- ISBN13: 9781933372716
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
The roar of frenzied spectators inside the Coliseum during a battle between gladiators. A crowd of onlookers gathered around a slave driver. The wondrous plenty of banquets where flamingos are roasted whole and wine flows like rivers. The silence of the baths and the boisterous taverns . . . Many books have dealt with the history of ancient Rome, but none has been able to bring its readers so near to daily life in the Imperial capital.
This extraordinary voyage of exploration, guided by Alberto Angela with the charm of a born story- teller, lasts twenty- four hours, beginning at dawn on an ordinary day in the year 115 A.D., with Imperial Rome at the height of its power. The reader wakes in a rich patric… More >>
A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome: Daily Life, Mysteries, and Curiosities
I second the previous review–this book is a joy to read, and has nicely updated (though not replaced) Jerome Carcopino’s “Daily Life in Ancient Rome” for today’s reader. Every page is full of fascinating facts about the way Romans slept, bathed, washed their clothes, played street games, conducted business, ate meals, dressed, calculated the time of day, etc., etc. However, a major drawback to the book are the typographical errors that litter every page. Sometimes they are a mere annoyance; other times they result in misspelled Latin names and phrases, which the Latin-less reader will not be able to recognize as wrong. Perhaps this isn’t a huge problem for the recreational reader, but I’d hesitate to assign this book to my Latin class–though I’d very much like to–as long as these errors remain. Rating: 3 / 5
Roman television personality Alberto Angela has produced an outstanding new book on daily life in ancient Rome. The book is well written containing line drawings of ancient Roman clothing, hair styles, architecture and other aspects of daily life in the city on seven hills.
Angela goes through a 24 hour cycle showing us what the typical Roman citizen would be engaged in during that period of time. We awaken at dawn with a light Roman breakfast. We see how the Romans decorated their homes in a minimal style. Angela takes us into the tall insula apartment buildings of the city of 1.5 million. Rome was a city of many ethnicities and slaves did much of the work. The city in 115 was ruled by Trajan the emperor. We learn how the citizens worshipped the various deities in the Roman pantheon as we travel to the temples.
The most gruesome section of the book deals with the slaughters on display in the colosseum built during the reign of Vespasian. Thousands of gladiators, prisoners and animals died bloody deaths in the sawdust of the arena.
Angela explains the architecture of the Colosseum, the equipment used by the gladiators and the customs surrounding their battles to the death. The Romans would work 6 hours a day using the rest of the time for viewing the games, gambling and enjoying life in the crowded streets. Angela says that Rome was like a third world city where there was a mingling of rich and poor in the narrow lanes and the crowded open air markets.
Angela even discusses sexual matters and comments on Roman prostitution. Other than describing the Senate building he does not delve deeply into Roman politics. This book would be a good resource in a high school Latin or history course. It is entertaing and geared to the general reader. Of all the books of this kind Mr. Angela is to bec complimented on an excellent job of explaining the Romans to 21st century readers. Excellent! Rating: 5 / 5
I was enthralled reading this book describing, hour-by-hour, a typical day in the life of ancient Rome in 115 A.D., at the height of the Empire The descriptions of the imaginary observer enable the reader to picture the scenes from daily life, as if they were from modern Rome. There are numerous fascinating details, all seemingly based on numerous archaeological finds and research, as well as descriptions from Latin authors.
A few slight criticisms, that could be corrected in a second edition (which is the only reason I have, reluctantly, not awarded 5 stars). The editing is a little sloppy in places, which can jar and spoil the flow. There were several, but two that I remember are Sulla being referred to as Silla and mistaking Marcus Aurelius for Mark Anthony. Since the day involves a walk around various places in ancient Rome, it would have been helpful to have had a few maps to show where the various places were in relationship to each other and, perhaps, something to show where they are located in present-day Rome and what still remains to be seen, whether in museums or in situ (photographs would be an added plus). The author often refers to Latin authors’ descriptions while giving the name but, only once that I recall, giving a reference to the work. That would be very helpful for those who might want to follow-up further with contemporary accounts and would provide an encouragement to dip into the great Latin authors. While translating the book from its Italian original into English, the bibliography could have been altered for an English-speaking audience. Out of about 40 references, almost all are in Italian and only two are in English. Hopefully, someone from the publisher will read these suggestions and that there will be demand for subsequent editions.
If you think you might just possibly enjoy this book, don’t hesitate. Rating: 4 / 5
This book is about an imaginary walk through ancient Rome by the author, Alberto Angela. It begins early in the morning and ends late at night on one day in the year 115 CE (or A.D.). Angela writes about his experiences from the perspective of a modern man, comparing life in ancient Rome with life today. He also writes with a thorough knowledge of history, both before and after 115. If all of this sounds confusing, it’s not. It’s easy to follow and it reads well, although the translation of Angela’s Italian seems a bit rough, and there are scattered typos.
Angela looks at a wide variety of topics, including housing. He looks at the typical “domus” or stand alone residence of the wealthy. It’s comfortable and tastefully decorated. But many poorer Romans live in an “insula,” or large apartment structure, six stories high, which covers a whole city block. The main building material is cement. The insula is divided into many small units, in which the people are crowded together. On the ground floor there typically are shops. The other lower floors are the most desirable, because the construction there is more solid, if only because the upper floors rest upon the first floors. The higher up, the more flimsy the construction, and there’s an attic above the sixth floor which is basically thrown together haphazardly. People also prefer the lower floors (and the rents are higher) because they can more easily escape one of the frequent fires that break out due to the practice of cooking meals and warming the rooms with open braziers.
Angela also looks at the public latrines, where the people sit in the open on long planks in which holes are cut. I’ll spare you the details about what the Romans do with the urine that is collected in these public latrines and elsewhere in Rome.
There’s also much about the diet of the Romans and their clothing. He looks at the family and the traditional roles of each member. Of course, he examines the gladiator spectacles. He points out that those most likely to die were condemned prisoners who were often thrown to wild animals that, Angela informs us, were specifically trained to attack and kill.
There’s a detailed treatment of slavery. Slaves in ancient Rome performed many of the tasks done by machines or made easier by modern inventions: washing clothes, cooking (electric and gas stoves today), hauling water from wells (running water in homes), and moving people and goods (cars and trucks).
All in all, it seems that a small percentage of wealthy Romans lived in relative comfort. Relative, that is, to the dirty, dangerous, unhealthy existence of the masses. In the wealthiest nations today, even the poorest people enjoy basic comforts that were far beyond the reach of almost all Romans.
I would have liked an index and a more thorough bibliography. There are only two pages of bibliography, and most of the sources appear to be untranslated Italian books. But Angela does cite important ancient sources, notably Suetonius.
Despite some flaws, it’s still a fun and informative work. Highly recommended
Rating: 5 / 5
In this rather curious book, the author imagines being transported back in time, along with the reader, to a typical day in Ancient Rome in the year 115 CE. The day starts “a few hours before dawn” and ends at midnight. The author acts as a tour guide as he leads the reader through the streets and buildings of Ancient Rome. During this tour, the reader learns a great many things: the living conditions of the rich and the poor, eating and working habits, diet, social structure, family life, entertainment, moral values, superstitions, religion, sexuality, population statistics, monetary structure, etc. Some of the most important buildings and monuments are also explored, e.g., Roman Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon, Baths, Trajan’s Column, etc. This is all described with fascination, awe, passion and, occasionally, surprise – as though the author was also seeing these things for the first time. He asserts that the facts that he recounts are based on historical and archaeological evidence; however, details of most events observed and of most individuals encountered are mostly imaginary – probably to add a bit of life to the tour. The writing style is particularly friendly and accessible, clear and even sporadically gripping, e.g., the gladiatorial combats. The book contains many detailed descriptions. Although these are informative, some may be a bit monotonous to a reader who is not particularly interested in what is being described. There is very little here that an avid ancient history buff will not already know. Consequently, readers who are less familiar with Ancient Rome are likely to enjoy (and indeed be fascinated by) this book the most. Rating: 4 / 5