[Burkeman1]

You seem fixated on the Emporers and their truly decadent lifestyles. We know about these rather torrid stories of total depravity because that is what survives and what most people were writing about. They were not writing about the regualr Pedestrian citizen in the street. But we do have every day records which paint a far more conservative picture of the average Roman Citizens life. Mr. Average Roman citizen was not having orgies with boys- far from it. He most likely wasn't even aware (much less cared) what the emperor did. There was no CNN and no printing press even.

Just as Bill Clinton is not a proper indicator of our nation's morality - by no means were the actions of the "God kings" of Rome that most of the Roman world would never hear about.

[Yeti]

But we do have every day records which paint a far more conservative picture of the average Roman Citizens life. Mr. Average Roman citizen was not having orgies with boys- far from it.

And Mom was the wet nurse.

[Siamese Princess]

But we do have every day records which paint a far more conservative picture of the average Roman Citizens life. Mr. Average Roman citizen was not having orgies with boys- far from it.

Even amongst the upper class, the men who spent their evenings quietly at home with their families were ignored by the writers -- the playboys attracted their attention.

[realpatriot71]

You seem fixated on the Emporers and their truly decadent lifestyles. We know about these rather torrid stories of total depravity because that is what survives and what most people were writing about. They were not writing about the regualr Pedestrian citizen in the street. But we do have every day records which paint a far more conservative picture of the average Roman Citizens life. Mr. Average Roman citizen was not having orgies with boys- far from it. He most likely wasn't even aware (much less cared) what the emperor did. There was no CNN and no printing press even.

IMHO, I think you miss the bigger point. In a controlling society like Roman society was - a police state, albeit "fun" police state (bread and circuses?) - it didn't matter what the views of the "common man" were. Those who were in control were hedons - lovers of themselves and pleasures - this lead by and large to the decline of the Empire as a whole.

[steve-b]

It should also be noted that getting one's picture of the early emperors from Suetonius is rather like getting one's picture of George Bush from Joe Conason (or, to be fair, like getting one's picture of Bill Clinton from Gary Aldrich).