As Roman daylight time was divided into a standard twelve hour day relative to the actual mount of daylight available each day, tasks activities could be planned not for set times, but as a proportion of each day.

The main activity the Romans enjoyed was a visit to the Spa or Public Baths. There were more common in larger towns, with many having elaborate and well facilitated buildings. The best example of this is Bath, where the buildings have remained remarkably intact for the last 2000 years.

The Baths were not just places to wash, they were also meeting places and sources of entertainment. Officials would meet in a relaxed atmosphere where they could build contacts to help their careers, make deals and generally spread the word about their presence.

The Romans did not sit about and do nothing, these places were the Roman versions of the 'keep fit centres' that are so popular today. Prior to entering the bath, there were various physical actions they could perform. Running, wrestling, vigorous ball games, tests of strength. There were many ways in which someone would build up a sweat that would cleanse the skin pores. All bath houses had an open space palaestra where these activities took place. These were either open air spaces, or covered halls. Because of the unreliable British climate, the open air type was less popular and mainly confined to southern Britain where the weather was at least a bit milder. Examples of each type are

The open hall at Silchester

The covered halls of Wroxeter and Leicester. (Wroxeter also has an open air bath)

Although the baths were generally large places, it is reasonable to assume that the larger the town, the larger the bath. This is not so and many parts of Britain had relatively small privately run baths, such as Canterbury.

Immediately after the exercise, they would get into the bath and thoroughly clean the body to clear out the impurities that had now risen to the surface. Along with this exercise there were many service persons who helped keep the body in trim. Masseurs, hairdressers, and even hair pluckers. were abundant. There were those who would display their strength, lifting heavy weights and objects to the delight of others. Strongmen would engage others in wrestling matches, with those around placing wagers on the outcome.

There were also the traders who knew these places were meeting points for the well off and so descended in great quantities. They would supply fruits, 'snacks' of the day and drinks. The food and drink sellers did not generally frequent the actual bathing area since the Romans did not like to consume anything directly before going into the bath for fear of cramps and indigestion. So they would stay in the open spaces and outer surrounds of the buildings.

For the wealthier classes there was the dinner party. Again this was not just a pastime, it was a method of meeting and entertaining influential people who could help their careers. The party was given at the ninth hour of the day, so ensuring that the last quarter of the day was still light enough to hold the party. To understand this form of activity and dispel the myths surrounding it, we need to look at the dinner party in sections.

The food and drink
It is a generally held conception that when the Romans threw a party, there was a great deal of gorging, and drinking. Although the dining rooms in houses were large, there was a lot of etiquette attached to the behaviour of the hosts and guests. When dining, it was considered bad manners to devour everything in sight and drink the place dry.

The afternoon dinner was the main meal of the day and usually consisted of three courses, which were consumed at a leisurely pace with small talk and banter being exchanged between those involved.

The wine served was also taken in moderation as it was considered an insult to over indulge in alcoholic drink . Even getting a bit merry, not to mention totally tanked, was considered impolite. It was normal practice to dilute the wine with water before it was served, and to offer it neat was looked upon as intemperate.

The entertainment
The party did not consist of the food and drink alone. There was also the matter of making the guests feel welcome and entertained with a host employing various methods to do this, with dancers, acrobats, jugglers being the most common form of after dinner entertainment.

The influence
It cannot be ignored that the purpose of the dinner party was also in make the host known to the influential members of society. To do this, the whole house had to be decked out in items that would give the impression that the owner was a person of intellect and great culture. It was considered that an interest in the arts was the sign of potential. To achieve this, the house would have been fitted with elaborate mosaics, artwork and artefacts. To really make an impression the owner would commission a sculpture or painting that would be displayed in a prominent place in the house.

The crockery and cutlery
Using the correct tableware went a long way to influencing the guests. The most wealthy hosts could afford silver plates and cutlery which would have been imported form the far eastern provinces of the empire. The less well off had items made from pewter, glass and clay. The wine jugs were made from the finest pottery that the host could afford. and would contain inscriptions such as 'long life' or 'give me neat wine'. The last being a dig at the Roman trait of diluting the wine.

For those of a lower standing in Roman society who could not afford grand parties or belong in the social upper circles, there were other places for them to go. There were local cafés, wine and ale houses, and of course, houses for those seeking more adult pleasures.

The town dwellers had a distinct advantage in that there were more choices of establishments they could attend. One of the most favoured entertainment was the theater. A place where not only plays were performed, but circus acts and gladiatorial shows were staged. Those who lived in the country often worked longer hours and had little time for such distractions. Besides, to attend the theater meant traveling long distances. It was not just a matter of leaping into a car, calling a taxi, or even taking public transport.

From archeological findings, it is apparent the Romans had many board games. The complexity of these ranged from the simple 'draughts' to more tactical, brain teasing mind games that only survived as bits of board and counters, with no historical record of how they were played.

It is well documented that the Romans had many active sports. Wrestling, boxing and athletic events were commonplace. So too was hunting, which was the only time any civilian was allowed to carry a weapons, such bows and arrows and slingshots. The most popular game was deer and the wild boar, with the latter being reserved for those who wanted a more dangerous prey that could fight back. It is likely that bears were loose in Britain, which were also hunted. Certainly they appeared in the amphitheatre as show pieces in the circus.

Game birds were also hunted by the upper classes, either while wandering the fields, or arranged, with beaters leading the way, scaring the birds into the air where they were shot by experienced bowmen. One of the favourite game was the pheasant, which was not native to Britain and was imported by the Romans and allowed to breed.

Fishing was widespread in Roman times and enjoyed by all the classes. It was a sport, but also a living for many, who would catch fresh fish early in the morning to sell at the market later that day. There is evidence in the form of barbed fish hooks and weighted nets that have been found throughout the province. The rods used were crude by today's standards and consisted many of a long thin pole with twine and a baited hook attached. The use of spears and large three pronged tridents in shallow rivers and streams was common. Here the hunter would wade into the water and stand motionless until a fish, or a whole shoal passed by. Then the fisherman would thrust his spear or trident into the water. It was very much a hit and miss affair until they had adapted to the prism affect of water, whereby the density of the water deflects light passing through it and make objects appear closer than they really are. To compensate for this the trident was the most weapon used more often than the spear. It would be held sideways so that the prongs were in line with the body. This was, to spread the striking area to about 1 ft. in length as so making the chance of impaling the fish greater.

Horse racing with betting sprang up, as did dog racing using imported creatures that bore a strong resemblance to today's greyhounds.

By far the most widespread form of entertainment was the theatre and amphitheatre. These were in abundance throughout Britain, with the theatre at Verulamium (St. Albans in Hertfordshire) the most widely known. At these venues, there were a variety of events such as plays, recitations, gladiatorial displays. The Theatres and amphitheatres page gives more details about them.