At one extreme is the Emperor and other powerful families of Rome. These individuals were incredibly wealthy. For example, Emperor Caligula's favorite horse, Incitaus, lived better than most Romans. Incitaus lived in an ivory manger with a golden cup from which to drink his expensive wine.
On the other side, most Romans lived in apartments that were notoriously filthy and prone to fire, and a solid 40% of the people living in Rome were slaves.
When writing a novel, it is so easy to focus in on the MC and not see the variety of people living around him or her. But like the slaves that make up almost half of the Roman population, we can't forget about the people who surround the MC. While the general populous may fade into the background of the novel, they still influence the experiences and the voice of the MC.
2 comments:
It's funny you should say this. So much of Rome is glorified in our culture. The language is romanticised, the colloseum where abject misery abounded is imitated in different countries - especially Europe and America where Rome had the biggest influences.
No doubt the Romans came up with some great systems - the Census, Voting, water Ducts etc, but it's important to remember that most of that culture suffered. Like you said, 95% of the population were slaves, and slaves don't have a great life.
I think a story is rich when it adds and remembers the whole society. Our MC's should encounter a range of different people, because that's the world in which we live. We are all different with all different stories and experiences.
You might want to check out Francine Rivers' MARK OF THE LION trilogy, this explores Roman culture brilliantly. Great historical fiction.
Great post!
Yes, they give voice to the novel.
Great post~
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