Growing Up in Ancient Rome: The Lives of Roman Children
Imagine waking up in a bustling city where chariot races roar in the distance and grand stone temples tower over the streets. This was the daily reality for children growing up in the Roman Empire thousands of years ago. While their lives were very different from ours today, Roman children still played games, went to school, and had daily routines that shaped their lives.
For a Roman child, the day began at sunrise. Before stepping outside, they had to get dressed in the standard clothing of the time. Both boys and girls wore a simple garment called a tunic, which was a loose-fitting woolen shirt that reached down to their knees. Richer families used softer materials like linen or even silk. Around their necks, Roman children wore a special protective amulet. Boys wore a charm called a bulla, made of gold or leather, while girls wore a crescent-shaped charm called a lunula. These amulets were given to babies shortly after birth to ward off bad luck and evil spirits, and they were worn until the child grew up.
- Tunic:
- A loose-fitting, knee-length shirt worn by both boys and girls in ancient Rome.
- Bulla:
- A protective amulet made of gold or leather worn by Roman boys to ward off bad luck.
- Ludus:
- A primary school in ancient Rome attended by wealthy children.
- Stylus:
- A sharp metal stick used for writing on wax-coated wooden tablets.
- Pedagogus:
- An educated tutor, often a Greek slave, who walked wealthy Roman children to school and helped them study.
- lunula:
- A crescent-shaped charm worn around the neck by girls in ancient Rome to protect against bad luck and evil spirits.
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- 1What was the standard clothing worn by both Roman boys and girls?
- 2What is the difference between a bulla and a lunula?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“Growing Up in Ancient Rome: The Lives of Roman Children” is a explanatory article reading passage about Daily Life in the Roman Empire, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (488 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.