What jobs did the ancient Romans do?

Ancient Romans were employed in various types of jobs, including farming, trade, the army, entertainment, justice, teaching, craftsmanship and government. Only free people had paying jobs; slaves only worked for housing and food.

Most of the Romans lived in the countryside, and they worked as farmers, either for themselves or as others' employees. Because the Roman army was very large, being a soldier was a popular job and paid well. As a rule of thumb, only wealthy and influential people could get jobs in government, engineering and teaching. This was because these professions required a higher degree of education.