The History of Humanity

Roman Men Playing Morra 

Growing up in the United States our K-12 history classes focused almost entirely on narcissists, sociopaths, psychopaths and their wars. Kings, queens, emperors, military commanders, popes, presidents, and business leaders.

Is it any wonder then why we worship nation, military might, power, and wealth?

I want to know what an average roman merchant’s day was like. Asleep in the early morning in his home. What was his home like? Plumbing, water, heat? What was his bed like? His covers, his pillows. How did he awake in time to get to the market? He rises - how did he go to the bathroom, where was the bathroom, what did he use to wipe? Did he shave? How did he shave? Breakfast - what was it most often? He had no refrigeration - what did he eat for his breakfast? The clothes he wore - how did he clean them? He goes outside to his stable. What animal did he use to pull his cart laden with his wares. How did he harness the animal. What were the smells, the touch, the feel of his animal’s warmth, the leather used, how he felt as he harnessed the animal - a morning ritual - what were his hopes for the day? His hopes for his children, his marriage, his life? His walk to the market - what were the roads like? How crowded? The market - how did he sell his wares, what did he most often use for money - coins, barter, written records? His lunch - what was his lunch, his favorite snacks, favorite drinks? These are the sort of things I want to know - a day in a life can tell me so much more about a people and their humanity than a description of some war campaign waged by some general.

Imagine if we had grown up studying human history instead of the history of conquest, nation, wealth, power, and war. If we had learned enough about individual Romans so as to feel a human bond to them, so they were human - then those would be the sort of first questions we would be asking about Muslims, Russians, Chinese today. We would search for their humanity instead of giving in to the fear of the unknown and dismissing them as subhuman in preparation to mistreat them, war with them, brutalize them.