What Was It Like To Live In Rome? Nowadays when people think of Rome, they think of the Colosseum, the Forum, and monuments which represent the magnificent imperial city. However, according to the Third Satire, written by the satirist Juvenal, Rome was as bad of a city as a person could live in. The satire begins as his friend Umbricius leaves the city of Rome to settle in a quieter and more peaceful village in the country. He then goes on to depict Rome in a somewhat sarcastic and negative way. In the beginning of the satire, Juvenal shows that he envies his friend, Umbricius, who is tired of the woes of living in the big city and decid