An Empire across Three Continents

I would rather have lived in the towns. The chapter says that cities were the real bedrock of the imperial system and were usually better provided for during food shortages and even famines than the countryside. Urban people also enjoyed public baths, more entertainment, and a more active public life. In contrast, the countryside often suffered from grain being taken to the cities, and peasants could be left with poorer food and harder living conditions.

A Roman housewife’s shopping list would include the kinds of goods used in everyday household life, such as wheat or bread grain, wine, olive oil, beans, lentils, and other foodstuffs. The chapter also mentions items like pottery, amphorae for carrying liquids, and household needs such as clothing and perhaps fuel, though the main food items are the clearest from the text.