Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Taberna

A taberna (plural tabernae) was a single-room or storefront in , typically located at street level with a wide doorway often featuring grooves for wooden shutters, serving as a for and services such as selling like and materials or offering professions including barbering, tailoring, and money-lending. These establishments originated as simple wooden stalls or booths in marketplaces during the early and evolved into permanent fixtures integrated into urban walls and buildings by the Imperial period, reflecting the expansion of commerce in society. Tabernae were a defining element of urban planning, appearing ubiquitously along busy streets and at intersections in cities across the empire, from and to provincial centers like Ostia, where they outnumbered other building types and facilitated daily economic activity for both proprietors and customers. Often rented out by property owners, including from the ground floors of insulae (apartment blocks) or (private houses), tabernae could include rear or upper rooms for , , or living quarters, blurring the lines between and domestic life. Specialized varieties emerged, such as cauponae for wine and hot food sales, bakeries with attached mills, booksellers' stalls, and barbers' shops, which were regulated under emperors like to prevent street obstructions. Archaeological evidence from sites like highlights the social role of tabernae as accessible venues for lower-class Romans, enabling small-scale amid the empire's revolution, though they were sometimes associated with modest or even disreputable activities due to their open-street access. By the late and early , tabernae centralized , supported , and adapted to diverse goods and services, underscoring their integral place in the socio-economic fabric of .

Etymology and Terminology

Definition and Meaning

In , a taberna (plural: tabernae) referred to a single-room or designed for the sale of or the provision of services, characteristically featuring a wide doorway or counter opening directly onto the street to facilitate public access. This space served as a fundamental unit of commercial activity, accommodating diverse functions such as vending foodstuffs, textiles, or tools, or offering skilled labor like barbering or money-changing. The term taberna originates from the Latin word denoting a rudimentary or wooden shed constructed from planks, derived etymologically from trabs meaning "" or "tree trunk," through the intermediate form traberna, which underwent to become taberna. By the period, its meaning had shifted from these primitive shelters—often associated with the dwellings of lower social classes—to encompass established commercial outlets integrated into urban environments. Unlike modern retail establishments, which typically operate as standalone or fully enclosed entities, tabernae were frequently embedded within the ground floors of residential structures, such as insulae or domus, often with access to rear or upper rooms for storage, production, or living quarters, typically via internal ladders or stairs, while the shop opened directly to the street, promoting seamless street-level commerce while allowing for combined commercial and domestic use. This design underscored their role in the bustling fabric of Roman cities, where they lined thoroughfares and contributed to the vibrant, interactive urban economy. The term tabernarius denoted the shopkeeper or operator of a taberna in ancient Rome, typically managing retail or service activities within the single-room space, and these individuals were frequently freedmen who achieved economic independence through such enterprises. Among the specialized forms, taberna vinaria specifically referred to a wine shop or tavern focused on the sale and serving of wine, often functioning as a casual venue for consumption alongside basic provisions. Complementing this, popina described a subset of establishments akin to cooked food stalls or simple eateries, where hot meals like stews were prepared and sold, distinguishing it from broader tabernae by its emphasis on on-site cooking rather than mere retailing or lodging. Further variants included taberna casearia, a cheese or where dairy products were produced and vended, as referenced in legal discussions concerning nuisances like emissions from such operations affecting neighboring properties. Similarly, taberna libraria indicated a book dealing in scrolls and texts, with alluding to one near the where public gatherings occurred, highlighting its role in intellectual and . These terms appear in inscriptions and literary sources, such as electoral notices or legal tracts, underscoring their everyday application in urban trade. Over time, the nomenclature evolved beyond urban retail, with tabernae deversoriae (or tabernae diversoriae) extending the term to denote inns or way-stations along , providing lodging and refreshment for travelers in rural or contexts, as evidenced in accounts by and . This broadening reflected the adaptability of taberna from a basic shop to multifunctional hospitality spaces outside city centers.

Historical Development

Origins in Greece and Early Rome

The origins of the taberna trace back to , where permanent stalls and shops emerged in agoras during the late 5th and 4th centuries BC. These fixed commercial structures, often integrated into colonnades or surrounding areas, facilitated organized trade in fruits, pottery, textiles, and other goods, evolving from earlier temporary market setups in civic centers like and other poleis. This development reflected growing economic complexity in , with shops providing stable venues for merchants amid the agora's role as a multifaceted hub for commerce, politics, and social interaction. Romans encountered and adopted these Greek commercial practices during their expansion into Hellenistic territories in the , particularly through conquests in and interactions following the (280–275 BC). This influence prompted the integration of permanent shop-like structures into Roman urban spaces, blending local traditions with imported ideas of fixed environments. By the mid-Republic, tabernae began appearing as simple wooden booths or shelters in forums, serving as initial venues for vending while accommodating the Republic's expanding trade networks. During the (c. 509–27 BC), these early tabernae transitioned from rudimentary, temporary market stalls to more permanent fixtures, especially by the , as urban forums developed into organized commercial zones. This evolution supported Rome's growing economy, with booths clustering around central marketplaces to handle daily transactions in foodstuffs, tools, and artisanal products. Archaeological evidence from sites like Ostia indicates that such structures, initially modest and wooden, laid the groundwork for later stone-built shops. Literary evidence from Livy's references tabernae in the during the 4th century BC. In Book 9, shops are described as encircling the , though in the context of their closure during a period of public mourning. This depiction highlights the presence of tabernae in Rome's civic spaces during the early , underscoring their role in urban life.

Proliferation in the Roman Empire

The proliferation of tabernae accelerated during the late and early periods, particularly from the 1st century BCE onward, as Roman expanded across the Mediterranean and beyond. This growth transformed tabernae from sporadic features in early settlements into a defining element of urban landscapes, with their numbers surging in response to the Empire's territorial conquests and . In core Italian cities, such as , independent complexes of tabernae emerged by the 2nd century BCE, contributing to denser commercial streetscapes that lined major thoroughfares and intersections. By the time of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE, Pompeii featured hundreds of such structures, many clustered in neighborhoods with nearly 20 shop-fronts per block, illustrating their ubiquity in daily urban life. Several interconnected factors drove this widespread adoption. Economic booms fueled by expanded trade routes, including maritime networks from Ostia—the Empire's primary port—facilitated the influx of goods and stimulated retail demand, prompting investments in commercial spaces. Population growth in densely packed insulae, especially in and provincial hubs, created vibrant consumer markets between 150 BCE and 200 CE, where tabernae served as essential outlets for local and imported wares. Imperial policies under emperors like further promoted commerce through infrastructure projects, such as Ostia's port expansions around 110 CE, which incorporated rows of tabernae into new warehouses and markets, enabling the handling of vast grain and commodity flows. By the CE, major cities like and Ostia hosted thousands of tabernae, outnumbering other building types and underscoring their role in sustaining urban economies. Regional variations marked the adaptation of tabernae in the provinces, reflecting local economic conditions and efforts. In core , tabernae proliferated along well-established road networks, forming roadside clusters that supported traveler commerce, whereas in , early examples appeared amid conquest-driven urbanization. A notable 2nd–1st century BCE taberna unearthed in , complete with drinking vessels and a , highlights this spread, predating full provincial integration but aligning with cultural diffusion post-125 BCE annexation of . Provincial tabernae, such as those in , often adopted simpler timber or wattle-and-daub forms compared to 's stone s, yet they clustered similarly around forums and roads, driven by growth and immigrant merchants, with peaks in around 250 CE. These adaptations tied to imperial road systems, like the Via Agrippa in , which facilitated distribution and economic ties to .

Architectural Characteristics

Basic Structure and Materials

The typical taberna was a single-room, rectangular structure designed as a narrow strip-building to the street, facilitating direct access for commercial activity while maximizing limited urban frontage. These shops generally measured 3 to 6 meters in width at the front and extended 5 to 10 meters in depth, though dimensions varied by location and period, with examples from and Ostia showing standardized layouts around 4.5 meters wide. The front facade featured a wide opening, often 2 to 5 meters across—such as 3.66 meters at or 3.5 meters at 's Via dell'Abbondanza—equipped with grooves in the for sliding wooden shutters that could secure the at night or serve as a display counter when partially open. Roofing typically consisted of flat or slightly pitched designs supported by wooden beams, covered with terracotta tiles, though barrel-vaulted ceilings appeared in some examples, particularly in Ostia and , to provide structural stability over the open interior. Walls were constructed using opus reticulatum (a net-like pattern of small squared stones set in ) or opus latericium (faced brickwork) in urban settings, with thicknesses of 45 to 60 centimeters for load-bearing support; foundations ensured durability on uneven terrain. Floors were laid with terra cotta tiles, beaten earth, or (a hydraulic mortar mixed with crushed tiles), occasionally featuring mosaics in more affluent tabernae. Wooden elements were integral for doors, internal partitions, and shelving, while plaster coatings and occasional frescoes added decorative finishes to walls. Functional adaptations emphasized practicality within the compact layout, including niches or built-in shelves along rear and side walls for storage of goods, as evidenced by archaeological remains in and Ostia. Many tabernae incorporated a small back room for additional workspace or private use, and a staircase—often 4 to 5 steps leading to a wooden ladder—provided access to an upper or for living quarters or extra storage, lit by a small above the entrance. These features, constructed with local variations in materials like stone or timber in provincial sites, allowed tabernae to serve multifaceted roles while adhering to the core single-room design.

Integration into Urban Settings

In Roman urban architecture, tabernae were frequently integrated into the facades of elite , typically flanking the main entrance known as the fauces, with two shops commonly positioned on either side to generate rental income for the property owner. This arrangement allowed commercial activity to occur at street level while preserving the privacy of the household's interior spaces, achieved through narrow corridors or passageways that separated the tabernae from the atrium and subsequent rooms. Archaeological examples from , such as the , illustrate this design, where the shops opened directly onto the street but connected internally via controlled access points to prevent intrusion into domestic quarters. Within multi-story insulae, tabernae occupied the ground floors, lining the exteriors to form continuous street-facing commercial facades that supported the dense economic life of urban neighborhoods. In areas like Rome's Subura, a crowded district of narrow streets and high-rise buildings, these shops created vibrant retail fronts, with upper levels reserved for residential apartments accessed by internal staircases. Excavations at Ostia, such as the Caseggiato del Serapide, reveal how tabernae spanned entire block faces, separated by load-bearing corridors that facilitated both shop operations and resident movement while adapting to the irregular terrain of expanding cities. Tabernae also clustered in purpose-built public market complexes, exemplified by the Markets of Trajan constructed between 107 and 113 AD, where over 150 multi-level shops were organized into a terraced structure integrated into the . This complex featured tabernae arranged in tiers around a central and vaulted halls, with ramps providing efficient access between levels to streamline trade flow and pedestrian circulation. Designed by , the markets not only housed diverse vendors but also stabilized the hillside adjacent to , demonstrating advanced that blended commerce with monumental architecture.

Types and Functions

Retail and Commercial Varieties

Tabernae serving as retail outlets for general goods were ubiquitous in cities, specializing in non-consumable items such as textiles, , lamps, and books, with the latter often housed in dedicated librariae. These shops featured wide counters protruding onto the street, where operators displayed merchandise to entice potential customers, allowing for immediate inspection and purchase without entering the interior space. This arrangement maximized visibility and accessibility in densely populated urban environments like and Ostia. Daily operations involved operators sourcing inventory from wholesalers, frequently through imports arriving at the Tiber's wharves and distributed via commercial fora or city gates to nearby horrea for storage. Goods were then transported to the tabernae for restocking, ensuring a steady supply of diverse products to meet local . Pricing practices emphasized , with haggling serving as the standard method to determine final costs, reflecting the market-driven nature of these transactions. To promote their wares, tabernae employed in the form of painted advertisements and inscriptions on exterior walls or above entrances, often illustrating the goods sold or naming the proprietor to build recognition among repeat customers. These visual cues were essential in competitive street-level , where shops clustered along porticoed streets. Economically, these tabernae operated on a small scale, primarily facilitating local among residents and contributing to the empire's to a fully monetized by the AD. With widespread circulation and mechanisms supporting exchanges, such shops handled modest volumes that aggregated into significant commerce, underscoring their role in integrating producers and consumers through cash-based systems rather than .

Food, Beverage, and Service Establishments

In ancient Rome, tabernae dedicated to food and beverages, particularly vinariae and popinae, functioned as casual eateries where diluted wine and simple snacks were served to urban dwellers and travelers. Vinariae, or wine shops, typically featured stone counters embedded with dolia—large earthenware jars—for storing and dispensing wine mixed with water, alongside basic provisions like bread and olives. These establishments catered primarily to the lower classes, offering affordable refreshments without the elaborate preparations of elite households. Archaeological evidence from Pompeii reveals approximately 80 such thermopolia (hot-food counters, a subset of popinae), with painted frescoes depicting foodstuffs and counters designed for quick service. Popinae, often overlapping with vinariae, provided hot meals such as stews, lentils, fish, poultry, and even small birds like songbirds, prepared on-site or in adjacent kitchens and served from similar counters. These venues emphasized consumable goods for immediate consumption, distinguishing them from dry-goods retail by their focus on prepared edibles and beverages. Remains in Pompeii and Herculaneum include carbonized food residues in dolia, confirming menus of grains, vegetables, and meats, while literary references note their role in providing sustenance to slaves and laborers. Regulations under emperors like Tiberius and Claudius restricted popinae to selling only pulse and vegetables to curb excesses, underscoring their everyday utility. Beyond comestibles, certain tabernae hosted service-oriented operations like fullonicae (laundries) and tonsoriae (barbershops), utilizing the compact shop space for hands-on tasks requiring water and tools. Fullonicae involved workers treading soiled garments in interconnected basins filled via aqueduct-supplied channels or public fountains, applying fuller's earth (creta fullonica) for cleaning and urine or sulfur for bleaching. Excavations at Ostia uncovered six such facilities, often integrated into urban blocks with drainage systems to manage wastewater, though the process generated notorious odors affecting operators' health. Tonsoriae, smaller in scale, featured central stools for clients undergoing shaving or haircutting with iron razors and hot water, accompanied by waiting benches and wall-mounted mirrors for grooming. These shops relied on aqueduct water for rinsing, exemplifying tabernae's adaptability for personal services. Daily operations in these establishments peaked during midday breaks after work or in the evening, aligning with solar hours when laborers sought respite, with patrons perching on simple stools rather than reclining couches reserved for triclinia. was rudimentary, featuring basic floor and cesspits for —evident in Pompeian thermopolia latrines—but often criticized for uncleanliness in ancient texts, contrasting sharply with the refined of high-society banquets. Emperors like enforced closures for violations, highlighting ongoing concerns over in these communal spaces.

Social and Economic Significance

Role in Daily Life and Economy

Tabernae played a central role in the daily lives of Romans, particularly among the lower classes, by functioning as accessible hubs where individuals could obtain quick meals, engage in casual conversations, and participate in without relying on domestic facilities. Many dwellers, especially workers in crowded insulae, lacked kitchens, making tabernae indispensable for routine sustenance and activities that fostered interactions along busy streets. Economically, tabernae facilitated the shift toward permanent commerce in cities, enabling efficient supply chains that imported from provinces and integrated local production into broader markets, thereby contributing to overall . This infrastructure supported state revenues through indirect taxation, such as portoria duties levied on transported merchandise that passed through or was sold in these establishments, underscoring their importance in the fiscal system. In , tabernae influenced the design of cities by necessitating street widths adequate for and cart access—typically 3 to 6 meters—and promoting patterns that prioritized commercial frontages in high-traffic areas. Their density served as an indicator of urban prosperity; for instance, featured approximately 600 tabernae, many clustered in blocks to maximize commercial activity and reflect the city's economic vitality.

Operators and Social Mobility

The operators of tabernae, known as tabernarii, were predominantly freed slaves or liberti who leveraged the peculium—savings accumulated during enslavement—to invest in and establish their own shops upon manumission. These individuals, often originating from diverse regions of the empire, sought economic independence through retail and service trades, transforming their former servile status into entrepreneurial ventures. Women, particularly freedwomen, occasionally managed family-run tabernae, handling sales of goods like textiles or foodstuffs while their husbands focused on production, as evidenced by inscriptions such as those of purpurariae (purple-dyers' wives). Operating a taberna offered significant opportunities for , enabling successful tabernarii to amass wealth and achieve greater integration into civic life, including access to privileges for those not . Successful operators could join trade guilds or collegia, which provided mutual support, networking, and communal facilities. Epitaphs from illustrate this ascent, with examples like those of affluent tabernarii commissioning elaborate memorials that highlight their accumulated prosperity and family legacies, underscoring the trade's role in elevating former slaves to respected plebeian status. Despite these prospects, tabernarii faced substantial challenges that tempered their upward trajectory, including intense in densely packed markets and the constant risk of from fluctuating or poor harvests. The also carried a as inherently plebeian labor, often viewed with disdain by the elite, yet it remained a vital avenue for non-elite in the .

Evidence and Legacy

Archaeological Discoveries

The eruption of in 79 AD preserved over 200 tabernae in , offering unparalleled insight into Roman commercial spaces frozen in time. These structures often feature carbonized amphorae containing remnants of goods such as wine, , and , alongside masonry counters embedded with dolia for food storage and service. on these counters and walls, including lists of prices, advertisements, and casual inscriptions, further illuminate daily transactions and social interactions within the shops. In and , excavations reveal tabernae integrated into multi-story insulae during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, demonstrating adaptations for diverse commercial and residential uses. At Ostia, ground-floor tabernae in insulae complexes were frequently modified with partitions, additional entrances, and storage alcoves to accommodate evolving trade needs, such as grain handling or textile sales. In , (completed ca. 113 AD) exemplifies advanced engineering with approximately 150 vaulted tabernae arranged across six levels, utilizing and brick-faced vaults to create terraced shops for spices, fabrics, and other wares. Provincial sites in provide evidence of early tabernae dissemination during Roman expansion. At Lattara (near modern Lattes), a 2nd-century BC tavern structure was unearthed, featuring a large rectangular of fired clay in the dining area and an assemblage of ceramics including an over-representation of A black gloss drinking bowls and large non-wheel-thrown bowls and jattes (diameters 22–38 cm), suggesting communal eating and drinking and the rapid adoption of culinary practices in .

References in Ancient Literature

In ancient Roman literature, tabernae are frequently depicted as integral yet chaotic elements of urban life, particularly in satirical works that highlight the noise and overcrowding of Rome's streets. Juvenal, in his Satires (late 1st to early 2nd century AD), portrays the city's relentless commercial bustle, including the securing of shop shutters at night amid the din of traffic and livestock, which disrupts sleep even for the hardiest individuals. This vivid imagery underscores tabernae as sources of incessant urban clamor, contributing to the satirist's broader critique of Rome's overcrowded and perilous environment. Similarly, Martial's Epigrams (late 1st century AD) lampoons shopkeepers for their audacity in encroaching upon public space; in Book 7, Epigram 61, he praises Emperor Domitian (referred to as Germanicus) for ordering the widening of narrow streets and the retraction of protruding tabernae to restore order, illustrating the witty yet frustrated elite perspective on commercial overreach and the ingenuity of everyday vendors. Historical treatises provide more practical insights into tabernae's architectural and economic roles. , in (c. 30–15 BC), Book VI, advises on integrating shops into private residences, recommending that those involved in place tabernae in vestibules for storing produce, alongside crypts and granaries beneath houses to optimize utility and symmetry in domestic design. This reflects an idealized view of tabernae as functional extensions of the home, adapted to the owner's livelihood and the local climate. , in his encyclopedic (AD 77), references market tabernae in discussions of and , such as the distribution of spices like in urban shops and stations, which he associates with the influx of exotic imports and the moral perils of excessive . Tabernae also appear symbolically in poetry and legal texts, often evoking themes of impermanence and contractual . In Roman verse, tabernae occasionally serve as metaphors for the fleeting nature of urban existence, representing humble, temporary shelters amid the city's flux, as seen in Martial's epigrams where shops embody the transient wit and hustle of daily commerce. In legal compilations like the Digest of Justinian (6th century AD, compiling earlier jurists), tabernae are defined pragmatically as any habitable structure suitable for trade, typically secured with wooden boards (tabulae), with detailed provisions on leases emphasizing their role in economic transactions and property rights. These references highlight tabernae not merely as physical spaces but as symbols of Rome's dynamic, often precarious social fabric.

References

  1. [1]
    Taberna · Ancient World 3D
    A taberna was a shop for goods and services, often a street-level building with a wide doorway, and could provide goods or services.Missing: history | Show results with:history
  2. [2]
  3. [3]
    Tabernae at Ostia - Roman Ports
    Aug 15, 2020 · A taberna was a one-room shop for the sale of goods or for services. They already existed in the Roman Empire before the republic.
  4. [4]
    FINDING COMMERCE: THE TABERNA AND THE IDENTIFICATION ...
    7 aug 2025 · Using the taberna as a case-study, this paper explores the issues of Latin nomenclature and textual analogy; architectural typology and modern ...<|separator|>
  5. [5]
    (PDF) The Roman Retail Revolution: The Socio-Economic World of ...
    Tabernae were ubiquitous in all Roman cities, lining the busiest streets and dominating their most crowded intersections in numbers far exceeding those of ...
  6. [6]
    Taberna - Oxford Reference
    Latin term for a room attached to the atrium of a Roman house, accessible from outside the house but not from the inside, that was used as a small shop, ...
  7. [7]
  8. [8]
    taberna - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
    Noun. taberna (plural tabernas) (Ancient Rome) A type of shop or stall in Ancient Rome.
  9. [9]
    [PDF] The Shops and Shopkeepers of Ancient Rome
    While obvious, the fundamental relationship between a taberna and tabernarius must be emphasized: before permanent shops, there were no shopkeepers. It ...
  10. [10]
    Apicius: Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome - Project Gutenberg
    The TABERNA VINARIA seems to have been the regular wine restaurant, while the THERMOPOLIUM specialized in hot spiced wines. Like today in our complicated ...
  11. [11]
    bars (taberna, popina, caupona, thermopolium)
    ### Summary on Popina as a Subset for Cooked Food Stalls in Ancient Rome
  12. [12]
    [PDF] Protection of the Environment in Roman Law?
    Finally, should the lessee of the taberna casearia, who was confronted with the actio negatoria, have to discontinue the production of cheese, then ...
  13. [13]
    The Roman Book: Books, Publishing and Performance in Classical ...
    The earliest surviving reference of any kind to a bookshop in Rome is by Cicero, who speaks of a taberna libraria – a shop that does books.2 Some assume ...
  14. [14]
    FROM THE SIDEWALKS OF OLD ROME - jstor
    punishment. For those who were thirsty and did not care to stop at a taberna vinaria there were gushing fountains almost everywhere. The Romans were justly.
  15. [15]
    LacusCurtius • Roman Taverns (Smith's Dictionary, 1875)
    ### Summary of Tabernae Deversoriae/Taberna Diversoria as Inns or Way-Stations
  16. [16]
  17. [17]
    Livy VI
    ### Summary of Mentions of Tabernae, Shops, or Rebuilding of the Forum After the Gallic Sack in Livy VI
  18. [18]
    Livy: Book IX - The Latin Library
    Tabernae circa forum clausae iustitiumque in foro sua sponte coeptum prius ... Livy The Latin Library The Classics Page.
  19. [19]
    Building Tabernae - Research Projects | Miko Flohr
    In the better known cities of Roman Italy, such as Pompeii and Ostia, the amount of tabernae seems to increase throughout the late republic and early imperial ...
  20. [20]
    [PDF] The taberna structures of Roman Britain - Durham E-Theses
    This thesis discusses the taberna structures of Roman Britain, including their background, construction, plans, and room use.
  21. [21]
    2,100-Year-Old Roman Tavern Unearthed, Empty Cups and All
    Mar 14, 2016 · The proposed ancient bar and grill in southern France could shed light on the spread of Roman culture.Missing: century | Show results with:century
  22. [22]
    FINDING COMMERCE: THE TABERNA AND THE IDENTIFICATION ...
    May 15, 2017 · Using the taberna as a case-study, this paper explores the issues of Latin nomenclature and textual analogy; architectural typology and modern ...Missing: casearia | Show results with:casearia
  23. [23]
    None
    ### Summary of Taberna Upper Floors and Ground Level Structure from Ulrich (1996)
  24. [24]
    Live Like A King - Brown University
    The architecture of Roman private urban dwellings developed from the “domus Italica” standard into the Hellenic-style domus, and as in some extravagant ...
  25. [25]
    [PDF] Streets, Spaces and Places: Three Pompeiian Movement Axes ...
    This study is an urban analysis of Roman Pompeii. It explores the spatial structure of the town just before the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 72, ...Missing: income | Show results with:income
  26. [26]
    Roman domestic architecture: the insula - Smarthistory
    The port city of Ostia provides the best evidence for the Roman apartment block. Ostia had been founded as a Roman colony during the 3rd century B.C.E. Its ...
  27. [27]
    The Forum of Trajan - Smarthistory
    The Forum of Trajan, built by moving a hill, was a large, extravagant public space devoted to Trajan's military successes, and the last of Rome's Imperial fora.Missing: integration | Show results with:integration
  28. [28]
    Shopping in Ancient Rome: The Retail Trade in the Late Republic ...
    Chapter three focuses on that canonical unit of retail – the taberna. Here, Holleran starts by signaling the ubiquity of tabernae in the archaeological record ...
  29. [29]
    The Retail Arena', - Chapter IX (2003) in The Taberna Structures of ...
    To these ends, the proprietor of a taberna must resort to advertisements of some sort. Roman merchants, like their modern counterparts, were confronted with ...Missing: haggling textiles lamps librariae
  30. [30]
    [PDF] The Roman Market Economy - Thomas Piketty
    May 6, 2012 · This book presents a progress report in the process of understanding the nature of ancient economies. I am an economic historian who spent ...Missing: haggling | Show results with:haggling
  31. [31]
    Ancient Pompeii Food To Go: Entire Stall Excavated - NPR
    a Roman food counter — in the ancient city of Pompeii. Researchers ...
  32. [32]
    THE SNACK BAR OF REGIO V RESURFACES IN ITS ENTIRETY ...
    Dec 26, 2020 · The Thermopolia, where drinks and hot foods were served, (as indicated by the name of Greek origin), and stored in large dolia (jars) embedded ...
  33. [33]
    This Ancient Roman Casual Dining Joint Served Fish, Chicken and ...
    Jun 13, 2025 · For the new study, Valenzuela analyzed the contents of this garbage pit. It contains many prepared and cooked bones of mammals, fish and birds.
  34. [34]
    Pompeii: Ancient 'fast food' counter to open to the public - BBC
    Dec 26, 2020 · The food counter, known as a thermopolium, would have served hot food and drinks to locals in the city. The shop, with its bright frescoes ...Missing: popinae vinariae wine
  35. [35]
    The fulleries (fullonicae) - Topographical dictionary - Ostia-antica.org
    The large fulleries have several features in common. They contain a large hall with very large basins in the floor, communicating with one another. In these ...
  36. [36]
    Roman Shaving - The Tonsor - Comitatus
    Roman shaving involved a tonsor, who used a razor, possibly a simple triangular one, and hot water. Shaving was difficult for individuals, and the razor needed ...
  37. [37]
    THE TONSOR - Claudia's Scroll
    Mar 24, 2015 · The tonsor shop was furnished with waiting room benches and wall hung mirrors. Clients sat on a stool in the center of the room while his hair ...
  38. [38]
    GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ROMAN BATHS
    Most Romans arrived at the baths an hour or two after lunch. People would rise early and work five or six hours until noon. Then it was off to lunch. Afterwards ...<|separator|>
  39. [39]
    [PDF] Commensality in the Eateries of Roman Pompeii - PDXScholar
    Feb 19, 2025 · This thesis explores the role of eateries in Pompeii's social landscape, examining how these spaces influenced or were influenced by social ...
  40. [40]
    3 The Form and Function of Tabernae | Shopping in Ancient Rome
    Abstract. The commercial unit of the taberna (or έργαστήριον) played a central role in the retail trade of Rome.
  41. [41]
    The Roman retail revolution: The socio-economic world of the taberna
    The Roman Retail Revolution is a thorough investigation into the social and economic worlds of the Roman shop. With a focus on food and drink outlets, and with ...
  42. [42]
    STATE FINANCE IN THE MIDDLE ROMAN REPUBLIC - jstor
    The first definite portoria are the dues established for Capua and Puteoli in 199. "E.g. Livy 27.11 for the construction of tabernae and a macellum, the ...
  43. [43]
    The commercialization of private space in Roman houses - Miko Flohr
    Jul 11, 2014 · This paper will analyze three aspects of this issue. It will first zoom in on the role that tabernae associated with houses could play in bridging the gap ...Missing: proliferation | Show results with:proliferation
  44. [44]
    Urban labour in Rome: mercennarii and tabernarii - Academia.edu
    Research indicates that Roman landowners likely employed slave labor due to perceived profitability in labour-intensive crops, such as vines. Evidence suggests ...Missing: mobility | Show results with:mobility
  45. [45]
    [PDF] LOWER CLASS WOMEN IN THE ROMAN ECONOMY
    They are all ex-slaves, two freed by a woman called Babbia and three by a Quintus Plotius. The first of the group is Babbia Asia, and, if the grammar is correct ...Missing: operators | Show results with:operators
  46. [46]
    Taberna - Madain Project (en)
    The taberna (taverna), in ancient Roman architecture, was a type of single chambered storefront, stall or shop for the sale of goods and services.
  47. [47]
    Exit through the taberna: graffiti in ancient Pompeii and Herculaneum
    Part 2 of a presentation on various types of graffiti from Pompeii and Herculaneum given to Latin students at Texas Tech University.Missing: casearia | Show results with:casearia
  48. [48]
    [PDF] The Insula of the Paintings at Ostia 1.4.2–4
    Indeed, such signs of frequent alterations and adaptations of pre- existing buildings often provide the major evidence for the continued vitality of the urban ...
  49. [49]
    Communal eating and drinking in early Roman Mediterranean France
    Feb 17, 2016 · By the second century BC, Lattara had expanded well beyond the 3.5ha enclosed by the ramparts to cover an area of approximately 11–12ha ...Missing: 2nd | Show results with:2nd