictures of gladiators, people drawing pictures of gladiatorial fights… boats and camels and kids practicing their ABCs.” (22:22–22:44, C)
   • Dr. LeBlanc (misconceptions):
     “After 2,000 years, that paint has kind of faded… for a long time, people thought the Romans produced all these white marble sculptures. But in the past 50 years… we found a lot more examples where there’s still some paint preserved.” (26:49–27:28, C)

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Timeline of Key Segments

• 02:39–06:04: Opening discussion & why ancient Rome is fascinating
• 07:39–10:10: Reenactment—Morning routines, patrons & clients
• 10:10–10:57: Women’s roles & children’s education
• 11:09–13:18: First Things First historical leaders game
• 15:19–17:49: Bathing, food, games, entertainment, and sleep rituals
• 20:42–22:44: Dr. LeBlanc—What archaeologists do and Roman evidence
• 22:44–24:51: Roman job variety, bakers, blacksmiths, Pompeii
• 25:29–26:47: Rural Romans & painted statues
• 29:59–30:39: Archaeology as puzzle-solving—advice for kids

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Notable Quotes

• Joy (on what the Romans would think about today’s technology):
  “It’s heresy, I tell you.” (04:55–04:58, A/B)
• Dr. LeBlanc (daily life evidence):
  “We end up studying trash a lot, so we can kind of figure out what people were eating, what they were doing, where they were going.” (22:07–22:25, C)
• Charlie (on Roman blacksmiths):
  “I could just picture, like, an ancient Roman blacksmith. Like, they won’t notice if I take this coin.” (24:51–24:58, B)
• Dr. LeBlanc (advice):
  “Digging in the dirt… reading and learning to solve puzzles… is really, really, really important.” (30:03–30:39, C)

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Episode Takeaways

• Ancient Roman society was highly structured by wealth, gender, and status.
• Patron-client relationships defined politics and daily support for many.
• Public baths and communal eating were important aspects of daily life.
• Most Romans lived outside major cities, challenging the common city-focused stereotype.
• Archaeologists learn about the past through “detective work” with artifacts, garbage, graffiti, and structures.
• Much of the iconic Roman statuary was originally painted in bright colors.
• Roman life, while serious, also included lots of humor and everyday silliness seen in graffiti and games.
• Kids who want to be archaeologists should love getting messy and solving mysteries!

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Useful for Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode walks listeners through an imaginative and evidence-based ‘day in the life’ in ancient Rome, blending humor, reenactment, and expert commentary. It covers how Romans structured their time, social and family life, food and leisure, what evidence historians use to reconstruct the past, and dispels some major myths—like the colorless statues and city-centric life. The accessible, engaging tone and vivid examples (like eating takeout with garum and sneaking coins in a mint) make it perfect for families and classrooms.

Perfect for anyone curious how “ordinary” ancient Romans really lived!

Transcript

[A]

Lemonade. Hi, friends, this is Molly. Before we start the show, we just wanted to let you know that we just announced two Smashboom Best Live Shows. September 19th in Minneapolis, October 11th in Dallas. We would love to see you there and get some high fives in person. Our Minneapolis show features debaters Joy Dolo, Anna Wegel and Else Bruno. And Dallas, we are so excited to announce those debaters very soon. Until then, you can get [e-mail] events. That's brainson.org events.

[B]

Brains on Universe.

[A]

Hi there. Do you like history and do you like candy? Well then you're gonna love Rome, Sweet Rome. The shop where all the candy is shaped things from ancient Rome. I'm Joy Dolo and I started Rome, Sweet Rome because I was tired of eating candy shaped candy. How boring. Now I can eat candy shaped like tiny horse drawn chariots. Yum. The wheels are peppermints. Or how about this edible aqueduct? The real Roman aqueducts were channels used to carry water. This one carries caramel. I've got a chewy Roman bathhouse to stuff in your big open mouth. There's my chocoliseum full of tiny gummy gladiators. They're as tough as actual gladiators and only half as sweaty. So come on down to Rome, Sweet Rome. The only candy store where you can eat a tiny jelly filled Julius Caesar.

[B]

Wow, Joy, what a pitch.

[A]

Thanks. What do you think? Any notes, questions, comments? Concerns?

[B]

The gummy gladiators. Will they get stuck to my teeth?

[A]

Certainly. Nine out of ten dentists do not recommend, but the ten dentist thinks there might be a case for strengthening your jaw.

[B]

Got it. And these Julius Caesar candies. What kind of filling are we working with?

[A]

Could be grape, maybe an orange marmalade. Or hear me out. We fill them with Caesar dressing.

[B]

Ooh, a savory salad dressing, jelly candy. That's certainly unique.

[A]

Watch out. Probiotic sodas and Dubai chocolate. There's a new little treat in town and it contains anchovies.

[B]

Get ready for this jelly.

[A]

You're listening to Forever Ago, part of the Brains on Universe. I'm your host Joy Dolo and I'm here with my co host for the day, Charlie from Toronto. Hi, Charlie.

[B]

Hi, Joy.

[A]

So today we're going to learn what an average day in ancient Rome was like. Rome is still a city today, but when we say ancient Rome, we're talking about the civilization that was thriving over 2000 years ago.

[B]

The ancient Roman Empire grew from a single city in what is now Italy to a huge area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

[A]

It Also grew to include what is now France, Spain and England, plus North

[B]

Africa, Greece, and parts of West Asia all the way to Syria and Jordan.

[A]

The idea for today's episode actually came from you, Charlie. So you suggested we do an episode looking at a day in the life of someone living a long, long, long, long, long, long time ago. What made you cur?

[B]

So in, like, the modern world, we have, like, all sorts of technology, like cell phones and VO headsets, But back in the day, they didn't have all that stuff to work with. So I'm just curious to see how they just scraped by.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. They couldn't call each other on the phone. You know, they probably had to, like, walk over to each other's houses to kind of get a message across. But when you think about ancient Rome, like, what's the first thing that comes to your mind?

[B]

I think of war.

[C]

Oh, okay.

[B]

I also think of, like, the stereotypes of ancient Romans, like togas, gladiators, coliseum, all that jazz.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, I think about those too. You know, like those headdresses that are made from, like, leaves.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[A]

I don't know if they're like, crowns or whatever, but that's. That's the first thing I think of. And then I think of, like, those old statues. You know, they're all wearing togas, like you were saying, and they're all, like, white and bleached and they're all just, like, hanging out. That's what I think of, too.

[B]

Interesting.

[A]

Yeah. What's something about our daily life now that you think would surprise the people living in the Roman Empire?

[B]

I think maybe AI, since the Romans have gods that they can turn to. But they'll probably be appalled to see that what you've made your own know it all. God, that can answer literally everything.

[A]

That's so true.

[B]

It's heresy, I tell you.

[A]

It's heresy. Get out of here with that heresy. And they can sort packages.

[C]

The horror.

[A]

Yeah, the horror. That's a great answer. Rome is a great place to think about. Since its empire was so big, it had a lot of influence, and there's a lot of historical evidence that means

[B]

we have a pretty good idea of what it was like for people back then. So let's go back over 2,000 years.

[A]

Okay, so we're not actually going back to ancient Rome because time travel is probably not possible. And if it is, I'd like to avoid creating a paradoxical rift in the space time continuum that makes it so my family slowly fades from a picture I'm carrying Around in my pocket and I have to go back in time and make sure my mom and dad go to prom together.

[B]

And then you think you have the plot for the 1985 film Back to the future.

[A]

Great Scott, Charlie. Right you are. But if we can't actually go back to ancient Rome, the next best thing is for me to act.

[B]

I'm intrigued.

[A]

Well, you might know that I majored in theater in college and I'm a professional actor now. No big deal. And I feel like the next logical step for me is to try to break into the world of historical reenactment.

[B]

Like the people who dress up in old timey outfits and pretend to be in the past for educational purposes.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

That does actually make so much sense for you, Joy.

[A]

Thank you. And since you feel that way, I've prepared these note cards for you. You'll be the narrator. I'll play all the ancient Romans. Deal.

[B]

Deal. And this is a thick stack of note cards.

[A]

Oh, thank you. So read the first one while I change into my tunic. That's basically a sleeveless loose dress. Everyone wore them.

[B]

Welcome to a day in the life in ancient Rome. Starring me, Charlie and Joy. Dolores. I guess she's still changing. I'll keep going. Now, this is thousands upon thousands of years ago. So there is no electricity, no cars, no factories. People would walk, travel in boats or with the help of animals. There was no way to communicate over long distances except by carrying messages with you when you traveled or using friendly carrier pigeons.

[A]

Okay, I'm ready. Card three.

[B]

Nice tunic.

[A]

Thank you. Or should I say gratias tiviago? The ancient Romans spoke Latin like that.

[B]

Okay, let's get this day started. It's morning in ancient Rome.

[A]

First thing I do as an ancient Roman is wake up. Relatable. Right?

[B]

Ancient Romans woke up with the sun and they took the time from sunup to sundown and broke it into 12 hours.

[A]

We used sundials to keep track of the time.

[B]

It's like a flat plate with a pointer sticking up at an angle that casts a shadow on the plate.

[A]

Depending on where the sun is in the sky, the shadow on the dial lets you know the time of the day, like a clock.

[B]

Since the sun is up for shorter amounts of time in the winter, the hours were shorter and they were longer in the summer. Now, the way your day went would be different depending on if you were one of the elite who had lots of power and money, or if you were just an average person.

[A]

Also, if you were a man or a woman, a grown up or A child. The days would be slightly different.

[B]

Let's start with a rich, powerful man.

[A]

Okay, just gotta put my toga on over this tunic. It's a big piece of fabric that's wrapped and draped over the tunic. Hold, please. Okay, ready? Togas signified wealth and power.

[B]

Okay, here we go. Joy Dolo plays the part of an elite man in the morning.

[A]

Oh, twat. A beautiful sunrise. Let me eat my little breakfast here, prepared by my household staff. Mmm, yummy, yummy, yummy in my ancient Roman tummy. Delicious. And now, here I go. My clients are waiting to speak to me.

[B]

This was a really, really, really big part of Roman society. Rich elite Romans were called patrons to regular men. All Roman male citizens had a patron. They chose the regular Romans were called clients of their patron. The more clients you had, the more powerful you were.

[A]

That's right. I'm rich and powerful, and my clients need my help. Maybe they're looking for advice, a job, some money or food. They gather outside every morning, and I see what they need in return.

[B]

Clients were loyal to their patrons.

[A]

Okay, I'm back in my tunic, and now I'm a client.

[B]

Nice quick change, Joy.

[A]

Thank you so much. As a regular Roman man, my rich elite patron protects me, gives me food or money, helps me with legal stuff, and will even give me a job. And in return, I'll support them however I can. That might mean I vote for them if they're running for office, or I vote for who they want me to vote for.

[B]

Now, things were very different. If you were a woman, you manage the home.

[A]

Okay, that's me. Okay? I'm a woman managing a home, teaching my kids, doing some weaving and cooking and cleaning. Or if I'm rich, managing the workers who do those things for me.

[B]

As we mentioned, the kids from average families were taught at home. But if you were the son of a powerful woman, you would go to school.

[A]

Oh, yes, now that's me. Off to school I go to learn about politics, poetry and war.

[B]

Wait, wait, hold up. War?

[A]

Yep. If you were going to be a leader in Rome one day, that's what you needed to know. The Roman Empire expanded by winning wars and taking over other lands.

[B]

So the mornings in ancient Rome were spent working and learning. But in the afternoons, everyone came together to do what Romans loved. Taking a bath.

[A]

Okay, I need a break from that. We'll hear more of my top tier historical reenactments in just a bit. But first, there's the matter of first things first. This is the game where we put things in order from which came earliest in history to which came most recently. And today we're doing ancient leaders. You might be familiar with their names, but who came first Today we've got Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, and Genghis Khan. So Charlie, have you heard of these people before?

[B]

Yes, I have.

[A]

All three of them?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Perfect. So who do you think came first, who came second, and who came most recently in history?

[B]

Oh, I know that Genghis Khan was, I think was the most recent since. I feel like there's more like date on on him. I don't think that Mongolia was a thing when Cleopatra. Cleopatra was ruling.

[A]

Ah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Ancient Egypt was like a really long time ago. And Cleopatra lived during the Roman Empire. And Alexander the Great also lives in that same time period. So I think I'll need to flip a coin. Tails. Cleopatra comes first.

[A]

Okay. Cleopatra comes first based on the coin flip. So we have Cleopatra's first, and then Alexander the Great and then Genghis. All right, so just to dial it in, number one, the oldest Cleopatra. Number two, Alexander the Great, and number three, Genghis Khan. Final answer.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

All right, we'll be back with the answers at the end of the show, so stick around. We're working on an episode all about the history of pizza. Why? Because it's a perfect food, but it needs a good spot slogan. A slogan is a saying or a tagline for something like forever ago where we explore the before for pizza. It could be pizza, the pie with pizzazz. Charlie, do you have an idea for a pizza slogan?

[B]

Perfect no matter which way you slice it.

[A]

Somebody write that down. Trademark that. That's great. Listeners, record your pizza slogan and send it to [e-mail] and while you're there, you can send us episode ideas, questions and drawings. Like a pizza party where we're all wearing togas. That's fun. Draw it, name it, tell us what it does, and send it to [e-mail] contact.

[B]

Thanks and keep on listening.

[A]

When I was in middle school, I had several teachers that changed my life. My music teacher and my theater teacher. They not only made me fall in love with the arts, but they taught me how to express myself. And you know, in middle school, that was not easy for me. But I believe that because they gave me that path, I was able to thrive in other parts of school as well. And a new school year means a fresh start. For families that are looking for a new path to help their child succeed, K12 could be the perfect fit. K12 powered schools offer tuition free accredited online Public education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. K12 has been a leader in online education for over 25 years. They provide everything a student needs to feel safe, motivated, and thrive in their learning environment. With flexible education options tailored to each child's needs, interests, and goals for the Future. See how K12 powered schools can help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll online [e-mail] Foreverago that's the letter K. The number 12.com Foreverago K12.com Foreverago. We're back. I'm Joy Dolo.

[B]

And I'm Charlie.

[A]

And today we're exploring what a day in the life of an ancient Roman was like.

[B]

And now Joy is getting ready for bath time.

[A]

That's because for Romans, bathing was a huge part of their day.

[B]

Roman rulers built huge public bath buildings that were open to everyone.

[A]

And everyone went, these aren't the bathtubs you have in your house. These are huge pools. They're hot ones and cold ones indoors and outdoors. So it's more like a spa. You can even go there to hear a lecture, chat with your friends, exercise, buy snacks, play games.

[B]

Kind of like a community center, but segregated by gender and people were naked.

[A]

Not me though. This is is a family friendly show. Let me just relax in this bath. Splash, splash. Ah. Okay, next card.

[B]

Charlie, There are other things we know ancient Romans liked, no matter their social class. One was takeout.

[A]

Hello. Hello. Welcome to Joy's Thermopolium.

[B]

A Thermopolium was basically a fast casual restaurant where you order at the counter and they serve you pre made dishes, kind of like chipotle.

[A]

I got four vessels here with delicious dishes. We got lentils, duck, olives, fish. What can I get for you?

[B]

I'll have the works, please. And don't forget the garum.

[A]

Ancient Rome's favorite condiment. Gotta have it on hand.

[B]

Garum was a fermented fish sauce, kind

[A]

of like Worcestershire sauce. And we Romans put it on everything. Savory foods, sweet foods. Everything is better with garum.

[B]

Then after you grab your meal, you'd spend the rest of the time before the sun went down having fun.

[A]

Anyone want to join me in a dice game? Ooh, a board game.

[B]

If they weren't playing games, maybe they went to the theater to see a performance.

[A]

I love the cool masks the actors wear. They're super elaborate and painted bright colors.

[B]

Romans really like comedic plays and plays about famous stories from Greek and Roman mythology and history.

[A]

But my real favorite is the Hippodrome. It's a big arena A lot like somewhere you might watch football. Today, the most popular sport to see there is chariot racing.

[B]

That's when horses would pull small wagons with races in them.

[A]

It's the best.

[B]

Then, after the fun was over, it was time for bed. But sleep was important as well.

[A]

We Romans are very interested in dreams. If I have a dream I can remember, I'm pretty sure it's a message from the gods. So I'd probably analyze it with a religious official and figure out how to keep the good luck going or avoid the bad stuff that's been predicted.

[B]

And then the Romans would wake up and do it all over again.

[A]

Good morning, sun. And scene. That was a day in the life of ancient Romans.

[B]

Bravo, Joy. You definitely have a future. And playing parts from the past.

[A]

Oh, thank you so much, Charlie. Could you tell everybody in the theater world that in Minneapolis. Thank you. But you know what? Historical reenactors wouldn't be able to do what we do without archaeologists figuring out what the past was really like. They find evidence of the and help us understand life way back when.

[B]

Good point.

[A]

So that's why we've invited an archaeologist to come talk to us. But first, the mailbag. Checking the mail for joy. I'm Joy. Checking the mail for joy is a joy. Let's see what we have here today. Ooh. It's an idea for the forever ago time capsule. A time capsule is a container of stuff from today that you leave for people to find in the future.

[B]

Hi, my name is Bertie, and I'd like to put something in the time capsule. What I would put in the time capsule would be a hoodie because everybody wears them. And I also put in a soda, and then I'd shake it up so it exploded in their faces when they opened it.

[A]

Whoa. Don't open up that Diet Coke. It's a prank in a time capsule. Thanks for sharing. Sharing your time capsule idea. It's cool to think about what we'll leave behind for the historians and archaeologists of the future. Like if they found the tangled up ball of now useless phone chargers and cables, would they think it was some kind of brain teaser? Or maybe a shrine to some kind of God? Maybe I should leave the tangled ball of chargers and cables in the time capsule. Love to leave a mystery to solve for the future. If you have anything you want to send to us, an idea, a question, a drawing, something for the time capsule, send it to [e-mail] we may share yours in a future episode. Again, that's foreverago.org. Want a birthday message from me or a seasonal greeting or just a nice message. Join SmartyPass and get one. Everyone who joins the galactic explorers level of Smarty Pass can get a custom message from me. Plus bonus episodes. Like there's a bonus episode in the smartypass feed right now about something called the Pokemon Shock. What is it? Find out by joining smartypassmartypass.org Thanks. We're back and still talking about life in ancient Rome.

[B]

For this next segment, we've got ourselves a very special guest.

[A]

Very special. Yes. Dr. Robin LeBlanc is an archaeologist who studies ancient Rome, and she's here to answer our questions.

[B]

Welcome to the show, Robin.

[C]

Hi, Charlie. Hi, Joy.

[B]

How do archaeologists know what they know about ancient Rome? Like, how do we know that they like takeout or going bathing?

[C]

Oh, yeah. So I love this question because this gets into my favorite thing about archaeology, which is basically kind of like being a detective, right? You have to find a bunch of evidence and clues from the past and sort of piece it all together to tell a story or solve a problem. So what Roman archaeologists do is we study all the stuff that people in the past left behind. So anything that people made that they used and even stuff that they threw away. Sometimes we find these things by digging and we call that excavating because many ancient Roman buildings and objects have been, like, buried under dirt and trash and other buildings for 2,000 years. So what we do is we study the physical remains of the buildings that are preserved, like Bath buildings. And we can look out the layout, the architecture, decoration, and the stuff that we find inside that can tell us what the function of the building was and what people did. So, for example, we know that people ate in Bath buildings because they threw away the remains of the stuff that they ate. We end up studying trash a lot, so we can kind of figure out what people were eating, what they were doing, where they were going. The other cool thing that archaeologists do is we are lucky enough that the Romans wrote down a lot of things in books or on stones so they could talk about who is in charge or things that they liked. But from an everyday perspective, one of our best pieces of written evidence is graffiti. The Romans wrote lots of graffiti all over the walls of their city in charcoal. And they'll tell us a lot about their daily lives. They'll tell us what they bought at the grocery store, for example. We have pictures of gladiators, people drawing pictures of gladiatorial fights they went to go see. We even have pictures of boats and camels and kids practicing their ABCs.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

If you were a regular Roman person, what kind of jobs were available to you?

[C]

Yeah, this is a great question, because the Roman Empire was so big, and you don't have a massive empire that stretches from, like, Britain to Syria without a lot of different people working a lot of different jobs. So we have tons of evidence for a ton of different professions. We know about Roman cooks, Roman barbers, sailors, soldiers. There's architects, builders, merchants, there's teachers, there's artists, there's furniture makers, there's miners. But I'll tell you about. Maybe we'll say my two favorite everyday Roman jobs. The first one are Roman bakers. So the Romans ate a lot of bread, even more bread than we eat today. And we have a lot of evidence for the importance of Roman bakers and bakeries. So we have archeological evidence of the bakeries where they're producing the bread. We have evidence of the ovens where they're being baked. And there's a very famous Roman city, maybe you've heard of it, Charlie, called Pompeii, that was destroyed by a volcano, and it preserved things really, really, really well. And in that destruction, we have examples of Roman bread that had been baked and not eaten right before the eruption. So they're really well preserved. And it's interesting because they're baked in sort of circular loaves, not like the big kind of rectangular ones that we eat today. The second one is near and dear to my heart. Blacksmiths. So, yeah, the Roman Empire really relied a lot on people who could work with metal, and blacksmiths worked with metal, and they made things like tools and weapons, but also things like coins. The Romans used coins to purchase food and things in daily life, everything from clothing to books. And blacksmiths were really interesting. They had to find metal. They had to, you know, buy metal. They had to melt it down into molds, and then they had to be able to use their skills and their knowledge to shape it into various objects. Everything from swords to tiny, tiny, tiny little pieces of jewelry and coins and bracelets.

[B]

I could just picture, like, an ancient Roman blacksmith. Like, they won't notice if I take this coin.

[C]

Yeah, that's a good one, Charlie. In fact, we know a lot about how the Romans minted coins. That's something that I study. And, in fact, there were lots and lots and lots of people involved in the minting process to make sure that blacksmiths didn't do exactly that. When I say minting, we are talking about creating Roman coins. That's just the technical term we use. You Basically, create a metal disk that looks like a coin, and then you have to hit the disk with a picture to impress the image on it. That's the process of minting.

[B]

What are some questions that we still have about ancient Roman life? Do you think we'll be able to answer them?

[C]

Oh, yeah, We've got tons of questions. One of the great things about being an archaeologist is there's always something new to discover and always more questions to ask. So I think one of the big ones is that there's this misconception that all ancient Romans lived in the city of Rome or cities like Rome. And actually, most people who lived in the Roman empire, like, 85% of them, that's millions of people, lived outside of a city, so lived in the countryside. Right. So many of those peoples were farmers, and they grew food for themselves and things like that. And we would love to know more about what their everyday lives were. What did they do for entertainment, for example? What types of other jobs did they do? What did kids do during the day?

[B]

Are there any more things that you think people misunderstand about ancient Rome?

[C]

Charlie, have you ever been to a museum, and maybe you've seen big white marble statues of Roman gods and emperors?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. Okay. Right. And maybe even in books. Well, did you know that the Romans originally made statues that were painted? Those white marble sculptures were actually painted really bright colors, like red and blue and yellow and even skin tone?

[B]

I did not know that. And what evidence do you have for this? Is there, like, paint particles still left on them?

[C]

You got it. Bingo. So after 2,000 years, that paint has kind of faded or not been well preserved. It's been washed away. And what's preserved now is the stone underneath. So for a long time, people thought that the Romans produced all of these white marble sculptures. But in the past 50 or so years, we've found a lot more examples where there's still some paint preserved, like little bits and pieces in the hair or in the clothing. But scientists are also using new technology. They're using special lights and scanning equipment to find, like, microscopic particles of the original paint, and then they can use that to reconstruct what the entire statue would have looked like.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

If they studied me in the future, they would find particles of burritos.

[C]

Mine would be coffee. I feel that.

[A]

Just little pieces of beef and lettuce all over my hair.

[B]

Robyn, if you were able to travel back in time to the ancient Roman era, what would you want to take back home?

[C]

Ooh, that's a hard question, Charlie. Do you know what you would want to take home while I think about it?

[B]

Well, if the butterfly effect didn't exist, maybe I'd try to take a statue home.

[C]

Oh, okay. I like that. Going big. All right. I think I would probably try to take back maybe some good ancient Roman olive oil. I really like Roman olive oil. The Romans produced a ton of it. And the cool thing about Roman olive oil is they used it for a lot of stuff. They use it to eat and to cook, but they also use it for bathing. They would rub it on their bodies, and they would put it in lamps so that they could see in the dark. So maybe I'd bring back, like, a nice little gallon of ancient Roman olive oil.

[A]

Oh, that's nice. I'd bring back some bread. Just some good Roman baked bread.

[C]

Yes. You know, there's actually recipes now where you can bake your own Roman bread. You can find them. Yeah, you can find them online, and they're ancient recipes from Roman cookbook writers, and they're actually pretty easy to make. I've made them for my students before and for myself. They're pretty dense, but you can do it at home.

[A]

Oh, I totally try that.

[B]

Earlier you mentioned students. What are some other things that you teach to them?

[C]

Some of the things my students love about the ancient Roman world is just how ancient Roman people. We think of them as, like, being super serious. Right. Like Julius Caesar giving a speech and then, like, senators and togas and all that. But I think one of the things my students love is that the Romans were, like, regular people as well, and they could be super silly. So I often teach my students about things like Roman games and Roman toys. The graffiti that I mentioned before is a very popular one. We have lots and lots and lots of graffiti that's very similar to things that people might write on a wall today. A lot of times people just write their names or they say hi. Sometimes they play, like, ancient tic tac toe. They make comments about the weather. My favorite is there's one piece of graffiti where somebody is saying, hey, stop writing on the walls. So it's so grapey, right? Because some things about people never change. And I think students really enjoy. And I think people in general really enjoy seeing that not super serious side of the Romans.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Finally, do you have any tips for aspiring archaeologists?

[C]

Ooh, yes. So I think all aspiring archaeologists should probably be comfortable digging in the dirt. So making sure you're getting in plenty of sandbox time, that is super essential and crucial. But also reading and learning to solve puzzles. I often tell my students that archaeology I mentioned, it's like a detective being a detective, but it's also like putting together a puzzle where you don't have all the pieces. And so the more that you can read and think about the past and also think about how to put a bunch of different pieces that may not seem like they go together, but they form together to make a picture is really, really, really important.

[A]

Well, thank you so much for talking with us, Robyn. This was great.

[C]

Great to meet all of you. Thank you so much.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Thank you. If you lived in an ancient Roman city, you probably liked takeout and going to the baths.

[A]

Rich and powerful Romans were patrons to clients. They protected them and gave them advice and jobs in exchange for political support.

[B]

Playing, playing games and watching sports were popular leisure activities. And dreams were super important, too.

[A]

Archaeologists know about history because they study artifacts from the past, like old books, pottery, even graffiti and trash. This episode was written by Molly Bloom. It was produced and fact checked by Ruby Guthrie. It's edited by Sandon Totten, engineering help from Lucy and Lozen and Jeremy Shereskin with sound design by Rachel Brees. Originally original theme music by Mark Sanchez. Special thanks to Dr. Robin LeBlanc and Gene Kim.

[B]

And if you like the sound of ad free episodes and special bonus content, subscribe to our smarty pass.

[A]

Okay, Charlie, it is time. Are you ready to hear the answers for first things first?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay, so just a reminder. We had Cleopatra as one, Alexander the Great as two, and Genghis Khan bringing up the rear. So let's see what is. Oh, you were so close.

[B]

It was that coin flip, wasn't it?

[A]

It was the coin flip, Charlie. It must have been. So the first, the oldest is Alexander the Great. So he became ruler of the Greek kingdom of Macedon in 336bce and ruled for 13 years through his military victories. He also became the king of Persia and an Egyptian pharaoh. The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle was his tutor. That's how old he was. Aristotle was his tutor.

[B]

Very old.

[A]

Very, very old. That means second is Cleopatra. And she ruled Egypt for 22 years, starting in 51 BCE when she was just 18 years old. So this was also the same time as the Roman Empire, like you said. And she made an alliance with Julius Caesar and had a child with him named Caesarean. She was known as a smart and strategic ruler who spoke multiple languages. Can you speak multiple languages, Charlie?

[B]

Yes, I speak English, obviously. French and Korean.

[A]

Oh, nice. And last but not least is Genghis Khan, who you're absolutely right about. He became the ruler of mongol tribes in 1206 and ruled for 21 years. And growing up, his family was poor and had to fend for themselves. But he was very charismatic and smart and was able to make alliances and become a fierce warrior. His empire eventually included a big swath of Asia from the East China Sea to the Caspian Sea. Charlie, which one of these were you most surprised by?

[B]

I was surprised by Alexander the Great coming first because I always thought, I guess this is another misconception about ancient Rome, but took place more recently than I thought it was. Was.

[A]

Yeah, it seems like it was just such a long period of time. And we got Alexander the Great and Cleopatra a few hundred years away from each other. So it's easy enough to, you know, switch around. Join us next week for a new episode all about hula hoops, yo yos and slime.

[B]

Thanks for listening.