copied by hand (this was long before the days of printing) by groups of slaves laboring in the workshop of a book publisher. In Roman times, only the well-off could afford this pastime.
All Roman, of both sexes and all classes, enjoyed visiting the public baths. These were not just places to go and bathe, but also to take exercise, have a massage and above all to socialize.
Drinking and gambling with friends in the many inns was also popular with many men.
Public entertainment was to be had at theaters, where plays by Greek and Latin playwrights were staged. Chariot races were put on at the racecourse, or circus (the most famous of these was the Circus Maximus, at Rome).
At frequent intervals, bloody shows were put on at the amphitheater. Here, armed men fought animals, or gladiators (swordsmen) fought each other; or unarmed criminals condemned to death were put into the arena to be eaten by lions. It was only with the coming of Christianity as the official religion of the empire, towards the end of the Roman period, that the worst of these shocking shows - gladiatorial combats - were abolished.
Government, warfare and law
The Roman Republic governed Rome as it changed from single city-state to enormous empire. As its power expanded, the republic's leaders met new challenges by adapting old institutions to meet unforeseen challenges. The stresses and strains of growth eventually led to the breakdown of the Republic, but the Augustan settlement which opened the curtain on the Empire was a masterpiece of practical adaptation.
The Republican government involved a mix of different institutions - the magistrates, above all the two annually elected consuls; the senate, a council of state composed of the most important men in Rome (senators); and the popular assemblies, which elected the magistrates and had the final say as to whether Rome went to war or not.
Most of these institutions carried over into the Empire. However, they were adapted to give the emperor supreme command over the army, as well as the final say in what legislation was