Daily Life in the Roman City: Rome, Pompeii, and Ostia

(Hardback)

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An in-depth study of life in ancient Roman cities Although the majority of ancient Rome's population lived in the countryside, Rome's heart - its cultural, political, and spiritual centre - lay in the city. In the most distant corners of the Empire, Rome's metropolitan existence was reflected in provincial cities whose architecture, infrastructure, language and laws echoed their model and parent: Rome. In Greg Aldrete's comprehensive account, readers will have the opportunity to peer into the inner workings and outer forms of life in Rome's cities, and also gain a new insight into the nature and history of urban existence. The book includes sections on Rome's history, infrastructure, government, and people, as well as chapters on living and dying; dangers of living; pleasures of living; entertainment; religion; the emperors; the economy; Ostia: an industrial port city; and Pompeli. This volume is ideal for school and college students, as well as anyone interested in examining the realities of life in Rome and the ancient Roman cities. A chronology of the time period, maps, illustrations, a bibliography, and an index are also included. Part of The Greenwood Press "Daily Life Through History" Series Provides a fascinating insight into urban life in ancient Rome

Reviews

This is the type of book I could have done with as a newly qualified teacher Aldrete has written an extraordinarily compact book on Roman history and society. He has a gift for condensing a huge amount of information into an accessible, readable form I recommend this book for classroom and library use in schools. Undergraduates embarking on classical studies would also find it useful, as would anyone about to teach Classical Civilization with little specific knowledge. * Journal of Classics Teaching *
^IDaily Life in the Roman City^R is a useful textbook for a Roman civilization course.It offers an introduction into the functionality and character of ancient cities and the main differences from their modern counterparts. * The Historian *
[F]or high school to college collections.[c]overs life in Rome, Pompeii and Ostia, covering not just history but political and governmental structures, local culture, dangers and pleasures, and the arts. Students receive plenty of references and supporting documentation. * MBR Bookwatch *
In addition to describing the physical buildings of the classical city of Rome, Aldrete (history and humanistic studies, U. of Wisconsin-Green Bay) explains how the city functioned, who lived there, and what the lives of inhabitants were like. His focus is on ordinary people, who might see the rich and famous pass by now and then, but mostly just went about their lives. Living and dying, dangers and pleasures, entertainment and religion, and the economy are among his topics. He also includes chapters on the industrial port city Ostia, and Pompeii as preserved by ash. * Reference & Research Book News *

Author Bio

GREGORY S. ALDRETE is Associate Professor of History and Humanistic Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. He is editor of The Ancient World volume in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life.