What was it like to live in Britain under the Romans?
Many of the Britons and Celts continued living as they were, even when the Romans introduced new ways of life and customs (the usual way of doing something in a certain place).
The Romans had different attitudes towards men, women and children from the Celts and Britons.
They also brought lots of new ideas that would make daily life much easier for people, but not everyone wanted to live like a Roman.
Important words
Important words on daily life in Roman Britain.
| Keyword | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aqueduct | A man-made structure that carried fresh water to towns and cities. These could be overground or underground. |
| Citizen | Someone belonging to a certain place, protected by laws and enjoyed more freedoms than non-citizens. |
| Customs | The usual way of doing something in a certain place. |
| Forum | A meeting place with markets. |
| Supplies | Useful items that people need, such as food, materials, clothing or medicine. |
Watch: Who lived in Roman Britain?
Watch as Kashta, a Roman soldier, tells you about how soldiers from the Empire and Britions lived in Roman Britain.
Salve! Hi!
I’m Kashta, a soldier from Africa serving in the Roman army.
This is dinner. Or… maybe a pet.
I haven't decided yet.
They're sending us to Hadrian's Wall in Britannia.
That's Livius from France. Lucio’s from Spain. And our archer here? He’s from Syria. Best shot on the boat.
Some of our roles will be written down on tombstones and in the Notitia Dignitatum, a military document. So you’ll know in the future we were here.
Britain's full of soldiers from every corner of the Empire.
Ah, we’ve arrived. Now for a long walk! See you at the fort!
Here we are at Aballava. Traders, families, and children from overseas have come along with us for the ride.
They'll all make their lives here with us.
This isn't just a fort, it’s a community.
See this graffiti? Names from far-off places. Archaeologists will read these one day and know we came from lots of different places.
And it's not just here. Writings all along the Wall record people from France, Spain, Greece, Romania.
It's written down. Proof that soldiers who lived here came from all over the Empire.
And get this: even your scientists in the future will check our teeth and bones to learn about what food we ate as children.
They'll use this and more to show we weren't born here. Creepy, right?
So who lives in Roman Britain? Mostly Britons of course!
But the Empire brings in people from Africa, France, Spain, Syria. Soldiers, traders, families… and the odd goose!
And if you don't believe me, well, the military documents, the graffiti, the bones, they'll tell you the same story.
Dinner! Dinner! Oh Gods!
Dinner, come back! Dinner, come back!
What was a Roman family like?
Men were in charge of the family in Roman Britain.
Mothers were thought to be less important than fathers.
Boys from rich families learnt Latin and wrote on wax tablets.
Children could be married at the age of 14 and marriages were often arranged between families.
Life for women in Roman times was often hard because they weren’t classed as citizens (someone belonging to a certain place, protected by laws and enjoyed more freedoms than non-citizens) and weren’t protected under the same laws as men.
Women ran the home, cooking and raising the children, although in wealthy families.
In wealthy families, enslaved people often did most of the work.
Many women died young (in their 30s), because childbirth could be dangerous and diseases were common.
Watch: Being a child in Roman Britain
Watch the video below to learn more about what life was like for children in Roman Britain.
Find out what life was like for children in Roman Britain
What was life like for children in Roman Britain?
Discipline for children was very firm in Roman times as it was thought to make them strong, to improve their character and, for boys, to prepare them for life in the army.
Before the Roman invasion, most British children learnt about their histories and their tribal customs through stories and songs shared with their families around a fire at night. But once the Romans were here then, for the posh kids at any rate, you had to learn to read and write. And what they were learning to read and write was, of course, Latin.
This is a wax tablet and it's what school children in Roman Britain would have used when they were learning to read and write.
It's really cleverly designed, because it's basically just two bits of wax put on top of some wood, and they're joined together with a bit of string or leather here. And this doesn't look like it, but this is a Roman-style pen - it's just a bit of pointy metal. And the very clever thing is that you could write down your word, and I'm going to write a word, "Londinium", which is what the Romans called London. But, if you made a mistake, then you could rub it out with this flat end of the pen.
So, I'm writing Londinium and it will look like I've made a mistake at the end, because when they were writing capitals, the Romans didn't use a U, like we use, they used a V instead. So, it looks like I've written Londinivm, but I haven't. I've actually written the Roman name for London - Londinium.
Some girls were educated, but it was mainly the boys. And if you were poor or a slave, then it was very, very unlikely that you'd get the chance to be taught at all.
Those children privileged enough to receive an education learned reading, writing and maths, as well as other subjects, such as how to speak in front of an audience, which would prepare them for important jobs, like being in the Roman army.
Building roads, bridges and drains
The Romans were excellent at building roads and bridges.
These allowed soldiers and supplies (useful items that people need, such as food, materials, clothing or medicine) to move from town to town quickly.
Many roads in Britain today follow the same or similar routes to those that the Romans built 2,000 years ago.
The Romans didn’t invent the arch, but were one of the first people to use them in big buildings and aqueducts (a man-made structure that carried fresh water to towns and cities, these could be overground or underground).
Aqueducts are like a bridge, with a stone channel on top to carry water.
They were built to supply towns with water from springs, rivers or lakes.
The Romans liked to keep clean.
Towns and forts had underground drains to take away dirty water and sewage, though not all drains and sewers worked well. They may have smelled badly if they weren’t cleaned or flushed.
The drain pipes were flushed with water from the baths to try and keep them clean.
Fresh water and sewers were important. Without them, people risked catching diseases.
Think like a historian
Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.
What were Roman women’s rights like?
Were Roman ideas about hygiene similar to today?
Would all of the Britons and Celts have been happy with the new Roman ways of life?
The Romans thought that women were less important than men and weren’t protected by the same rules and laws. Women weren’t allowed be in the army, become leaders or vote. Women today can do all of those things.
The Romans liked to keep themselves clean and built bathhouses (similar to our gyms), sewers for taking away mess (just like us) and aqueducts to bring in fresh water (like our modern pipes.)
Not all Britons and Celts would have liked Roman ideas. Lots of southern Britain took on Roman ways of life but large parts of northern Britain did not.
Activities
Activity 1: Roman homes
Click on the labels below to find out about the different rooms of a Roman villa.
Activity 2: Important Roman buildings
Click on the town below to find out about some of the important buildings.
Activity 3: Quiz – Life in Roman Britain
Grown-ups corner
Are you a parent, carer or teacher?
Take a look at some of the links below on KS2 History which are packed full of knowledge, videos, quizzes and activities.
KS2 History: The Romans
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
KS2 History: The Romans. 4: The Romans in Britain
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
KS2 History: The Romans. 5: The legacy of Ancient Rome
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade game! game
Play Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade KS2 History
More on Roman Britain
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