Roman Farming, Food, and Entertainment

Roman Farming, Food, and Entertainment

Farming was important to the Romans. They were efficient farmers with many productive farms. The Romans who lived in the city needed to have their food and wood imported from the farms. Those living in the city believed life would be easier in the country, but they did not realize how hard the farmers worked. Life in the country was not easy, especially for slaves.
The majority of Roman houses did not have kitchens because kitchen fires could easily spread. Romans got their hot food from street vendors. Indoor kitchens never had chimneys, so the house was usually smoky. The tools used for meals were knives, mortar and pestle, pottery, bronze pots, and strainers. Most of the meals consisted of meat, vegetables and herbs. The poor ate bread, porridge, or stew.
The Romans enjoyed spicy food and wine. The rich hosted parties to show off their fine foods. They used their fingers, spoons, and knives to eat while relaxed on the couch.

The Move across the Country

The Move across the Country

A challenge that my family and I faced was moving across the country. I remember it being quite a stressful job. I found it hard to move away from family, and to leave the house that I lived in for my entire life.
My brother and I helped pack bags and load boxes into the truck. Once everything was packed, we waved good-bye to our family and started our trip. We had already planned our route and what time we would arrive at our new home.
We traveled overnight, and it was quite hard to sleep in the car. We got lost a few times, and a little car sick, but we eventually made it to our new home. It felt strange in our new house. I was sad that we left our family, but I was kind of curious about our new home. We unpacked our bags and unloaded the truck. We moved everything in, and after a few weeks, we began to love our new home.

Roman Family Life

Roman Family Life

The family organization was important to the Romans. Families included mother, children, sons and their wives, and any slaves. The family was controlled by the father; the Latin word for this was paterfamilias.
The purpose of children in Rome was to serve the state. Roman families desired healthy baby boys and sometimes baby girls. Unhealthy boys and sometimes healthy girls were left to die because Romans considered healthy boys superior. The children attended school from age 7 to 11. The wealthy Roman children attended middle school. At age 12, or more commonly age 14, girls would get married. Men usually married at about the age 20. At about 14 years of age, boys were considered adults. Boys usually had military training, or took higher education to enter politics. The wealthy would send their sons to Athens or Rhodes to learn from Greek scholars.
Personal relation and family life were allowed more in Rome than in Greece. The husband, wife, and children interaction was common in Rome. Boy and girl interaction was more acceptable in Rome than in Greece.

The Twelve Apostles

The Twelve Apostles

Jesus chose 12 men to follow Him during His ministry, they were known as disciples. These 12 men took over the church after Jesus’s resurrection. They were now known as apostles.
Simon Peter was the leader of the apostles. During the Pentecost, those who listened to Peter’s sermon could understand him in their own languages. The reversal of the Tower of Babel curse signified that all races could join Christianity, not just Jews. The sons of thunder were known as James and John, for their bad temper. James was beheaded by Herod, but John outlived all the apostles and died from old age. They both were known for their interest in spreading the Gospel. Philip was known for spreading the Gospel to Africa. The Gospel was spread through these twelve men throughout Judea, Samaria, and the world. A man named Saul persecuted the apostles and the church. After he converted, his name was changed to Paul. Paul went on long missionary journeys, and produced a lot of writing in the New Testament. He was a presiding elder at the Counsel of Jerusalem, and many churches were planted throughout Asia Minor and Rome by Paul. He died as a prisoner in Rome.
Christianity grew and spread through the Roman Empire. Christianity has been the most dominant religion on Europe and the Western Civilization.

Swiss Family Robinson

Swiss Family Robinson

In the book Swiss Family Robinson the ship the Robinson family is on gets struck by a strong storm. The boat is severely damaged with many holes, and they pray to God that they will survive. The next day, they notice that any possible survivors are gone and their family members are the only ones left on the wrecked ship. They thank God for their survival, but the family wonders what to do next.
While on the wrecked ship, the Robinsons noticed an island close to them. They searched the ship for useful objects. They found two dogs, a cow, a donkey, two goats, six sheep, a ram, and a sow. Fritz, the oldest son, found a couple of guns, shot belt, powder flasks, and dozens of bullets. Ernest, the second oldest son, found a cap full of nails, an ax, a hammer, pincers, chisels, and augers. Franz, the youngest, found a box containing many small hooks. After finding these tools, they built a vessel out of tubs, loaded them with supplies, and jumped inside. The dogs swam near them as they traveled to the island. Once on the island, the family unpacked and set up a tent to sleep for the night. The boys went to collect moss and grass for their beds, and the others started a fire and made dinner. Jack found a lobster, and Ernest found oysters to have for their dinner. They used the oyster shells as spoons, and they all ate from the pot of soup.
The father knew that this island would be their new home, so he taught the boys everything he knew about outdoor life. They all knew that they needed a real home to protect them from predators, so they worked on building a treehouse. They used materials from the wreck and from the island to build their new home. The family plowed some land and planted seeds and their farm began to grow. After several years on the island, the family spent their time exploring the island, hunting, finding food or useful material, and taming animals. The Robinson family, with all their hard work, was able to survive for years on the island.
While cutting down a tree, Fritz found a note written by an English girl who was lost on the island. Fritz searched for the girl and brought her home to his family, who quickly adopted her as one of their own. Shortly after finding the girl, the family spotted an English vessel close to their island, the signal the ship with gunfire. When Fritz and his father entered the English ship, they spoke of their wrecked ship and their life on the island. They told the captain about Jenny, the English girl, and how they rescued her. The two then realized the captain was in search of the English girl. The captain heard from the survivors of the crashed ship Jenny was on and set out to find her. The captain offered to take them back to Europe. Jack, Ernest, their father, and mother decided to stay on the island to help grow the population. Franz, Fritz and Jenny decided to return to England. Franz returned because he wanted good schooling, Fritz returned to England with Jenny to get her father’s consent to marry her. The family accepted each other’s decisions and prayed that God would be with them.