life in roman britain. romans in britain experienced a different lifestyle: * different weather...
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Life in Roman Britain
Life in Roman Britain
Romans in Britain experienced a different lifestyle:
* Different weather• Distance from towns; isolation• Unfamiliar Celtic customs• Lack of many urban amenities
Native British lifestyle
• Most lived in the countryside• Lived by farming with a little left over for trade• House consisted of a single round room, with
no windows & only one low door; an open fire in the center
Romano-British life
• Roman invasion in 43AD• Within 30 years, Romano-British villas began to
appear; most belonged to British people who were imitating a more Roman lifestyle
• These were not holiday retreats, but working farms
• These had rectangular rather than round buildings• New building materials such as brick & tile• Houses had 4 or 5 rooms
Romano-British Life
• Villas became more complicated with hypocaust (under floor) heating, ornamental gardens, mosaics, flushing toilets, glass windows, baths with tepidarium and caldarium
• They also had workshops, barns, quarters for farm laborers, sheds for animals, etc.
Farming
• Main crops were cereal grains: barley, oats, rye, wheat
• Animals included cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, horses, geese & hens, bees
• Some new fruits & vegies had been brought by the Romans, such as cherries & peas
• Heavier plow became available
Farms & Slaves
• A villa would be supervised by a farm manager, like Varica
• Labor was performed by slaves, most of such were British• Celtic chieftains traded slaves taken in raids & inter-tribal
warfare• Slaves had some legal protection: an owner who killed a
slave could be charged with murder but this was often ignored.
• As time sent on, slaves became increasingly scarce & expensive
• Gravestone from Chester was set up to the memory of 3 slaves who died young, including 2 10 year olds named Atilianus and Anti-Antilianus, probably twins
• Lavatory• Deleterious• Quotidian• Donation• Indecorous• Infidelity• Deity• marital
• Astound• Regal• Diligence• Deity• Ennoble• Necessitate• Familiar• Indelible