Usually, the inhabitants of Ancient Rome associate with famous myths and ancient architecture. Heroic men in golden armor and on chariots, charming ladies in tunics and democratic emperors ate grapes in their lounge chairs. But the reality in Ancient Rome, as historians testify, was not so rosy and glamorous. Sanitation and medicine were at an embryonic level, and this could not but affect the life of Roman citizens.

1. Mouthwash

In ancient Rome, small needs was such a developed business that the government introduced special taxes on the sale of urine. There were people who made a living just by collecting urine. Some collected it from public urinals, while others went from house to house with a large vat and asked people to fill it. Ways to use the collected urine today is even difficult to imagine. For example, her clothes were cleaned.

The workers filled the vat with clothes, and then filled them with urine. After that, one person climbed into the vat and trampled on the clothes to wash them. But that's nothing compared to how the Romans brushed their teeth. In some areas, people used urine as a mouthwash. It has been claimed to make teeth shiny and white.

2. Common sponge

In fact, when going to the toilet, the Romans took with them special combs designed to comb out lice. And the worst happened after people relieved themselves of great need. Each public toilet, which was usually used by dozens of other people at the same time, had only one sponge on a stick, which was used for wiping. At the same time, the sponge was never cleaned and was used by all visitors.

3. Methane explosions

Every time a person entered a Roman toilet, he risked death. The first problem was that the creatures living in the sewer system often crawled out and bit people while they were urinating. An even worse problem was the accumulation of methane, which sometimes accumulated in such quantities that it ignited and exploded.

The toilets were so dangerous that people resorted to magic to try and stay alive. The walls of many of the toilets were covered with magical spells meant to ward off demons. Also, in some toilets there were statues of the goddess of fortune Fortuna, whom people prayed at the entrance to.

4. Blood of gladiators

There were many eccentricities in Roman medicine. Several Roman authors wrote that after gladiator fights, the blood of dead gladiators was often collected and sold as medicine. The Romans believed that gladiatorial blood could cure epilepsy and drank it as medicine.

And it was still a relatively civilized example. In other cases, the liver of dead gladiators was completely cut out and eaten raw. Ironically, some Roman physicians actually report that this treatment worked. They claim to have seen people who drank human blood and were cured of epileptic seizures.

5. Cosmetics made from dead flesh

While the defeated gladiators became a cure for epileptics, the winners became a source of aphrodisiacs. In Roman times, soap was quite rare, so athletes would clean themselves by covering their bodies with oil and scraping off dead skin cells, as well as sweat and dirt, with a tool called a strigil.

As a rule, all this dirt was simply thrown away, but not the case with gladiators. Their scrapings of dirt and dead skin were bottled and sold to women as an aphrodisiac. Also often this mixture was added to the face cream, which was used by women in the hope that they would become irresistible to men.

6. Erotic art

The volcanic eruption that buried Pompeii has left this city perfectly preserved for archaeologists. When scientists first began excavating at Pompeii, they found things that were so obscene that they were hidden from the public for years. The city was full of erotic art in the craziest forms.

For example, one could see a statue of Pan copulating with a goat. In addition, the city was full of prostitutes, which was reflected on ... the sidewalks. And today you can visit the ruins of Pompeii and see what the Romans saw every day - penises carved into the roads that pointed the way to the nearest brothel.

7. Penises "for good luck"

The topic of penises was quite popular in Rome, in contrast to modern society. Their images could be found literally everywhere, they were even often worn around the neck. In Rome, it was considered fashionable among young men to wear copper penises on a necklace. It was believed that they were not only fashionable and stylish, but also could "prevent harm" that they could do to people who wore them.

Also penises "for good luck" were painted in dangerous places to protect travelers. For example, on dilapidated and shaky bridges in Rome, images of penises were painted almost everywhere.

8. Exposing the buttocks

Rome is unique in that for the first time in history, written evidence of the exposure of the buttocks was recorded in it. The Jewish priest Joseph Flavius ​​first described the demonstration of the buttocks during the riot in Jerusalem. During Passover, Roman soldiers were sent to the walls of Jerusalem to watch for an uprising.

One of these soldiers, according to Josephus, "turned his back to the wall of the city, lowered his trousers, bent down and emitted a shameless sound." The Jews were furious. They demanded that the soldier be punished and then started throwing stones at the Roman soldiers. Soon riots broke out in Jerusalem, and the gesture survived for thousands of years.

9. Artificial vomiting

The Romans took the concept of excess in everything to a new level. According to Seneca, the Romans ate at banquets until they simply "got no more" and then artificially vomited to keep eating. Some people vomited into bowls they kept near the table, but others didn't "bother" and vomited right on the floor next to the table, after which they continued to eat.

10 Goat Dung Drink

The Romans did not have bandages, but they found an original way to stop bleeding from wounds. According to Pliny the Elder, people in Rome smeared their abrasions and wounds with goat dung. Pliny wrote that the best goat droppings were collected during the spring and dried, but fresh goat droppings were also suitable in emergencies. But this is far from the most disgusting way that the Romans used this "product".

The charioteers drank it as a source of energy. They either diluted boiled goat dung in vinegar or stirred it into their drinks. Moreover, it was not only poor people who did this. According to Pliny, the biggest fanatic of drinking goat dung was the emperor Nero.

The families of the times of Ancient Rome can be quite compared with modern families, although there are radical differences. So, in the 21st century, strict social class rules and institutionalized violations of rights just look wild. But at the same time, children in ancient times loved to play no less than modern ones, and many kept pets in their homes.

1. Marriage was just an agreement.

Girls married in their early teens, while men married in their 20s and 30s. Roman marriages were quick and easy, and most of them did not even smell of romance, it was purely an agreement. It was concluded between the families of the future spouses, who could see each other only if the wealth of the proposed spouse and his social status were acceptable. If the families agreed, then a formal betrothal took place, during which a written agreement was signed and the couple kissed. Unlike modern times, the wedding was not held in a legal institution (the marriage had no legal force), but simply showed the intention of the spouses to live together.

A Roman citizen could not marry his beloved hetaira, cousin, or non-Roman. Divorce was also handled simply, with the couple announcing their intention to divorce in front of seven witnesses. If the divorce happened on the charge that the wife was cheating, then she could never remarry. If the husband was found guilty of such a thing, then such a sentence did not threaten him.

2. Feast or famine

Social status was determined by how the family ate. The lower classes mostly ate simple meals day in and day out, while the wealthy often held feasts and feasts to show off their status. While the diet of the lower classes consisted mainly of olives, cheese and wine, the upper class ate a wider variety of meat dishes, and simply fresh produce. Very poor citizens sometimes ate only porridge. Usually all the dishes were prepared by women or domestic slaves. There were no forks at that time; they ate with their hands, spoons and knives.

The parties of the Roman nobility went down in history thanks to the decadence and plentiful delicacies that were accepted at them. For hours, guests reclined on dining sofas while slaves picked up leftovers around them. Interestingly, all classes savored a sauce called garum. It was made from the blood and innards of fish by fermentation for several months. The sauce had such a powerful stench that it was forbidden to consume it within the city.

3. Insula and domus

What were the neighbors of the Romans, depended only on social status. Most of the Roman population lived in seven-story buildings called insulae. These houses were very vulnerable to fires, earthquakes and even floods. The upper floors were reserved for the poor, who had to pay rent daily or weekly. These families lived under constant threat of eviction in cramped rooms without natural light or a bathroom.

The first two floors in insulas were reserved for people with better incomes. They paid rent once a year and lived in larger rooms with windows. Wealthy Romans lived in country houses or owned so-called domus in cities. The domus was a large, comfortable house, which easily accommodated the owner's shop, library, rooms, kitchen, swimming pool and garden.

4. Intimate life

Complete inequality reigned in Roman bedrooms. While women were required to bear sons, remain celibate, and remain faithful to their husbands, married men were allowed to cheat. It was perfectly normal to have extramarital sexual relations with partners of both sexes, but it had to be with slaves, hetairas, or concubines/mistresses.

Wives couldn't do anything about it, as it was socially acceptable and even expected of a man. While there were undoubtedly married couples who used passion as an expression of affection for each other, it was overwhelmingly believed that women tied the knot in order to have children, and not to enjoy a wide variety of sexual life.

Fathers had complete power over the lives of newborns, without even asking the opinion of the mother. After the birth of the child, they laid it at the feet of the father. If he raised a child, then it remained at home. Otherwise, the child was taken out into the street, where he was either picked up by passers-by or he died. Roman children were not recognized if they were born with some kind of disability or if a poor family could not feed the child. The discarded "lucky ones" ended up in childless families, where they were given a new name. The rest (those who survived) ended up as slaves or prostitutes, or were deliberately mutilated by beggars so that the children would be given more alms.

6. Family vacation

Leisure was a big part of Roman family life. As a rule, starting from noon, the top of the society devoted their day to rest. Most recreational activities were public, with rich and poor alike enjoying watching gladiators gut each other, cheering at chariot races, or attending theaters. In addition, citizens spent a lot of time in public baths, which had gyms, swimming pools, and health centers (and some included intimate services).

The children had their favorite activities. Boys preferred wrestling, flying kites or playing war games. The girls played with dolls and board games. Families also often just chilled out with each other and their pets.

7. Education

Education depended on the child's social status and gender. Formal education was the privilege of noble boys, and girls from good families were usually only taught to read and write. As a rule, the mothers were responsible for teaching Latin, reading, writing and arithmetic, and this was carried out until the age of seven, when teachers were hired for the boys. Wealthy families hired tutors or educated slaves for this role; otherwise, the boys were sent to private schools.

Education for male students included physical training to prepare young men for military service. Children born to slaves received virtually no formal education. There were also no public schools for disadvantaged children.

8. Initiation into adults

While girls crossed the threshold of adulthood almost imperceptibly, in order to mark the transition of a boy into men, there was a special ceremony. Depending on the mental and physical prowess of his son, the father decided when the boy became an adult (as a rule, this happened at the age of 14-17). On this day, children's clothes were removed from the boy, after which the father put on the white tunic of a citizen. The father would then gather a large crowd to accompany his son to the Forum.

In this institution, the name of the boy was registered, and he officially became a Roman citizen. After that, the newly-made citizen became a student in the profession that his father chose for him for a year.

When it comes to the treatment of animals in ancient Rome, the first thing that comes to mind is the carnage in the Colosseum. However, ordinary citizens cherished their pets. Not only dogs and cats were favorites, but domestic snakes, rats and birds were also common. Nightingales and green Indian parrots were in vogue because they could imitate human words. Cranes, herons, swans, quails, geese and ducks were also kept at home. Peacocks were especially popular among birds. The Romans loved their pets so much that they were immortalized in art and poetry and even buried with their owners.

10. Women's independence

In ancient Rome, it was not easy to be a woman. Any hopes of being able to vote or build a career could be immediately forgotten. The girls were doomed to life in the house, raising children and suffering from the depravity of her husband. They had almost no rights in marriage. However, due to high infant mortality, the state rewarded Roman women for having children. The prize was perhaps the most coveted by women: legal independence. If a free woman gave birth to three children who survived after childbirth (or four children in the case of a former slave), then she was awarded the status of an independent person.

Heroic men in golden armor and on chariots, charming ladies in tunics and democratic emperors ate grapes in their lounge chairs.

But the reality in Ancient Rome, as historians testify, was not so rosy and glamorous. Sanitation and medicine were at an embryonic level, and this could not but affect the life of Roman citizens.

mouth rinse

In ancient Rome, small needs was such a developed business that the government introduced special taxes on the sale of urine. There were people who made a living just by collecting urine. Some collected it from public urinals, while others went from house to house with a large vat and asked people to fill it. Ways to use the collected urine today is even difficult to imagine. For example, her clothes were cleaned.

The workers filled the vat with clothes, and then filled them with urine. After that, one person climbed into the vat and trampled on the clothes to wash them. But that's nothing compared to how the Romans brushed their teeth. In some areas, people used urine as a mouthwash. It has been claimed to make teeth shiny and white.

General sponge

In fact, when going to the toilet, the Romans took with them special combs designed to comb out lice. And the worst happened after people relieved themselves of great need. Each public toilet, which was usually used by dozens of other people at the same time, had only one sponge on a stick, which was used for wiping. At the same time, the sponge was never cleaned and was used by all visitors.

Blood of gladiators

There were many eccentricities in Roman medicine. Several Roman authors wrote that after gladiator fights, the blood of dead gladiators was often collected and sold as medicine. The Romans believed that gladiatorial blood could cure epilepsy and drank it as medicine.

And it was still a relatively civilized example. In other cases, the liver of dead gladiators was completely cut out and eaten raw. Ironically, some Roman physicians actually report that this treatment worked. They claim to have seen people who drank human blood and were cured of epileptic seizures.

Dead flesh cosmetics

While the defeated gladiators became a cure for epileptics, the winners became. In Roman times, soap was quite rare, so athletes would clean themselves by covering their bodies with oil and scraping off dead skin cells, as well as sweat and dirt, with a tool called a strigil.

As a rule, all this dirt was simply thrown away, but not in the case of gladiators. Their scrapings of dirt and dead skin were bottled and sold to women as an aphrodisiac. Also often this mixture was added to the face cream, which was used by women in the hope that they would become irresistible to men.

Erotic art

The volcanic eruption that buried Pompeii has left this city perfectly preserved for archaeologists. When scientists first began excavating at Pompeii, they found things that were so obscene that they were hidden from the public for years.

The city was full of erotic art in the craziest forms.
For example, one could see a statue of Pan copulating with a goat. In addition, the city was full of prostitutes, which was reflected on ... the sidewalks. And today you can visit the ruins of Pompeii and see what the Romans saw every day - penises carved into the roads that pointed the way to the nearest brothel.

Penises for good luck

The topic of penises was quite popular in Rome, in contrast to modern society. Their images could be found literally everywhere, they were even often worn around the neck. In Rome, it was considered fashionable among young men to wear copper penises on a necklace. It was believed that they were not only fashionable and stylish, but also could "prevent harm" that they could cause to people who wore them.

Also penises "for good luck" were painted in dangerous places to protect travelers. For example, on dilapidated and shaky bridges in Rome, images of penises were painted almost everywhere.

Exposing the buttocks

Rome is unique in that for the first time in history there was written evidence of the exposure of the buttocks. The Jewish priest Josephus Flavius ​​first described the demonstration of the buttocks during the riot in Jerusalem. During Passover, Roman soldiers were sent to the walls of Jerusalem to watch for a revolt.

One of these soldiers, according to Josephus, "turned his back to the wall of the city, lowered his pants, bent down and emitted a shameless sound." The Jews were furious. They demanded that the soldier be punished and then started throwing stones at the Roman soldiers. Soon riots broke out in Jerusalem, and the gesture survived for thousands of years.

artificial vomiting

The Romans took the concept of excess in everything to a new level. According to Seneca, the Romans ate at banquets until they simply "got no more", and then artificially vomited in order to continue eating. Some people vomited into the bowls they kept near the table, but others didn't "bother" and vomited right on the floor next to the table, after which they continued to eat.

goat dung drink

The Romans did not have bandages, but they found an original way to stop bleeding from wounds. According to Pliny the Elder, people in Rome smeared their abrasions and wounds with goat dung. Pliny wrote that the best goat dung was collected during the spring and dried, but in emergencies fresh goat dung was also suitable. But this is far from the most disgusting way that the Romans used this "product".

The charioteers drank it as a source of energy. They either diluted boiled goat dung in vinegar or stirred it into their drinks. Moreover, it was not only poor people who did this. According to Pliny, the biggest fanatic of drinking goat dung was the emperor Nero.

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Roman customs, way of life and everyday life

How did they spend their free time? Let us turn to P. Giro's book Life and Customs of the Ancient Romans. In Rome, the capital of a huge Empire, it was always noisy. Here you can see anyone - merchants, artisans, soldiers, scientists, a slave, a teacher, a noble horseman, a senator, etc. Crowds of petitioners flocked to the house of Roman aristocrats from early morning. There were still more noble and important people who sought a new position or honors. But one could see a poor teacher or scientist looking for a place as a mentor, an educator in a noble family, who wants to share a meal with a famous person (maybe he will get something). In a word, whole flocks of people gathered here. Plutarch compared them to annoying flies. This happened to us too. Recall Nekrasov: “Here is the front entrance ... On solemn days, obsessed with a servile illness, the whole city with some kind of fear drives up to the cherished doors.”

Peristyle in the house of Menander. Pompeii

Of course, among these crowds were ordinary friends. Rome was no different from other cities in the world. Friendship, real friendship was highly valued here, above the law ... Where people know how to maintain and maintain friendly ties, there reigns an atmosphere of warmth and affection. Life here is red, and even grief is not so bitter. The Romans valued such friendship and celebrated a special holiday in honor of harmony and friendship - Charistia. The course of life went on once and for all in a circle: battles, campaigns, politics and constant communication with friends (visits, feasts, conversations, participation in events of families close to them, recommendations, requests, consultations, receptions, etc.). It was quite burdensome at times, as Cicero admitted. However, it was impossible to abandon this tradition, because it permeated the entire vertical and horizontal of society, holding it together from top to bottom. Of course, ties of kinship were also at the basis of friendly ties, but there were also bonds of a different kind. They sometimes turned out to be many times stronger than relatives. This is both a business and a business relationship. Everything came from the very top, from the administration of the princeps, where there was an institute "amici Augusti" (friends of the princeps). Moreover, this kind of friendly relations are almost official in nature. Before us is a kind of conclusion of a pact of peace and friendship, or, on the contrary, of hostility and war ... Valery Maxim reports how inimicitia (hostility) was announced in the national assembly. Personal enemies Aemilius Lepidus and Fulvius Flaccus, having been elected by the censors, hastened publicly, in a popular assembly, to conclude a friendly alliance, in order to thereby show everyone their intentions. Scipio Africanus and Tiberius Gracchus, on the contrary, publicly terminated the bonds of friendship, but then, finding themselves in neighboring places on the Capitol, at the banquet table at the festival in honor of Jupiter, they again entered into a friendly alliance, especially noting the union of the right hands (“dexteras eorum concentibus”), which is a kind of symbol of people reaching agreement.

Peristyle in the House of the Vettii. Pompeii

What was the basis of such friendly alliances? Most of all and most often the same as today - the provision of mutual services by the parties participating in the commonwealth to each other. According to Cicero's explanations, friendship is strengthened not only by the bonds of comradeship or cordial affection, but also by "the best services on the part of each of us." He compares them with a "marriage union", including here both relatives and friends, and comrades "in public affairs." To maintain friendship, according to him, such best qualities as piety, kindness, nobility of soul, benevolence and courtesy are necessary. Democritus considered friendship to be the equivalent of social life (“one who does not have a true friend is not worthy to live”), and Socrates emphasized that friendship is the most important institution of mutual assistance and mutual assistance (“a friend delivers what a friend lacks”). The ancients paid tribute to the rational or pragmatic principles encountered in friendship. Aristotle stressed the need for both parties to reciprocate in friendship. Only then "virtue is called friendship, if there is a retribution." However, the ancients also distinguished between the concepts of ideal friendship for the sake of pleasure and material friendship, for the sake of profit. Diogenes Laertes collected the statements of people (Cyrenaics) that they put utilitarian-pragmatic goals in the first place in friendly unions. Aristippus said: "They have a friend for their own benefit, like a member of the body, while he is with you." Egesius (Hegesius) quite cynically declared at all: “There is no respect, no friendship, no virtue, since they are not sought for their own sake, but for the sake of the benefit that they bring to us: if there is no benefit, they disappear.” In other words, friendship is always an exchange, although not always an exchange of goods. However, many did not agree with such a mundane interpretation of this lofty, important universal feeling.

Odysseus and Penelope

It is fundamentally wrong to define friendship based solely on socio-economic interests. After all, there are many more aspects of human relations and connections that are not limited to the area of ​​​​profit. Cicero said about friendship: “Just as we are virtuous and generous, not in the expectation of gratitude (after all, we do not allow virtue to grow, but are moved to generosity by nature), so we consider friendship desirable not in the hope of a reward, but because all its benefits lies in love itself. Among other things, in friendship, in high friendship, the best side of a person's personality is embodied. Such friendship often leads to a feat, to cultural or ethical perfection. So, Epicurus believed that it was valuable in itself. Mutual affection purifies human relations from any selfish calculations. “Of what wisdom brings, making life in general the happiest, the greatest good is the possession of friendship.” In friendship we find shelter from all sorts of worldly storms.

General view of the square in front of the Pantheon

On the streets and squares of Rome, and indeed other cities, you can meet many people who made up a certain special class called "loitering". A contemporary poet to Tiberius wrote that they “do nothing and are always busy, exhausted over trifles, in constant motion and never achieving anything, always fussing and as a result only get bored by everyone.” Seneca compared them to ants, which, without a plan or purpose, run around the tree here and there (the comparison is unsuccessful, because ants are more industrious than most people and cannot be classified as idlers). There are people of this kind in Moscow, and in Paris, and in New York, and in Tokyo, and in Beijing, and in present-day Rome or Berlin. "The capital was a real center of bustling idleness, which flourished in it more than in any other city." Some were in a hurry to make an unnecessary visit, others to a stupid meeting, others wanted to take part in a drinking bout, others to make another, and most likely completely unnecessary, purchase, fifths visited the lady, not giving either her or themselves much pleasure. There are many among them who always tried to get into some empty official ceremonies. Show yourself and look at people. Galien described the day of the Roman in this way: “Early in the morning everyone makes visits; then many go to the forum to listen to judicial debates; an even larger crowd goes to admire the running of chariots and pantomimes; many spend their time in the baths playing dice, drinking or among pleasures, until they find themselves at a feast in the evening, where they amuse themselves not with music and serious pleasures, but indulge in orgies and debauchery, often staying up until the next day. Most of the top officials in Rome (as elsewhere) fussed not just out of the need to run or move somewhere, no, they wanted to earn, to get benefits. An insatiable thirst for wealth overcame them and was the main cause of the fuss that filled the streets, squares, palaces of Italy. Giving people position, distinction, honors, wealth, influence, money was considered the highest good. They are the god Jupiter, who is worshiped and served.

Tavern

Common people with constant pleasure attended not receptions (he was not allowed there), but taverns, taverns, taverns. After all, in taverns, for two ass, you could get a lamb's head, sausages flavored with garlic, onions and spices; beans, lentils, raw cabbage, other vegetables, roasted nuts, beets and porridge. All these dishes were eaten with coarse rye or barley bread, known as plebeian bread. In these institutions, however, there was unbearable heat and impassable dirt reigned. But wine brightened up all these inconveniences. Here they drank wine (boiled Cretan) and honey, ate cheese pies, played dice, passed the latest news and gossip to each other, slandered the gentlemen. There were no aristocrats and senators within these walls, although there were plenty of runaway slaves, thieves, murderers, undertakers, sailors, artisans, and even priests of Cybele.

Of course, there were some entertainments for intellectuals, those who were fond of literature, poetry, music, etc. Say, in the second half of the 1st century. (already under Augustus) public readings, which were organized by Asinius Pollio, came into fashion. The writer addressed his work to the audience, reading to her passages or the entire treatise (depending on patience and disposition). These readings were held either in halls or even in canteens (apparently, in order to make it more convenient to move from spiritual food to physical food). True, this occupation did not long seduce the Romans. By the end of the 1st c. public readings began to decline and turned into a heavy duty. Listeners tried to shirk her as best they could.

Those who preferred the life of a politician or activist (vita activa) - a contemplative-philosophical way of life (vita contemplative) or books, immersed themselves in the quiet of an office in libraries in their villas and estates ... They believed: “A sage should not engage in public affairs, except for extreme necessity." This is how other inhabitants of aristocratic villas understood life, like the house of the Vettii in Pompeii, the house of the Deer, the villa of the house of Telephus and the villa of the Papyrus in Herculaneum ... Discovered only in the 18th century. the villa of the Papyri belonged to one of the Roman aristocrats. The first treasure seekers penetrated its front chambers, library, peristyles, garden, dug mines and galleries here, then abandoned it all. Perhaps the villa was created during the time of Nero and the Flavians. This villa housed a collection of papyri, a small, well-chosen library. In a small room, they found rare papyrus scrolls containing works by famous authors. It is possible that the first owner of the villa was Piso, the father of the wife of Julius Caesar. In terms of their wealth, the papyri collected in the villa were not inferior to the libraries of the emperors. From the red-hot mud (the cities are buried under the streams of fiery lava), the books turned black and charred, but did not completely burn out. Although we are talking about the villa of the Romans in this case, so were the libraries of the most famous and wealthy Greeks. In the United States, a copy of the Villa of the Papyri in California was created, its owner was the American millionaire Getty, who placed a collection here (1970).

I. Jordans. Pan and Syringa. Brussels

When did the general decline in morals begin to be observed? Ancient authors have different opinions on this matter. According to Strabo, Fabius Pictor believed that the Romans first tasted luxury (or, as he puts it, "tasted riches") as early as the time of the 3rd Samnite War. After that, that is, by about 201 BC. e., after the 2nd Punic War and the defeat of Philip of Macedon, they began to show a tendency to a less strict lifestyle (Valery Maxim). Titus Livy believed that the army brought the habit of extravagance to Rome after returning from the depths of Asia, where it occupied rich countries (187 BC). Polybius dates the disappearance of the former modesty and frugality of the Romans to the time of the war with Perseus (168 BC). Posidonius and Sallust date the beginning of the era of decline with the destruction of Carthage by Rome (146 BC). Others attribute the date of the beginning of the era of degradation and decline of Rome to a long period (II century BC - II century AD). They are probably right: this process was long and constant.

Tomb in Kazanlak

Here is how Gaius Sallust Crispus explained the origins of the beginning of the degradation of Rome in his "War with Jugurtha". The Roman historian wrote: “Let us note that the habit of division into warring countries, with all the bad consequences from this, arose in Rome only a few years earlier, and gave rise to its idle life and the abundance of those goods that people value most of all. Indeed, until the destruction of Carthage, the Roman people and the Senate conducted the affairs of the state amicably and calmly, there was no struggle between citizens for glory and domination: fear of the enemy maintained good order in the city. But as soon as the hearts got rid of this fear, unbridledness and arrogance took its place - success willingly brings them along. And it turned out that peaceful idleness, which was dreamed of in the midst of disasters, turned out to be worse and bitterer than the disasters themselves. The nobles, little by little, turned their high position into arbitrariness, the people their freedom, everyone tore and pulled in their direction. Everything split into two camps, and the state, which had previously been a common property, was torn to shreds. The advantage, however, was on the side of the nobility - due to its solidarity, the forces of the people, scattered, fragmented among many, did not have this advantage. Peace and war were made by the arbitrariness of a handful of people, the same hands held the treasury, the provinces, the highest positions, glory, triumphs, and the people languished under the burden of military service and need. And while the commanders with their close associates plundered the booty, soldiers' parents and small children were driven from their homes if a strong neighbor happened nearby. Thus, side by side with power, greed appeared, immeasurable and insatiable, it defiled and destroyed everything, did not worry about anything and did not value anything, until it broke its own neck. While it was necessary to fight with a formidable enemy, while fear and the instinct of survival held together the interests of all Romans stronger than friendship and laws, Rome, like the USSR, was a single cohesive state. When the external threat disappeared, no less terrible internal war began for the possession of everything that Rome owned. And here there were neither friends nor enemies among the rivals, for each, by virtue of the animal herd, tried to snatch a piece from the other, to seize lands, valuables, slaves, estates.

Wives. Paintings of a villa in Boscoreale

Endless wars significantly changed the economy of Italy, and Hannibal's armies caused enormous damage. Agriculture fell into decay. Cheap imported bread made bread production in Italy itself unprofitable. Although here it is worth recalling Weber's remark that "Rome never from the time when he was a policy at all, he was not forced and was not able to live on the products of his own agriculture ”(the area cultivated for bread, apparently, was about 15%). In addition, wars distracted the productive part of the citizens from business. The nobility lived in luxury, and a significant part of the population lived in poverty. In Rome alone, there were about 150,000 unemployed. Their authorities kept, so to speak, at the public expense. Approximately the same number of people, if not more, worked only until lunchtime. All of them had to be calmed somehow, distracted from the most pressing, acute problems, so that they would not arise and would not ask questions. Caesar recognized the right of the masses to bread and circuses. The satirist Juvenal (c. 60-140 AD) wrote indignantly about this: “This people has long since forgotten all worries, and Rome, that once everything handed out: legions, and power, and bundles of lictors, is now restrained and restlessly dreams of only two things: bread and circuses! Officials must unquestioningly follow these rules.

The satirist Martial in one of the epigrams said that the wife of one of the praetors was even forced to file for divorce because of the huge expenses that her husband had to bear. The fact is that the husband’s position and the requirements placed on it had a catastrophic effect on the family’s budget: “I know: he became a praetor, and his Megalesian purple would cost a hundred thousand, no matter how stingy you are on arranging games; there would still be twenty thousand more for the national holiday. But officials often simply had nowhere to go. After all, their fate and career, and often life itself, were in the hands of the emperor. In addition, sometimes the retribution for an unsuccessful or poorly organized spectacle by an official was extremely severe. Caligula (37-41 AD) ordered one overseer who did not like him over gladiatorial battles and persecution to be beaten with chains in front of him for several days in a row. The poor fellow was killed only after everyone felt the "stench of a rotting brain" (Suetonius). After the games arranged by Augustus with his usual scope, all his successors (except Tiberius) began to compete with each other in the organization of gladiatorial games. For the sake of advertising and preserving a political face, an official had to go into debt and into his own pocket (especially after the elimination of state surcharges for the organizers of the games under Augustus). The Emperor Trajan (AD 98-117) surpassed them all, whose spectacles were compared by many to those of Jupiter himself. Moreover, these amusements were often accompanied by mass slaughter of people and animals.

Wounded lion

The people got free access to the forum, but they craved blood and circuses. Those became more and more bloody and cruel. How things have changed. Once upon a time, during the censorship of Cato the Elder (184 BC), the noble Roman L. Quinctius Flamininus (consul 192 BC) was punished for unjustified cruelty, since he allowed an act discrediting honor Rome. Proconsul Flamininus at dinner (at the request of a harlot who had never seen a man beheaded) killed one of the condemned. He was accused of insulting the greatness of the Roman people. The episode told by Livy indicates that in the old days the Romans still tried not to allow excessive cruelty. Now they killed dozens and hundreds openly - in front of the people. Rome ceased to be ashamed of butchery and applauded the executioners ... It is worth mentioning that the number of holidays in the year increased in the 2nd century. n. e. to 130, that is, in fact, doubled compared to the era of the republic. The Romans were fascinated by spectacles. Almost all of Rome gathered in a huge circus with 200,000 seats. The excitement of running was incomprehensible to smart and enlightened people. “I don’t understand,” the writer Pliny the Younger wondered, “how one can get carried away with such a boring spectacle.”

Fight of gladiators with lions in the arena

If they were also attracted by the speed of horses or the skill of people, then there would be some sense in this; but they favor rags, they love a rag, and if, during the race in the middle of the competition, “this color is transferred there, and that here, then the passionate sympathy of people will also pass with it.” And then Pliny continues: when I look at those people who are carried away by such a vulgar and empty thing, I feel great satisfaction that I am not covered by it. While the rabble and those who consider themselves serious spend their time in idleness, I devote all my leisure time to literature with great pleasure. Alas, it turned out that it is much easier to attract wild animals with the sounds of a lyre, as Orpheus once did, than to turn the eyes of other people to high literature, history or philosophy. Hortensius, the creator of a poem about the education of wild animals, would have been just right to write a poem about how the Romans could be re-educated, behaving like wild animals. We involuntarily recalled the historian Timaeus, who, describing the life of the Roman people, believed (like Varro) that the very name of Italy came from the Greek word meaning "horned cattle" (of which there are always many). However, another version is also known: the country was named after the bull Itala, who allegedly transported Hercules from Sicily.

Fun richer

I also recall the sharp words of Charles Montesquieu from the work “On the Spirit of Laws”: “In order to defeat the laziness inspired by the climate, laws would have to deprive people of any opportunity to live without working. But in the south of Europe, they act in the opposite direction: they put people who want to be idle in a position favorable to the contemplative life, and associate huge wealth with this position. These people, living in such an abundance that even burdens them, naturally give their surplus to the common people. The latter lost his property; they reward him for this with the opportunity to enjoy idleness; and he eventually comes to love even his poverty.” Indeed, is there a difference? They had a Commodiana, we have a comedian! A comedy that turns into a tragedy before the eyes of the whole world.

In the days of the Roman Republic, there was a law that condemned luxury, severely punishing those who would dare to challenge public opinion. Among the items it was allowed to have only a salt shaker and a sacrificial cup made of silver. One of the noble senators even lost his seat just because he had 10 pounds worth of silverware. But times have changed, and even the people's tribune Mark Drusus (servant of the people) has accumulated more than 10 thousand pounds of silver dishes. It was fabulous money. Under dictators and emperors, the wealth of the nobility became completely defiant, but this was already perceived in the order of things. Rich people did not consider costs, wanting to show off their wealth. They paid big money for silver and gold things (the cost of the work often exceeded the cost of the material itself by 20 times). Unthinkable treasures accumulated in the houses of the Roman nobility. So, Titus Petronius had a ladle with which they scooped wine from a crater, the cost of which was 350,000 gold rubles.

Silverware from the time of Caesarism

True, at one time Cato the Censor tried to stop this process. He even expelled from the Senate many supporters of immoderate luxury, including Lucius Quintius, a former consul, and the brother of the famous "liberator" of Greece - Titus Flamininus. Some famous horsemen also suffered - the equus publicus was taken away from brother Scipio Africanus. But Cato's steps directed against luxury, speculation, and profit had the greatest (and almost scandalous fame) in society. He increased taxes on wealth, insisted on raising prices for women's jewelry, clothes, rich household utensils, raised the price of farming high, etc. Plutarch emphasizes that by these actions he earned the special hatred of rich people. However - and this should be remembered by us - these decisive measures won him the deep gratitude of the people.

Many even praised the censor for being so strict. In gratitude for his services to the people, a statue was erected to him. “Thus, there can be no doubt that luxuria in the Cato scale is the luxuria of the rich, ambitus and avaritia are the vices of noble and rich people, superbia, crudelitas are also vices of the nobility, impudentia and duritudo are the result of corrupting foreign influences, and desidia is a typical feature of those who have been corrupted by long leisure (otium) and who have been taught by such conditions to place their private affairs and their commoda above the interests of the res publica. In conclusion, it is interesting to note that if Caton's set of virtutes (that is, virtues) appears extremely implicitly and is most likely meant to be effective for the semi-legendary times of the domination of mores maiorum (mores of the majority), then all vitia (vices) (nova flagitia - nouveaux riches) are quite real and “have the exact address”: they characterize precisely those still relatively narrow (but, of course, the highest!), sections of Roman society that are corrupted by foreign influences, strive to lead or lead a luxurious lifestyle and ultimately neglect the interests and needs of society generally". It was about a certain part of the higher circles.

Among the concubines. Eastern scene

Such luxury, all these countless expensive amusements and pleasures, cost the state a lot of money. And, as a result, by the end of the existence of the Roman Empire, taxes increased continuously. Theodosius I stated in 383 CE e. that no one can own tax-free property. There was a huge number of regulating and controlling acts. It turned out some kind of vicious circle: the political structure was cracking at the seams, the army began to fall apart. In order to somehow support all this, to preserve at least their foundations and replenish the treasury, it was necessary to increase taxes. At the same time, taxes on the rich decreased, which worsened the already difficult situation of the common people. A lot of duties were imposed on ordinary citizens, reminiscent of the most outright corvée. They were supposed to supply coal, firewood for arsenals and mints, maintain bridges, roads and buildings in good condition, and generally provide the state with their experience and labor without any remuneration on its part. Service in the country, they said in Rome, turned into "something like forced hiring." The upper classes were freed from all this. Corruption flourished among the bureaucracy.

T. Chasserio. Dressing the concubine

It is hard to believe that a civilization that once admired classical Greek literature, history, and philosophy could descend to such tastes? Although it is hardly worth exaggerating the cultural level of the broad masses. Their culture is like a thin layer that disappears very quickly if society suddenly flops into the mud ... Part of Roman society was still trying to follow the ideals of the ancient Greeks. Sports enthusiasts maintained their physical health in gymnasiums and palestras. Some citizens, like Cicero, spent their time in gymnasiums, wrestling, practicing chariot and horseback riding, swimming or rowing. “Every manifestation of dexterity and strength was greeted by the audience with applause,” chroniclers wrote. But those were exceptions. When a country that admired history, philosophy, poetry, literature degrades in this way, then freedom becomes a fiction and an empty phrase. It is clear that no one said a word of protest when 94 AD. e. executed two senators who wrote memoirs about the champions of freedom Trazeya Petya and Helvidia Prisca. Memories Emperor Domitian immediately ordered to burn. “Those who gave this order, of course, believed that such a fire would silence the Roman people, stop freedom-loving speeches in the Senate, strangle the very conscience of the human race. Moreover, the teachers of philosophy were expelled and a ban was imposed on all other sublime sciences, so that henceforth nothing honest could be found anywhere else. We have shown a truly great example of patience. And if past generations saw what unlimited freedom is, then we (see) - (what) such (our) enslavement is, because endless persecution has taken away our ability to communicate, express our thoughts and listen to others. And along with the voice, we would also lose memory itself, if (only the right) to forget was as much in our power as to remain silent. Of course, others continued to love books, but they were in the minority. The crowd loved wine and women. Gordian II had an excellent library - 62 thousand books. However, he spent more time with a glass of wine, in gardens, baths, in groves, everywhere sacrificing himself to 22 concubines, from each of whom he left 3-4 children.

tossed baby

The Romans (especially the well-to-do and wealthy) began to live more and more frankly exclusively for themselves, caring only about satisfying their whims and desires. The Roman population itself is aging and declining. His eyes and heart cease to please the children. Children are increasingly seen as burdensome chores and burdens. In Plautus's comedy The Boastful Warrior, one of the characters, Periplectomenos, receiving his friend Pleusicles at a rich table, objects to the words: "It's a nice thing to have children." Much better, he says, “to be free to be yourself is even nicer.” And therefore he advises him: “Eat and drink with me together, rejoice your soul. The house is free, I am free and I want to live freely.” The friend continues to convince: they say, it would be nice to still have a wife and children, because “to raise children: this is a monument to yourself and your family.” Periplectomenos objected:

I have a large family: in children what

for the need?

I live happily, I'm fine now,

as you wish;

Death will come - I will give my good to

division of his relatives,

Everyone will come to me, about me

take care

And watch how I'm doing and what to me

A little dawn - already here with a question,

how I slept that night.

So they will be children. me they

send gifts;

Whether sacrifice: a part of me

more than they give themselves,

Invited to a feast, breakfast,

dine with them;

Who sent less gifts

ready to fall into despair;

Compete in donations among themselves.

On my mind: "Opened your mouth to mine

property,

That's why they feed each other like that

and give me...

Yes, but whether it be children, how many with them

would suffer!

Vicious and criminal Rome increasingly saw children as a burden. It is better to have some kind of exotic creature, bringing it into your home from distant countries. Increasingly, fish, dogs, wild animals, freaks, crocodiles, peacocks began to take place in the families of the rich (as is now happening in the families of the nouveau riche in Russia). There are known facts when the rich deliberately mutilated children to satisfy their voluptuousness, when innocent girls or young men were given over to reproach.

O. Beardsley. Deprivation of virginity

Know mired in idleness and drunkenness. Society in such conditions is degrading genetically. N. Vasilyeva noted in The Question of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire and Ancient Culture (1921) that the decline in morals was accompanied by a biological crisis. People grew weak and emaciated, families thinned out, the number of children decreased. The city destroyed the village and corrupted its inhabitants. Although until 131 BC. e. none of the statesmen of Rome paid attention to the population decline (it seems, except for Metellus). Families and healthy relationships between a man and a woman have become a rarity, receding into the background. Rome was degenerating, carried away, as they say, by non-traditional sex relations. In literature, culture, theater, life, depravity and cynicism were planted.

Emperor Vitellius

As the poor became more and more numerous, it became common in Roman society to toss children. Children were often sold, because abandoned children were in danger of death (especially during the crisis of the 3rd-4th centuries AD). By selling their children, the poor not only ensured their survival, but also received some amount of money that could be used in the family, including for feeding and subsistence of the remaining children. Thus, there are known cases of sale of children as a means of paying off the debt of parents. A certain wine merchant Pamonfius, having borrowed a large amount of money, could not pay it off. In order to return her to the archons, he sold all his property, including clothes, but this only paid off half the debt. And then heartless creditors took away all his children, including minors, and took them into slavery ... Such a document as "Alienation of the daughter" is also known. It talks about how a recently widowed woman, unable to feed her 10-year-old daughter, cedes her for eternity to another couple, so that they would support her as a "legitimate daughter". The legislation of Justinian allowed the sale of children by citizens only "because of extreme poverty, for the sake of subsistence." By the way, it is very curious that under the “Christian” Constantine, the sale of newborn children was allowed, but the “persecutor of Christians” Diocletian strictly forbade the alienation of children from a parent through sale, gift, mortgage, or in any other way.

Portrait of Emperor Commodus

We live "in ancient Rome": cases of sale of children have become widespread. As if in a slave market, in Russia they sell their children to rich families.

But many have entered the taste of an idle, depraved and merry life. “Therefore, the mass of people was forced either to sacrifice to their children the pleasures, the temptation of which was now so strong everywhere, or, on the contrary, they had to sacrifice their children for the sake of pleasures, killing in the bud the offspring that should have continued them in time, and obediently perishing forever at the end of his existence in order to more freely enjoy a brief moment of life. And more often than not, the second solution was chosen. When does the state doom itself to destruction and catastrophe? When the children of the elite, great and worthy parents in the past, became complete nonentities, degenerates. There are many such examples in the history of Rome. Vitellius (69-70), having starved his mother to death, was torn to pieces by the people and thrown into the Tiber. Galba (68–69) killed by Praetorians. The people were deprived of the remnants of their former freedoms, turning into a crowd, the plebeians, the mob.

Roman gladiators salute the emperor

Commodus (180-192 AD), the eldest son of the ruler Marcus Aurelius, a highly moral, decent and intelligent person, becomes emperor. After his death, allegedly from a serious contagious disease (180), the son became the sole emperor. What a bitter irony of fate... The admirer of philosophy, lofty and beautiful ideas not only died from an “ugly disease”, but was also forced to transfer all the reins of government in the country into the hands of his son, “whose spiritual outlook was limited to the circus and pleasures to the level with the taste of grooms and fist wrestlers. How often parents protect their sons and daughters in the wrong place and from the wrong place. The emperor did not allow him to bed for fear that he might become infected. But Commodus had been "infected" for a long time, being prone to wine and fights. They say he was not the son of Marcus Aurelius. The emperor's wife Faustina was a "very loving" lady, and there were persistent rumors about her "adventures". Having barely ascended the throne, Commodus is forced to immediately deal with a conspiracy in which his sister and nephew participate. Then another conspiracy follows - and again the perpetrators have to be executed. Executions follow one after another. The heads of co-prefects, consuls, administrators, etc., etc. fly. They are executed together with their families (Prefect Perenne is hacked to death along with his wife, sister and sons). The emperor brings his father's freedman, Cleander, closer to him, who helps him carry out a quick, quick reprisal. Although what could be more dangerous, it would seem, than to entrust personal protection, the command of an army to someone who is sold publicly at the announcement of a herald. Commodus granted him the title "Dagger". The era of arbitrariness has arrived. Cleander saved up money and bought huge quantities of grain in order to use it as a weapon at the right time - to distribute grain supplies to hungry crowds and thereby attract the people to his side, and then, with the help of the crowds, seize imperial power in Rome.

Upon learning of these plans, Commodus dealt with him. It is quite obvious that such abrupt and inexplicable changes in the highest echelons of power posed a threat to the senators as well. In an effort to replenish the treasury in any way (which he himself emptied), the emperor subjected them to persecution and began to take away their property. But if Marcus Aurelius did this for the good and health of children and the poor, the son calmly lined his own pockets. In addition to everything, he was overcome by megalomania. Commodus declared Rome a personal colony, renaming it Commodiana. The same changes were in store for the Roman legions, the new African flotilla, the city of Carthage, even the Senate of Rome. These metropolitan "fun" caused uprisings and guerrilla warfare in the provinces. In Europe, the Romans were treated as invaders (and agents of the secret military police).

Picture of the revelry of aristocrats

It was also a tragedy that instead of a republic, an oligarchy was established in Rome. This cynical and vile tribe does not know the word - "fatherland". High officials, military commanders, senators and leaders did not give a damn about Plato. They were not concerned with philosophy, but with their own enrichment. Changes in everything - manners, clothes, food, habits. Noble Romans fenced themselves off from their surroundings even when eating. Before, as you remember, there was nothing like this. Almost until the end of the Punic Wars, the masters shared a meal with the servants: everyone ate simple food at the same table. Mostly it was greens and legumes and jelly made from wheat flour, often replacing bread. Among the surviving fragments of the scientist and writer Varro (1st century BC), there is a mention of the tastes that reigned in early Rome: “The grandfathers and great-grandfathers, although the words breathed garlic and onions, but their spirit was high!” However, soon after the conquest of Greece and Asia Minor, wealth and food flowed in a wide stream to Rome and Italy. The life of noble families was filled with pleasure and entertainment. Gluttony, amusements, pleasures, spectacles are usually accompanied by laziness. Sybarism spread in society. However, this is not the sybaritism of the artist.

Who was once born an artist,

That one is always sybaritic in something ...

So let it be over the copper

tripod

The fragrant myrrh is on fire!

V. Mironov

Rome, with a population of more than a million, was sinking ever more noticeably and more frankly into slumber. An idle life became the lot of not only the patricians, but to some extent the plebs. However, there were not so many rich people in Rome. Cicero noted that in Rome, according to the tribune Philip, it is difficult to find even 2000 well-to-do people (oligarchs). But it was they who, perhaps, determined the weather and ordered the music. In Roman society, the philosophy of selfishness and hedonism won. The number of servants grew: captured bakers, cooks, confectioners. She needed to stand out somehow. The future depended on whether their new owners would like their dishes. There was competition and envy. As a result, in a city that recently did not know at all what bread was, they suddenly began to sell several of its varieties, which differed not only in quality, but also in taste, color and shape. There were various cookies and sweets for the sweet tooth and gourmets. Approximately around 171 BC. e. culinary art elevated to the rank of science. Sallust wrote that the nobility "was seized by a passion for debauchery, gluttony and other pleasures."

To diversify the table, they “searched the land and the sea; went to bed before they began to feel sleepy; they did not expect either hunger or thirst, or cold, or fatigue, but in their depravity they warned their appearance. Unthinkable feasts rolled up. In the estate of the already mentioned freedman Trimalchio (a character in the comedy of Petronius) there is darkness of money, there is so much land that a falcon cannot fly around, silver dishes that have fallen on the floor are thrown away with garbage, and live thrushes fly out of the belly of a roasted boar (to the delight of the public). They did not sit at the table, but lay. To make it more convenient to eat as much food as possible, the rich ate, undressing to the waist ... Decorating themselves with wreaths of myrtle, ivy, violets and roses, they lay down at the table. Slaves took off their shoes and washed their feet and hands. Forks were not recognized then. The Romans, like the Greeks, ate everything with their hands. According to the custom of the Greeks, feasts ended with grandiose drinking parties. Those present at the table elected the president. For the amusement of the nobility, magicians, actors, dancers, whores were invited.

Red-figure vase. 5th century BC.

The author of the "Book of Satyrs", Petronius, described a picture of the pastime of rich freedmen ... When we finally lay down, young Alexandrian slaves poured snow water on our hands, washed our feet and carefully trimmed the burrs on our fingers. Without interrupting the unpleasant business, they sang incessantly. When he asked for a drink, the obliging boy complied with the request, singing just as piercingly. Pantomime with a choir, not a triclinium of a venerable house! Meanwhile, an exquisite appetizer was served; everyone lay down on a couch, except for the owner Trimalchio himself, who, according to the new fashion, was left with the highest place at the table. In the middle of the table stood a Corinthian bronze donkey with packs containing white and black olives. Two silver dishes towered above the donkey, the name of Trimalchio and the weight of the silver were engraved along the edges. The following describes how everyone enjoyed this luxury. Then they brought him in to the music and laid him down on Trimalchio's small pillows. His shaven head peeked out from his bright red robes, and around his muffled neck was a scarf with wide purple trim and dangling fringes. This made everyone laugh. On her hands was a large gilded ring of pure gold, with soldered iron stars. In order to flaunt his other jewels, he bared his right hand, adorned with a gold wrist and an ivory bracelet. He picked his teeth with a silver toothpick. The boy who followed him brought crystal bones on a table of turpentine wood, where the author noticed something refined: instead of white and black stones, gold and silver denarii were stacked. Then the curly-haired Ethiopians came with little waterskins, like those from which they scatter sand in the amphitheaters, and washed our hands with wine, but no one gave us water. In the confusion, a large silver dish fell: one of the boys picked it up. Noticing this, Trimalchio ordered to hit the slave with cracks, and throw the dish back on the floor. The barman who appeared began to sweep the silver, along with other rubbish, out the door. At this time, the slave brought a silver skeleton, arranged so that its folds and vertebrae could move freely in all directions. When he was thrown several times on the table, he, thanks to the movable clutch, assumed various poses. So we all drank and marveled at such exquisite luxury. It is curious that the owner of the house and feast, Trimalchio, became a merchant and entrepreneur in modern times. Once he was a slave and carried logs on his back, but then, thanks to his enterprise, he accumulated large capitals. He produced wool, bred bees and even ordered champignon seeds from India. We see the same thing in today's Russia, where in the recent past such "freedmen" traded flowers, herring, were engaged in fartsovka, were currency traders, but now they have become ministers, prime ministers, deputies.

Amphora depicting a feast

As a result, a rich and satiated public could neither adequately lead the state nor satisfy a woman ... Petronius in the "Satyricon" tells the story of a young man who fell in love with a woman, which is "more beautiful than all pictures and statues." There are no words to describe her beauty: "the eyes are brighter than the stars on a moonless night," and "the mouth is like the mouth of Diana, which Praxiteles invented them." And as for the arms, legs, neck - well, what a swan: with their whiteness "they eclipsed the Parian marble." And when the “democrat” had to “show male power”, the curse of Priapus (sexual deity) was fulfilled, his “demiurge” instead of a fighting pose bowed his head in disgrace. Neither a golden fork from the palace collection, nor a villa in Spain will help here. Impotence struck Rome, as it struck the "transvestite democrats." Petronius gives advice on how to be cured: the patient should adhere to a diet, seek help from the deities (and not get into politics), and also take a phallus smeared with oil with crushed pepper and nettle seed and shove it deep into his anus. Surrounding during this procedure should whip him with nettles on the lower part of his naked body. They say it helps... Epicureans and Stoics intensified the mood of decadence, urging people to burn through life easily, imperceptibly, thoughtlessly, blindly. The advice is: "You can't bring too much intelligence into life without killing life."

However, time will pass, and they themselves will perceive in the philosophy of Epicurus only its hedonistic, most animal part, from which the philosopher himself was far away.

Titian. Danae, on which the golden rain fell

What can I say, even if the great Cicero, moralist, republican, singer of the old way of life and the "covenants of the ancestors", speaking in court in defense of a certain Mark Caelius Rufus (56 BC), a typical young Roman, orator and politician, exclaimed: “Is it really forbidden for young men to love harlots? If anyone thinks so, then what can we say, he has very strict rules and shuns not only our dissolute age, but also what is permitted by the custom of the ancestors. Indeed, when was it otherwise, when it was condemned, when it was forbidden, when it was impossible to do what was possible? I am ready to determine what exactly - but I will not name any woman, let anyone think about it as they want. If some unmarried person opens her house to all who desire it, if she lives openly like a corrupt woman, if she feasts with strange men, and all this in the city, in the gardens, in the crowded Bayes; if, finally, her walk, and outfit, and retinue, and brilliant looks, and free speeches, and hugs, kisses, bathing, riding on the sea, feasts make her see not just a harlot, but a shameless whore, then tell me, Lucius Herennius, when a certain young man is with her, will he be a seducer, and not just a lover? Does it infringe on chastity, and not just satisfy desire? After such a convincing, impassioned speech, the court acquitted this Rufus.

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The life of people in Rome, the pros and cons

The reviews of people from the forums say that Rome is the best city in Italy for living, the Romans collectively go to the seas in the summer, to their own and foreign ones, July and August, perhaps, these are the best months to visit Rome, also those hours when the Romans themselves are at work, when you can walk the streets in relative solitude, drop by a cafe for coffee, go shopping, and at the same time stare at the stunning sights, architecture, sculpture, fountains, parks, the ruins of the forum. Rome brings some feeling of happiness and joy every day, even in bad weather it is quite tolerable here, although it is cool and damp in winter. Morning is the best time in Rome, when the city is still waking up, the streets are deserted, the air is not so heavily polluted. In the evening, when it is still very hot in the sun, it is good to sit somewhere in the square, admire the murmur of fountains, eat pizza or pasta, in the afternoon, in the heat, delicious Italian ice cream is very refreshing.

Life in Rome is a continuous party, to have fun it is not necessary to wait until Saturday or Sunday, life is in full swing on any weekday. For some reason, everyone flees to Paris, they want to see it and die, while Rome is a city for life, they want to see it and stay here to live forever. Rome is largely associated with summer holidays, remember the movie "Roman Holiday", yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Some tourists go to Italy for 10 days and during this time they manage to see almost all the big cities and sights, but this is just a superficial look, and a whole year is hardly enough to make friends with Rome, there are so many interesting things here.

Rome is a real green city, at least there are a lot more parks, trees, recreation areas here than in the same Milan, old villas are surrounded by lush vegetation, it's amazing how this beauty is still not built up with high-rise buildings, because in Italy almost every second house is an illegal construction , which is legalized from time to time, since it is simply impossible to obtain official permission for this construction or the opening of something due to bureaucratic obstacles, it seems that the love of beauty among Italians wins over corruption. Italian politicians sit in Rome, they all have very sharp tongues and from time to time shock the world community with loud statements, many of them concern the competitors of politicians within Italy, but most of all neighboring countries, especially Germany, although historically Italy and Germany are very similar and they have a lot in common, in general, the Italians sharpen their teeth for some reason on the Germans, they don’t like all of them.

The cons and disadvantages of living in Rome are the eternal bureaucracy, nepotism, these moments are inherent in all of Italy, and regardless of whether it is north or south, we note unreliable transport, eternal strikes, however, one can stubbornly advise tourists who come to Rome for a couple of days to start exploring the city from bus tour, when from the open area on the second floor you can see almost all the beauty of the city.

Unusual in Rome

At every step in Rome, you can see people with dogs begging, unlike our country in Italy, everyone in a row does this, and not only old helpless people, as a rule, most of these businessmen are young people, stylishly dressed, with smartphones and headphones , sitting listening to music, a large dog is sitting on a leash nearby and there are two bowls, but one of them is with food, the other is for donations. We have data that money is allocated from the Italian budget for those who took a pupil from the shelter, here, on the one hand, there is love for animals, and on the other hand, self-interest, it is the latter that comes to mind for all of us, it’s amazing how you can live like this on dog alms in such an expensive country as Italy and in such an expensive city as Rome. Apparently, after all, a huge tourist flow will make it possible to lead such a life, in non-tourist cities of Western Europe, such a focus will most likely not work.

Another unusual thing in Rome is a large number of bicycles and motorcycles on the streets, two-wheeled vehicles are found parked on every street, it seems that every second Roman moves on a bicycle, perhaps only foreign tourists walk around Rome on their own feet, locals ride on two wheels.

Where to live in Rome?

Where to live in Rome? Everyone decides this question for himself, for obvious reasons, the cost of real estate in the center of Rome can be compared with Moscow prices, it is a little hot and stuffy here, but still you will always be surrounded by the eternal city with its ancient atmosphere. Apartments in Rome are very different, you can find cheaper and more expensive ones, an apartment can surprise with its spaciousness, or it can be quite cramped, it all depends on money, remember that in Italy there is also a property tax of 1% per annum. A two-room apartment in the center of Rome can cost from 3,000 euros per square meter. The cost of renting in the center is from 600 euros per month on a long-term basis. Renting an apartment in Rome is simple, at least easier than, for example, in West German cities where a credit history is required and you cannot be a foreign migrant. Everything is possible in Italy.

You can ask the Roman yourself: where would he prefer to live, the answer will be only in Rome, and where else. Rome is a very fast city, it is here and only here in Italy that you can see people in a hurry, many even run, as if it were London or Manhattan, and not Italy. In the center of Rome, businessmen in Versace suits are running around, nuns are talking on the latest high-resolution phones, children are constantly looking for a place to play football, there is still a lack of such sports grounds, of course, every second tourist is here, they scurry around around the main attractions, fountains and museums. The Romans are very slender people, when you live in a city you walk a lot, you can’t constantly sit in a car here, because there are traffic jams everywhere, you will often have to leave the iron horse and go on your own two legs, or, in extreme cases, change to a two-wheeled horse in the form of a bicycle. Tourists in Rome become athletes in general, they run at breakneck speed around the city with cameras at the ready, because they want to see a lot in a limited time.

Life for Russians

Leisure in Rome these are numerous parties in restaurants and clubs, discos, concerts, including in open spaces, it is especially beautiful surrounded by old architecture in many squares of Rome.

You can go to the museums of Rome forever, the main drawback is the influx of tourists growing from year to year. The Russians probably noticed that in recent summers, getting a visa to Italy has been increasingly difficult, the main excuse at the embassy is an excessive influx of people wishing to see Rome. But let's ask ourselves why, with such an influx of Russians, there are no inscriptions in Russian in Roman museums, more and more Japanese and Spanish, the question suggests itself, there are practically no Russians in Roman museums, why? I don't know what the Russians are doing in Rome, who stormed the Italian embassy? Perhaps they go to Italy for shopping, not for art. So it is shopping that attracts Russians in Rome and Italy, from this point of view, Milan is more profitable.

Rome is constantly changing, many sleeping areas are becoming the center of nightlife, as, for example, happened in recent years with Ostiense and Testaccio. At the same time, in Rome, the terms night city are freely consumed in the neighborhood of the conservative Vatican and a large number of religious people.

Many Russians do not live in Rome itself, but a few kilometers from the city, because Rome is a real metropolis. Why did they choose the backyards of Rome? They will answer that it is hot in Rome, crowds of tourists, noise, dirt and the like, that it is better to live in nature and travel only to work in Rome, but in fact the choice was made because of cheaper housing.

Jobs, salaries and vacancies in Rome

Our fellow citizens often get a job in Rome in the tourism sector, as a guide - a Russian-speaking translator, most Russian immigrants can be seen on the way to the Vatican, you don’t even need to look for them for a long time, they themselves will grab you, and they can immediately distinguish their fellow countrymen from the crowd of foreign tourists, here You can have them casually and ask how life is overseas. Someone will say that it is very sweet, and some are not sweet, as a rule, Russians in exile embellish their reality, to put it mildly, they lie. Note that Italy is very popular as a country of labor migration for non-professionals from Western Ukraine and Eastern Europe in general, women come here to work to wash floors, housewives, nurses, nannies for children, the sick and the elderly. In any case, with knowledge of the Italian language and with a profession, you will not be lost here, although our diplomas are not accepted in Italy despite the fact that the education system in Italy itself is the worst in the European Union. Salaries in Rome are the highest in Italy, perhaps the same as in Liguria and Lombardy. Rome is a large industrial city, for this reason it is relatively easy to find a job here, however, Italians even prefer to travel from their country to Northern Europe, especially for young people who cannot find a job and are tired of sitting on their parents forever. Another chance to get to Rome is to go to study at the University of Rome, but again, Italian education is far from the best, but after graduation you have a whole year to find a job and get a residence permit with a work visa.