In ancient Rome, the lives of rich and poor people were very different. The poor lived in the dirtiest, noisiest parts of the city.
They were crowded together. Their houses were not well built. These four- and five-story apartment buildings usually lacked heat, water, and kitchens. The rooms of the poor had not much furniture. They might hold only a chair or stool and a bed. Not many poor children learned to read or write.