What was the daily routine in the roman world after sunset?

[Auris Arrectibus]

What was the daily routine for romans after sunset?

From our modern 21-st century point of view they would lengthen their day by putting lights on when daylight shortened,
so they could have the same acivity routine in every period of the year, with different activities depending on the season.

 

We recognize the purpose of e.g. oil lamps and fire-places found in every part of the ancient world as how we use electricity
in our time.

 

Never thought of any other sleeping- and activity patterns, untill I came across this article explaining how regular sleeping
patterns were in pre-electricity era: People slept for about four hours, got up for a few hours en then went back to sleep
again for four hours. So called "first- and second sleep".

 

"Imagine you are a citizen of the 18th century. It

Edited December 8, 2013 by Auris Arrectibus

[guy]

I wonder this, too.

 

Here's a related thread:

 

http://www.unrv.com/forum/topic/17381-rome-at-night-questions/

 

 

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited December 7, 2013 by guy

[caesar novus]

I had downloaded 2 free kindle books (find them on amazon) that touch on this. One, called something like Private lives of the Romans has chapters on the typical roman day, and on the hours scheme. Another's title starts out with Ancient Rome (IIRC). I'm starting to forget which said which, and you had to cross reference stuff in different chapters (with a hotlink that your kindle app or hardware can follow).

 

Basically they suggested they ate the big meal of the day just before sunset, then immediately konked off to sleep. There weren't night events to speak of... you had to socialize during, not after the meal. But then you arose extremely early... breakfast could start at 4am, and by then lawyers and authors may have been working since 3. I'm sure there are a thousand counter examples, but this is what these hundred year old books said.

 

They said most work and public events (we are talking mid/upper class) was finished before noon lunch and then there was an hour siesta after. Afternoon for baths, theater, exercise, socializing, then supper. I fail to see the need for them to rest again after getting up in the wee hours and looking forward to siesta.

 

Some famous Roman author I read wrote to warn husbands from visiting slave quarters at night. He pointed out you would set an example for your wife to do the same during your frequent absences, with obvious consequences about not knowing the paternity of her future children among other things.

[Auris Arrectibus]

So no activity in the middle of the night?
There was no custom of sleeping in two stages: "first and second sleep"?

 

The article states that research has shown that it is a human natural behaviour to wake up after a four hour sleep

and that it was a common practice until electricity lightning was introduced in our society, changing our sleeping
patterns. 

 

Auris

[caesar novus]

When I have been camping, there was not the slightest impulse to get up needlessly in wee hours... especially in the damp cold, the getting up is painful and not to be repeated. But even without lighting equipment, we would stay up well after sunset.

[Grondhammar]

The "first and second sleep" idea is primarily the brainchild of Roger Ekirch at Virginia Tech (US), put forth in his book At Day's Close.  I'd encourage anyone to simply pick the book up --- from a library.  You'll want to return it.  Ekirch's blanket assertions and plainly romanticised view of pre-industrial society give one second thoughts about the book's message.

 

As caesar novus pointed out above, anyone who has done extended camping/trekking knows that getting up in the middle of the night is not an enlightened and natural pattern.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Grondhammar