It was common for Roman men to be shaved by a professional barber (often operating with a chair on the side of the street, in the open air) - and since the fashion for much of the Roman period was for men to shave every day for that fresh, clean-shaven look, barbers became known as a place to catch the latest gossip! After all, every man worth knowing goes to a barber! (unless he owns a trusted slave to act as his own private barber)