We’ve read that Pompeians went to the theater, the amphitheater, and the forum. Of course, they also stayed in their homes. At home, they did what people have always done and still do—they ate, drank, entertained, and slept.
In a wealthy home, guests were met in an atrium, a large, roofed courtyard. Off the atrium, you’d find the bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, and garden. Mosaics lined the floors of the homes of the wealthy. Not many windows were at street level, which helped keep out robbers.
Rich and poor lived side by side in Pompeii, where there were about 20,000 inhabitants. Twelve thousand were free people, and eight thousand were enslaved persons. Enslaved women often spun and wove wool. Enslaved men could be field hands, household help, doctors, architects, and teachers. None of these jobs was respected very much!
