Finding an Apartment in Ancient Rome

[@toldinstone]

Thanks to Helix Sleep for sponsoring this video. Helix is offering Toldinstone fans an exclusive discount: 27% off your mattress purchase, plus two free pillows. To take advantage of this offer, visit: helixsleep.com/toldinstone and use the promo code HELIXPARTNER27. This discount ends after Labor Day, but you’ll still get 20% off using my link. Offers subject to change. #helixsleep

[@IceLynne]

Fascinating ☺ Nothing new under the sun. Sigh.

[@CigarAttache]

great commercial segue lol

[@jeremiasrobinson]

I can't stand mattresses. My bed is more like the Roman bed shown in the video. Sorry, Helix.

[@bmcshane80]

Killer Segue into the ad! Cumia would be proud

[@sotony7483]

Your sponsor missed a trick surely by not naming their kingsize bed the 'Double Helix'?

[@kevting4512]

Getting an insula these days is ridiculus! A 1 bedroom floor in Rome cost 69 denarii/month! Thanks Tiberius!

[@AWormsPurpose]

I break my back as funeral clown yet the emperor lets non-romans stay on our rich arable land. I get they're just fleeing the Huns but I swear those Goths will be the end of good Roman society.

[@brandonrico6223]

People need to stop blaming Tiberius we all know well it was Augustus who's at fault

[@zakadams762]

69 .. nice

[@wheeliewheelie1]

Tiberionomics?

[@wheeliewheelie1]

That's nothing. In Novo Yorkus, rent is 7,000 sestertii a month.

[@StukovM1g]

- Shabby, run down apartments that cost more than a labourer's annual income; - A handful of rich people owning most property; - Badly maintained, cramped and dirty housing; Truly, nothing changes.

[@karoltakisobie6638]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[@letsburn00]

But back then, it didn't have any negative effects to social cohesion and long term social structures...just like today right. That's why the empire is still so strong....

[@knightshade6232]

like newyork appartments

[@StukovM1g]

@@letsburn00 I disagree with you on that. The grain dole, public feasts and public spectacles like chariot races and gladiator fights were paid for, at great cost, to mollify the poor.

[@_Just_Another_Guy]

​@@letsburn00 The Roman Empire fell....

[@goulasleves12]

I often mistakenly assume that people in ancient times lived so differently as to be beyond my ability to imagine it, but the way you explain the topics of your videos helps me vividly picure them in a way that is so relatable and connecting. It makes me so excited to learn more about them! Thank you for your videos.

[@censusgary]

Circumstances change, but human nature doesn’t change much. Plumbing and electrify are the big differences between housing then and housing now- and even those technologies weren’t widely used until less than 200 years ago. That’s a short time compared to the 20 centuries since Augustus was Emperor.

[@averagelibertyenjoyer3217]

Man some things truly never change do they? Despite the thousands of years and advancements in indoor plumbing, chucking my urine and feces out the window into the street below is still a favorite pastime.

[@lovemyishi7144]

[@GenericYoutubeGuy]

Oh, it isn’t watching a fleet of sharks fight a slave galley in the coliseum during an aquatic show?

[@xmaniac99]

I see you are living in a very diverse and inclusive hood

[@m.e.345]

well yeah... depends how much vinum you have at the party. 😄

[@ma-moomoo]

bro i was just thinking the same thing

[@jasonyoung5628]

I'm amazed that a city of a million people just had a note somewhere saying like " to rent this insulae, talk to Capridonicus" with no description of the guy, no address to see the guy.

[@steviechampagne]

I’m sure that they had basic office hours

[@EireHammer]

*Gasp* we had to _talk_ to people to find out local information?!?😂😂😂

[@GullibleTarget]

​@@EireHammerI'm an introvert. I would spend a lot of money on getting scribes to write and send messages for me. This meeting could have been s scroll or wax tablet.

[@Reikianolla]

Zoomer detected. The world was really different before mobile phones...

[@BichaelStevens]

Hey boomer, did you have to "find John, he'll sort you out", with nothing else to go by, therefore you had to wander the streets and ask passerbys "do you know John"?

[@sally_bowles]

“insulae were built by wealthy speculators”….it sounds SO much like what we have today in Rome. I feel my hometown will never change nor evolve.

[@drezhb]

If it makes you feel better, pretty much all apartment buildings are like this in cities around the world

[@SMGJohn]

If only Nero had mattress from Helix, he might been an alright leader.

[@d2usa235]

He only needed a good nights sleep

[@thusiiast]

I was just at Ostia earlier this month. I was absolutely floored to see how well the Insulae were preserved. The narrow streets flanked by brick walls reminded me a lot of Brownstones in america haha.

[@MM22966]

Convergent....architecture? Need follows form follows function?

[@nickywags0712]

@@MM22966I’m from DC and we took like half the building designs from Greco-Roman style. It’s probably deliberate

[@MM22966]

@@nickywags0712 Yeah, but we're talking row housing, not a governmental place with dorian columns.

[@kevinwalsh1619]

This takes me back to my ninth grade Latin class. The teacher told us that the most important question when house-hunting in ancient Rome was whether the insula was likely to burn down or fall down. If it looked sturdy, it would likely burn down, so you'd want a room on the first or second floor. If it looked likely to fall down, you'd want something on the top floor.

[@laurabennettyoutube]

4:56 Glad to see the interiors weren't just "landlord white" paint.

[@alezar2035]

They were painted with white with caustic lime for the more plebeian units Few had the luxury of having them painted, as paint falls of and needs to be reapplied, frescos were very expensive and caustic lime is very permanent

[@laurabennettyoutube]

@@alezar2035 Oh!

[@BlueBaron3339]

Okay, now I finally understand why some of those colorful life summary Roman epitaphs note the deceased's relief that death means an end to paying rent.

[@aqumuffins]

Even ancient romans could not escape the 5-over-1

[@gemmeldrakes2758]

😆

[@dzhang4459]

V I

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

At 6:00 "...leased to investors who sublet..." Wow, some things never change!

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

Imagine the _graffiti_ 'Cicero's a slum landlord' having an impact on the annual election...

[@ernstschmidt4725]

Cicero: if i were a slumlord, if my apartments were so bad then why my tenants, my clients, always leave me tips?

[@HellenicJohn]

Love the mock-up rental website.

[@Mady-lo6qb]

It should be a real thing. Updated as new archeological finds and documents get unearthed.

[@carnifex2005]

Ok, I laughed at that Helix ad transition.

[@0_1_2]

Why don’t you go ahead and buy one then, buddy? This isn’t the channel for cheap laughs. It’s a business..

[@moniumus6303]

@@0_1_2 you sound offended? He just thought its funny

[@flippa4999]

@@0_1_2 watch out for this alpha male right here

[@Diamura]

@@0_1_2my bad I forgot he doesn’t make ad revenue. Wait….

[@phlogistanjones2722]

@@0_1_2 I'm not your buddy, Pal!

[@briteness]

The fact that they generally needed to get water from public sources got me thinking that the astrological sign Aquarius, the water-bearer (our name today still in Latin, although the Romans did not actually invent the zodiac), would have been a far more natural image for the ancients to imagine in the sky than it would be in the contemporary world. It’s just one more distant echo from the past, among the many that still surround us to this day.

[@tozpeak]

Well, in office environment you see water delivery guys time to time. But the amphora's shape is changed, as well as the uniform.

[@kevinhouse7143]

We came across that 5 story insulae you mentioned the last time we were in Rome. From the sidewalk you can look down over the guard rail to see where the original street level was. It's pretty cool and easy to miss in this busy area.

[@MrSomethingElse]

really enjoying the new style cuz, keep it up

[@toldinstone]

Much appreciated!

[@canbonly1970]

I chuckled at the notes on the chalkboard.

[@mist1858]

The concept of a multifloor apartment building made of concrete and (maybe) with plumbing sounds so modern that it's insane to think that not only did such things exist 2 thousand years ago but that there also were thousands of them!

[@SunsetBoulevard111]

But that is where WE got the idea from. The Roman emperors were the first who built apts above their Malls. Yes, Malls. We have borrowed so much from the ancient Romans it is beyond belief. And did you know that the Romans actually copied and borrowed from the Davidic kingdom of the Old Testament! Fun fact: Hitler is the one that invented the Highway roads/ system. In Italy they are called the Autobahn.

[@Blackadder75]

@@SunsetBoulevard111 what davidic kingdom? there is 0 archaeological evidence for such a thing, though it's plausible that a local ruler of that name existed

[@furrycircuitry2378]

This is MTR Domus and this is my crib *pans to windowless apartment 3 stories up*

[@0_1_2]

Multifloor building sound insane to you? 🤨

[@mist1858]

@0_1_2 4 to 6 floors, solid concrete, 2 millenia ago, and it's NOT a major public work or ego project? And there's thousands of them? Yeah, I'm pretty impressed

[@adrianghandtchi1562]

OK, I was not expecting that, 5:02 , actual historical glass panes. That is just so kick ass.

[@okitasan]

God I’m thankful for modern plumbing

[@Gentleman...Driver]

Absolutely! And toilet paper! And medical knowledge and supplies!

[@sammni]

You telling me what to look out for and how to rent an apartment in Ancient Rome is exactly what I use the internet for..... Subbed

[@melissarainchild]

aaaaaa, Rome comes to life again, thank you....

[@QuantumHistorian]

A windowless bedroom during a Roman Summer, especially during the Roman Warm Period, sounds close to hellish.

[@MrFredericandre]

Nah, it was probably closed during the day, thus cooler inside.

[@electronicmaji]

Had to be cooler than it is now

[@QuantumHistorian]

@@MrFredericandre During the day, yes. But after a whole summer, heat builds up anyway and it doesn't cool during the night. Sleeping in 30+ degrees without a breeze is not fun - from personal experience.

[@korstmahler]

Mosquito time. Oh I misread that, sorry. IT'S MALARIA TIME.

[@craigsurette3438]

No mosquitos, less noise and fewer weird smells sounds sort of ideal, even with the heat.

[@Asa-bh7zi]

I very much like the new studio, but you might want to consider the angle of the lighting, which at the moment seems to be quite overhead, casting a clear shadow down on the front of your shirt. A flatter angle, perhaps skewed horizontally, might be more flattering.

[@JohnDoe-tv4zf]

Beauty is on the inside champ.

[@Asa-bh7zi]

@JohnDoe-tv4zf I'm not speaking about "beauty," unimportant to Dr. Ryan's great content, which I have gladly watched for quite a while. I'm making a lighting suggestion which might further improve the new approach the channel is taking to its videography and staging.

[@SMGJohn]

@@Asa-bh7zi Overhead lighting is not a problem, he just needs side lights and a light from under that points upwards, that will give even lighting, even if he adjusted the overhead it wont do anything but cast the shadow otherwise. The best he can do is lower the brightness on it and invest in more side lights. For video, more is always better, for photo you can get away with a tri-point setup.

[@Asa-bh7zi]

@SMGJohn Indeed, but if I had to work with one or limited lights I might try to cast the shadow "behind" him on the set just to push it away from the central visual point. Naturally the full array you describe would entirely eliminate the issue

[@hunterwyeth]

I was going to have an opinion about this until I realized I watch both Mr Beat and Spectacles and love both their styles

[@hgeyer99]

The Helix plug got me good

[@marcusmoonstein242]

You forgot to mention the part where if you owned an insuli and a fire spread from your insuli to another, you could be held legally liable for the damages. So you could lose your own insuli AND have to pay for another ten that burnt down. One good fire could bankrupt a wealthy family.

[@215Daniel]

KZbin is better because of this channel.

[@laurachapple6795]

I gotta say, that was one of the best transitions to a sponsor message I've ever seen.

[@galibkhan2228]

Right?! I thought Helix was an actual ancient mattress.

[@phoule76]

Heh, living in a giant round amphora sounds more like my budget.

[@thomasfarley6052]

This information about how these people lived is absolutely captivating. Thanks for the video

[@plumbthumbs9584]

That segue to the advert was masterful.

[@HermannCortez]

9:20 goodness me. Ive walked past that very building and stopped for a few minutes to examine it. 😊

[@theodore738]

Been following for a few years, love your channel! Excited for the new additions.

[@Shanklin_the_Painter]

I love the way you lead into your sponsorships.

[@0_1_2]

If you love it so much Then how come you didn’t purchase one of the mattresses?

[@dzhang4459]

@@0_1_2 Probably because they're terrible. They have to be if they're advertising on youtube.

[@originaluddite]

Reminded me of the terrifying experience first time I ever released a spiral-packed spring mattress from its vacuum-packed cocoon.

[@ianwilliams2632]

Wow what a great style: quiet, professional, direct and to the point, no sensationalism or politicking like Mary Beard. Seems like a very solid channel. Subscribed.

[@rhoddryice5412]

2:40 Great transition. Made me chuckle.

[@NetTopsey]

I found the chalkboard notes inspiring!

[@jacktribble5253]

I always learn something. Great stuff.

[@QuantumHistorian]

For anyone interested in the subject I can very highly recommend Janet DeLaine's recent book _Roman Architecture._ It does exactly what it states on the tin, is very easy to read, beautifully illustrated, and mostly free of jargon.

[@JaneAustenAteMyCat]

Ooh yes, please. That's going on my Christmas list. Thanks!

[@0_1_2]

Thanks for the suggestion. Does it have any advertisements for mattresses?

[@d2usa235]

Thank you!

[@pulex73]

The changes to the chanel are well thought through!

[@michaelre6844]

Love your videos, Garrett!

[@echoisaway]

Is it just me or does the audio sound crisp? I love it!

[@glenrich-uu9zr]

It is no any problem that we are living in these Rome houses, except the missing of some modern kitchen appliances, hygiene facilities and power convenience.

[@adorabellaperfecta3513]

Congratulations on the best segue from content into commercial I have seen since the first ad I have seen on this platform. 🎉the “helix” bit you slid in after you pointed out the bed frame surviving from Herculeanium not being very nice………….”that’s because they didn’t have HELIX…….” I call that perfect timing, working and also the visual was exactly what the eye was expecting more of so it hit the reward centers in my brain and kept me there 🎉 well done well done from the title to the content, if I have to be sold stuff so that I can be told stuff, then it should always be this seamlessly validating experience.

[@ninonysoft6865]

Thanks so much for this! I'm going to Rome in 3 weeks and was finding stuff to do. So I'm planning on going to the Ostia Antica.

[@0_1_2]

Have you heard of the Colosseum? It was a popular place for Christians to unwind.

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

Maybe two full days at Ostia; there's much there to appreciate.

[@jeannerogers7085]

You won't be sorry. Ostia was a memorable place, buildings notably complete.

[@eveb446]

Great video, thank you for sharing.

[@little_bergnid]

7:30 I have had a discussion about this claim and I believe the literary source merely states he stayed in an apartment overlaying a bath, but not that he lived there. And at that it really wasnt *above* the actual bathhouse and more so next to and overlooking, given the archeological finds in ostia of insulae-bathhouse combination properties

[@purrito4424]

Pompeii would have been rebuilt if it were insured. Ask the Geico Gecko about home insurance today.

[@lisadavis4133]

😀

[@karlstriepe8050]

I think I read somewhere, maybe in a book my Mary Beard, that the Romans did have Helix mattresses.

[@876DigitalMedia]

Always good Garrett. I notice recently that it's obvious you're looking down to your notes as you talk. You might think to invest in a cue reader in front of your camera to eliminate this distracting problem. Keep up the great work.

[@calebdoner]

Oh, that ad transition was amazing!

[@OctoWarr]

Do you provide a list of your sources? Im studying architecture and land use and this is a gold mine for historical context. Any other civilizations would be great too like the mycenaean empire.

[@simonealmeida3895]

I really liked the video. It was very instructive. Thanks.🌎

[@roberttelarket4934]

Remarkable that one of these structures still exists almost 2000 years after. Testimony to quality workmanship.

[@brucejr.5833]

Man your intro to the commercial caught me off guard! I watched it and that's the first one that did not annoy me and I appreciate that. Helix is lucky to have you.

[@douglaswilkinson5700]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@ConnorRoss]

I love the new format! May I suggest you invest in a teleprompter.

[@PennyLeach]

Some amazing ancient sites The colour concepts are striking!

[@mr.l8527]

It's fascinating that so many things in the ancient past are so similar (if not the same) as today. I suppose some things never really change.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

Human nature. Go figure. How stunning that human beings have acted in their own perceived best interest before us.

[@nickywags0712]

I have a picture of that exact same bed I took in Herculaneum a few months ago! It’s amazing how much wood was preserved from the ash that fell on that town. Thinking of that sliding wood panel door

[@MrPlankinton]

I enjoy your distinctive voice as a Narrator. I have enjoyed all your research.

[@roberttelarket4934]

Thank you for the excellent and informative video I have been waiting for that other historians never write about these details. Now I’d love a video on the kind of jobs and pay and stores.

[@phlogistanjones2722]

Fascinating as always Dr. Ryan. Thank you. Peaceful Skies

[@jedwalker4543]

It’s really fascinating how the real estate market worked in era throughout history. Are there any sources for other societies throughout antiquity?

[@geckoman1011]

Its slays fascinating to see how they did things then and to see how things haven't really changed much.

[@lievenvanlint7717]

Quousque tandem, Cambricus,! Welcome back! It was about time for you to get out of your ínsula and meet us in the forum !

[@johnappleseed9546]

Youre a beast toldinstone

[@Mode-Selektor]

I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Ostia Antica, a short train ride from Rome, several years ago. There is an insula which is still in good enough condition for you to climb up to the third floor in. It was very cool.

[@rundbaum]

i love the elevtaed foundations, & the tiny sets of stairs leading in to the structures! i'm sure they were precautious of water and flooding . . .

[@patsyshafchuk5368]

Wow. That was the smoothest segue into an advertisement that I've ever seen. You have a lot going on in your mind! Don't be worried, Dr. Ryan, your content is very interesting. We won't leave! (Unless the boss is coming down the corridor.)

[@ajohnpeters9801]

I'm sitting here listening to this, and looking at the picture of the insula,in your opening and straight ahead and above me is a picture of my mom's house in Italy when she was a young girl , and it's designed the same way ! exactly, store 1st, and living rooms 3 story's up.

[@Sam97979]

Some things never change! Great video. Your channel is so very

[@0_1_2]

So very… WHAT?

[@bobSeigar]

Algo feeding comment.

[@markmuller7962]

Rewrite that in Latin!

[@protocetid]

@@markmuller7962 commentarium hic est algorithmum pascendi

[@markmuller7962]

@@protocetid Well done 😄

[@geckoman1011]

I think the comment needs to be at least 7 words for the algo to pick it up. But noble effort.

[@karoltakisobie6638]

I was wondering about that. Thanks for filling that gap. Wall colors and frescos are interesting. Sometimes I'm thinking of doing my place like that.

[@HPLovecraftAudioLibrary]

Ave! I watched your recent video on the new direction the channel will take. You said that one of the reasons to transition some of the content to patreon is to stop depending excessively on ad revenue and sponsorships. If I can say my personal preference as a viewer and dirt poor university student - I prefer getting ads on free content. The not so cyclopean paywall is - at least for me personally - an issue. However, I also understand that patreon can help you as a content creator to have a financial security that youtube just can't guarantee. Just wanted to express my personal point of view. Have loved your content for years, keep up the good work!

[@nikthetrickster9948]

I saw where that last insulae was located, near the coliseum and the circus and I just went "oh, oh shit that looks expensive, way too expensive"

[@chuckschillingvideos]

Location, location, location

[@lloydritchey]

Thank you for years of excellent content, Garrett. Having studied history & economics for so long, it's always been a particularly compelling counterfactual to imagine how Imperial Rome would have progressed if it abolished its slave-based society & economy. I'd be VERY interested to see any kind of collaboration or exploration of the subject. And again, thanks as always for the fine work you do, and stay safe overseas!

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Great video! Thank you.

[@classictoby5309]

Awesome video! Love these ones that deal with the day to day dealings of average Roman citizens

[@chris10hi]

Very interesting video, love the details of life and the descriptions.

[@BsktImp]

How little has it changed!

[@elenamilitopingitore5044]

Thank you for this view into history

[@Nightscape_]

I had to pay $800 a month in Brooklyn for just a room. Here in the Appalachians, I rent an entire townhouse for the same price!

[@JaneAustenAteMyCat]

In London 10 years ago my sister was paying more than that for a room. Not even particularly central, either. I'm glad she left. Now she has a lovely house

[@0_1_2]

Nice! What’s it like living in the middle of nowhere miles away from anything important?

[@hamaljay]

In 2005 I paid 1100 a month for a room in Vail.

[@thelostcosmonaut5555]

I paid 1500 for a small studio in dowtown SLC last year. The place was built in 1904 and probably just as flammable as an insulae.

[@Geostationary0rbit]

This was so good! thank you for making this!

[@orion7763]

5:09 It's just amazing how modern looking the Roman apartment buildings look. The apartment building at 5:09 wouldn't at all be out of place in a bougie corner of Los Angeles.

[@megelizabeth9492]

Yeah, it took me a moment to realize that wasn’t modern.

[@RyanJohnsonD]

@9:09ff What's the difference between Roman "tenements and apartments"?

[@RansomSubject_]

That ad transition was so smooth it had me thinking "hmm you're right yes the Romans didn't have modern beds did they..."

[@TheMacaz]

This was sponsored by the roman guild of mattress makers. True roman mattresses for true romans.

[@devenbs1993]

One of my favorites so far, watching for second time. Good job :):):)

[@Peter-xx6tz]

great vid as always

[@heretictom]

Great video! I can't wait to check out your new book!!

[@valmarsiglia]

Is it known for certain that emptying chamber pots out of windows was the norm? I remember seeing some documentary in which an insula had a ground floor or basement whose purpose was to store jars of urine for the tanneries and laundries, with the urine coming presumably from the tenants. And wasn't feces collected for nearby farms to use as fertilizer?

[@nuclearmedicineman6270]

Oh, nice. I'm working on a story set in ancient Rome, 110's. I was just looking for housing info, and academic papers are pretty boring reads. Excellent timing. Now, do your next video on banking in Rome. In, oh... call it four weeks, I haven't gotten to that bit of the story yet.

[@JaneAustenAteMyCat]

I'd love to read it. I really enjoy properly researched historical novels

[@0_1_2]

Does your story have any segs?

[@kinny0916]

What's the basic concept for the novel?

[@TriviRocks]

Read Asterix! 😊

[@happytrails125]

Thanks for all your hard work on these videos...👍

[@echopeakbicycling85]

Ah, a fellow "side sleeper." Nice segway to the promo.

[@kaarlimakela3413]

Very interesting. I've lived in plenty of tall buildings and am in one right now. I shudder to think of climbing up 9 floors at my age! They almost had it all.