Ray Laurence and TED-Ed
A glimpse of teenage life in Rome
About the speaker
Ray Laurence - TED Ed speaker
Ray Laurence is Professor of Roman History and Archaeology in the School of European Culture and Languages at the University of Kent. His mission has been to transform the study and understanding of ancient Rome and he was one of the instigators of the Canterbury Roman Museum.
The big issue
Forget Caesar crossing the Rubicon or the letters of Pliny – what was it really like to live in ancient Rome? And what was it like for teenagers? In this fascinating talk, Ray Laurence opens a window into Roman life as we follow a day in the life of 17 year old Lucius. We discover the dangers of growing up in the Eternal City, the responsibilities teenagers had and what teenagers did for fun over two thousand years before the invention of video games and TV.
