What was life like for plebeians in ancient Rome?

We know much less about daily life for the lower classes, such as plebeians. Unlike the more privileged classes, most plebeians could not write and therefore they could not record and preserve their experiences. A glimpse of normal life. read more

Plebeians in Ancient Rome . Plebeians were the working class of Ancient Rome. They typically lived in three-or-four story apartment houses called insulae. The insulae were often crowded where two families would have to share a single room. There were no bathrooms in the apartments, so a pot was often used. read more

However, despite changes in the laws, the patricians always held a majority of the wealth and power in Ancient Rome. Interesting Facts About Plebeians and Patricians. A third social class in Roman society was the slaves. Around one third of the people living in Rome were slaves. One of Rome's most famous senators, Cicero, was a plebeian. read more

Some plebeians, who were doing reasonably well, might try to save enough money to join the equestrian class. For many, however, life was a daily struggle. But although individual plebeians had little power, there were a lot of them. read more