Life in ancient Rome

The city of Rome was the largest megalopolis of the time, with a population that may well have exceeded one million people, with a high level estimate of 3.6 million. A substantial proportion of the population lived in countless urban centers, with a population of at least 10,000 and in several military settlements, a very high rate of urbanization according to pre-industrial standards. Most of the housing blocks were crowded and dangerous, residents lived in constant fear of fire.