The Kids

Life as a Roman child was very different depending if you were a boy or a girl, and if your family was rich or poor. Until they were 7 years old, boys and girls were taught reading, writing and arithmetic by their mothers. At 7 a boy would go on to a school, while a girl would remain with her mother.

A girl's academic education was cut short because she would get married when she was as young as 12! Can you imagine that?! Her mother would teach her how to look after the running of a house and to spin, weave and sew fabric.

A boy would also spend a lot of time with his father. If his father was a farmer, he would learn to plough, plant and harvest crops. If his father was a richer man working in a town, a boy might be taught about politics and government. Boys would also be trained to use weapons, ride, swim, wrestle and box.