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The Museum of AncientThe Museum of Ancient Greece and RomeGreece and Rome

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Curator’s Office

Contact me at [Your linked email address]

Rebecca and Dana met each other in 6th grade and became even closer this year. Dana is 14 years old and Rebecca is 13. Their two different family roots come together in this mind-blowing museum. Please enjoy the ancient artifacts of Ancient Greece and Rome.

Rebecca Davenport and Dana Lebron

Note: Virtual museums were first introduced by educators at Keith Valley Middle School in Horsham, Pennsylvania. This template was designed by Dr. Christy Keeler. View the Educational Virtual Museums website for more information on this instructional technique.

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To Bibliography

BibliographyDana’s:• Adkins, Lesley, and Roy A. Adkins. “religious observance in ancient Greece.” Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece, Updated Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc.,

2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE49&iPin=HAGU0967&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 17, 2013).

• Hansen, William. “oracles in Greek mythology.”World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.• Sacks, David. “women in ancient Greece.”Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition. Revised by Lisa R. Brody. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient

and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE49&iPin=EAGW0533&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 18, 2013).• Salisbury, Joyce. “Oracle at Delphi.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 14 Jan. 2013.• Williams, Jean Kinney. “everyday life in ancient Greece.” Empire of Ancient Greece, Great Empires of the Past. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval

History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE49&iPin=GEAG033&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 18, 2013).• 1.Circle thing.....<http://proteus.brown.edu/greekpast/4743>• 2. Statue......<http://www.ancient-greece.org/art/chiarioteer.html>• 3. Black and white......<http://www.theoi.com/Ther/DrakainaPython.html>• 4. Jar......<http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/130015658?img=1>• 5.Rock..... <http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/delphi-Sibyl-rock.html>

Rebecca’s:• Aldrete, Gregory S. "Food & Drink in the Roman Empire." Daily Life through

History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.• Aldrete, Gregory S. "Food in the Ancient World." Daily Life through History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 17 Jan. 2013.• "Bronze Model of a Cart with Farmyard Group." The Metropolitan Museum of Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. <http://metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-

collections/130008631>.• "Bronze Patera." The Metropolitan Museum of Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. <http://metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/130016472>.• Carcopino, Je?ro?me, Henry T. Rowell, and Je?ro?me Carcopino. Daily Life in Ancient Rome: The People and the City at the Height of the Empire. New Haven: Yale UP,

1978. Print.• Kops, Deborah. Ancient Rome. Berkeley Heights: MyReportLinks.com, 2005. Print.• "Marble Cinerary Chest with Lid." The Metropolitan Museum of Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. <http://metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/130013407>.• "Mother and Baby." British Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

<http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/young_explorers/discover/museum_explorer/roman_britain/daily_life/mother_and_baby.aspx>.• Nardo, Don. Life in Ancient Rome. San Diego: Lucent, 1997. Print.• Vivante, Bella. "Women and the Culture of Food and Drink in the Ancient World."

Daily Life through History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.

Room 1

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Artifact 1 Artifact

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Hungry RomansHungry Romans

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Artifact 5 Artifact

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Roman Religious ImpactsRoman Religious Impacts

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Artifact 9 Artifact

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Remains from DelphiRemains from Delphi

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Ancient Greek ArtifactsAncient Greek Artifacts

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BathroomBathroom

The Ancient Romans had several religious beliefs that conflicted with their ways of eating.  One practice was to recline at the table on couches while eating.  There were three reclining places per couch, with the couch of honor located opposite the empty side of the table.  The most privileged position was that to the left nearest the fulcrum or the head of the couch.  Guests reclined crosswise on the couches with their left elbow touching a cushion, and their bare feet at the foot of the couch. They believed this practice was a mark of elegance and social distinction. An usher (nomadia) brought the guests to their places on the couches.  Waiters (ministratores) brought in dishes and placed them on the tables covered with a cloth (mappa or mantile).  Slaves brought around an ewe filled with perfumed water rather frequently so that guests could wash their hands after eating the food with their own fingers.  It was also a common ritual for guests to bring their own napkins with them.  Their leftover tidbits from the meal were left in the napkin and taken home as a sign of respect. 

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Religious beliefs and traditions in Ancient Rome affected the daily food choices made by an average Roman family by influencing the way they ate,

what they ate, and how much they ate.

The main drink in Ancient Rome was wine (with ice if they could afford it.) Even somewhat poor families were able to access wine at some points. A popular, hot wine was called mulsum, which was sweetened with honey. They also enjoyed warm wine with spices. Breakfast consisted of bread, wheat biscuits (dipped in wine or smothered with honey), cheese, olives, and raisins. Lunch (prandium) consisted of cold foods like bread, salad, fruit, and dinner leftovers. The main meal (cena) was made up of three courses and was the most important meal of the day. The first course had appetizers like oysters, salads, mushrooms, and eggs. The second course had main dishes like fish, poultry, pork, and veggies. The main meats were pork and veal. Red meat was not very common. The last course was dessert like fruit, nuts, and honey cake. A full dress cena for special occasions consisted of at least seven courses (fercula). Some banquets included exotic dishes like ostrich stew and flamingo-brain pie. One Roman specialty was an unusual fish sauce made with fish heads and fins, entrail, herbs, and olive oil. The mixture was baked in the sun and served over bread as a delicious treat.

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Religious beliefs and traditions in Ancient Rome affected the daily food choices made by an average Roman family by influencing the way they ate,

what they ate, and how much they ate.

Food was supplied from different areas in Rome. Ice, to keep their drinks and food cold, was carried in donkey trains that came from the nearest mountains. This ice was then stored in underground pits until is was ready to be used. Families with less money did not have as much of a variety of food to choose from. They mostly ate a lot of wheat, beans, and leeks. Meat was very rare for the poor. The main meats for richer families were pork and veal. Milk, which was not used for drinking in Rome, was made into cheese for families. Our modern-day cultures have adopted this practice of making cheese from these witty Romans.

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Religious beliefs and traditions in Ancient Rome affected the daily food choices made by an average Roman family by influencing the way they ate,

what they ate, and how much they ate.

Food was served in the triclinium, where the family ate together, while reclining at the table. Most kitchens were supplied with a large table used for food preparation. Once prepared, waiters took the food out to the guests at the triclinium. Bread and cakes were put in round ovens after the ashes had been raked out and the oven heated up. Their food took much longer to bake than in the modern-day because they did not have the same technology and capacity as our ovens do now. When serving drinks, the wine was sometimes diluted with water before preparing it.

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Religious beliefs and traditions in Ancient Rome affected the daily food choices made by an average Roman family by influencing the way they ate,

what they ate, and how much they ate.

After finishing their dinner, the guests were forced to take a hot bath and were then led to the conclusion of the night, the commissatio, where rivers of wine were displayed.  The Romans did not drink beer because they believed it was uncivilized and a characteristic trait of barbarians, their enemies.  Milk was also not consumed because they believed that only uncivilized people drank it, but it was made into cheese, which was a popular food among Romans.  The Romans also had numerous spiritual beliefs involving food.  The penates household spirit protected family food storage.  The god, Mars, was the protector of farmers' fields.  Their reliance on these spirits ensured that their food would be grown efficiently and preserved for as long as needed.

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Religious beliefs and traditions in Ancient Rome affected the daily food choices made by an average Roman family by influencing the way they ate,

what they ate, and how much they ate.

The priestess would be a woman as opposed to a man because women had religious duties back then. The religious duties go back to a prehistoric belief in the magical properties of female fertility. Oracle of Gaia, also called Oracle of Earth, was guarded by the dragon snake Python. The infant Apollo took control of Parnassus by killing Python. The snake's body fell into an opening in the earth, and gases rose from its decaying body. Apollo took control of the oracle, which allowed Apollo to keep her spirit. 

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Women who worked in an oracle affected people in different areas of Ancient Greece by having one of the highest roles in religion.

Certain priesthoods were reserved for women, such as the office of Pythia or priestess of Apollo at Delphi. They believed that women should the play the role of the priestess because the men weren’t supposed to be communicating with the gods or goddesses because it was rather odd and super-natural. The priestess was the most important role that a woman could have played. It never boosted her politically though. It did boost her social standing. So many people looked up to the priestess because she was able to communicate with the god, to give the people that asked questions, advice or guidance.

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Women who worked in an oracle affected people in different areas of Ancient Greece by having one of the highest roles in religion.

After some years, things changed. The people in charge of the oracles realized that any woman would be able to work in the oracle, as long as the priestess did the readings. Many years later, uneducated peasant woman could also be chosen for the role of the priestess, and conduct the readings. Similar to the men, priestesses were employed by the city-state to serve in the local temple. 

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Women who worked in an oracle affected people in different areas of Ancient Greece by having one of the highest roles in religion.

Women were chosen to work in Oracles in Ancient Greece. At first they choose prominent women to work in the oracle because they didn’t want a peasant doing the work; because everybody looked up to the priestess. It the priestess was a peasant, nobody would look up to them, and people wouldn’t attend the oracle. The job was not full-time and priestesses did not need special skills for their work, but having a prominent woman, opposed to a peasant was a good compromise.

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Women who worked in an oracle affected people in different areas of Ancient Greece by having one of the highest roles in religion.

In Ancient Greece, women could not be seen in public. If people were to know a name of a woman, they would believe that she was improper, which was very important in the Greek Society. Women would give advice and guidance, which was unusual in this time period. People would sacrifice different items such as sheep to get their advice (trade). People usually would listen to the men because they played the most important role in Ancient Greece. The priestess would sit on a tripod seat, holding laurel leaves and a dish of Kasseris spring water into which she gazed. Men would never have to do such a thing because their job was to create laws and run the cities. Doing these supernatural things, made the women get noticed because people would talk about these things. Only in the Greek Religion were Greek women allowed to participate in public life to any degree.  Return to

Exhibit

Women who worked in an oracle affected people in different areas of Ancient Greece by having one of the highest roles in religion.