Interesting Facts And Information About Romans For Kids

Romans are the people who live in the city of Rome in Italy. Rome is a city with a rich culture and history that date back thousands of years. The Ancient Romans conquered areas across the globe and built the Roman Empire in Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa. Ancient Rome’s impact on contemporary life, like government, engineering, and even names, can be seen even today. It is thus important for your kids to learn about them. Here are some Roman facts for children.

Amazing Roman Facts for Kids

Roman culture and ideas are a predominant part of contemporary life. Here are some fun facts about the Romans:

1. Roman Inventions

Numerous inventions that we utilize even today can be credited to the Romans. Some of these include concrete, calendars, newspapers, books, aqueducts, sewage systems and central heating. The invention of the calendar is over 2,000 years old. It was started by Emperor Julius Caesar and was the solar calendar comprising of 356 days and 366 days every leap year. The months are named after Roman Gods. The month of July is named after Emperor Julius Caesar.

2. Roman Hygiene

The Romans would have communal baths, which were big baths that everyone would get into together to get clean. Every town and city had a complex of public baths and they were referred to as ‘thermae’. Some Romans brushed their teeth using mouse brains as toothpaste. To wash their clothes, Romans used urine because the ammonia in the urine would remove stubborn stains. A wet sponge on a stick was used instead of toilet paper.

3. Roman Gods

The Romans believed that different Gods and Goddesses ruled over different aspects of life. They would build temples for them and make offerings. Some of the Roman divinity include Saturn (the King of the Gods), Venus (the Goddess of Love and Beauty), Minerva (Goddess of Wisdom) and Mars (the God of War).

4. Entertainment in Rome

The Romans built huge stadiums like the famous Roman Colosseum, where there was a ring and Gladiators fought to death for people’s entertainment. These gladiators could be professionals or amateurs and they would fight each other or wild animals like bears and lions.

5. Lives of Women

Women in Rome were not treated as equal to men. They were considered citizens if they were freeborn, but they couldn’t vote or hold any public office. The father of a Roman woman would guide her, even once she was married and he was in charge of her. Thus, she was legally accountable to her father and not her husband.

6. The Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was vast and spread across the globe and at one point, included around 40 countries. Their Empire spanned across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

7. Slavery

The Roman society comprised of citizens, non-citizens and slaves. Slaves were regarded as property and they were denied rights, even to legally marry others or possess any property. During the reign of a Roman Emperor called Augustus, around 35 percent slaves lived in Italy.

8. Roman invasion of Britain

The Romans invaded Britain thrice, the first two times under the rule of Emperor Julius Caesar and the final time under Emperor Claudius. This invasion was successful and their four century-long rule came to an end with the Boudiccan revolt, after which the city of London was established.

9. Roman food

Romans ate using their fingers. The food eaten by Romans depended upon their financial status. Poor Romans would not afford meat and mostly ate vegetables and porridge. Wealthy Romans on the other hand enjoyed wild boar, venison, flamingo tongues, parrots and dormice.

10. Education

Romans valued education and believed that it was important for every child to learn to read and write. Wealthy Romans were educated by tutors or in schools, while the poor learned to read and write, even if they didn’t receive private tuitions or schooling. Romans instilled fear in the children to make them better learners by beating them when they made a mistake.

Romans had a rich culture and heritage which has left its mark across the globe and it is important to know about their great civilization. Amaze your little ones with these ancient Rome facts.

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