Abstract
Roger Ekirch first revealed the idea of widespread practice of segmented sleep among European populations in the pre-industrial era. His historical treatise, backed by substantial scientific and anthropological evidence suggesting a human propensity for biphasic and segmented sleep, forms the groundwork for this study. This thesis seeks an answer to a simple question: since segmented sleep is so well established in other pre-industrial societies, did the Romans experience similar behavior? The direct references to segmented patterns are sparse, but employing contextual knowledge of recent sociological, anthropological, and scientific research helps interpret Roman literature in relation to segmented sleep. The current investigation is limited to the period of the Silver Age, including the works of Tacitus, Martial, Pliny the Younger, Juvenal, Suetonius, and Statius, to name a few. Exploring tangential issues like Roman cultural attitudes toward sleep, biological reactions to artificial lighting, and the existence of a culture of night work among the Romans helps unlock some of the mystery. The elite members of Roman society, about whom we know the most, undoubtedly knew about segmented sleeping patterns and likely practiced them occasionally. Because of influencing factors like their higher exposure to artificial lighting, their behavior should provide the minimum expectation for the tendency of segmented sleep among other demographics of the empire.