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Product Description
Product Description
In this portrait of life in Ancient Rome, the author begins by painting a backcloth on which the social, political, cultural and religious aspects of the community are drawn. He enlarges on the details of everyday life, following the typical routine of a normal day from dawn to dinner and the talk that continued long into the night. This study, which includes a bibliography and notes by Professor Rowell, describes the houses and multi-storeyed apartments of the city of over a million inhabitants, the social classes from senators to slaves and the Roman family and the position of women.
About the Author
Jerome Carcopino was born in Verneuil-sur-Avre, France, in 1881. He was a lecturer at the University of Algiers in Algeria before his career was interrupted by World War I. Lecturing at the Sorbonne in Paris from 1920 to 1937, he later became the Director of the French School in Rome. From 1941 to 1942, he was the Minister of National Education and Youth in Vichy France. He died in 1970.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
THERE is little need to dwell on the splendour of the city of Rome at the beginning of the second century of our era. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THERE is little need to dwell on the splendour of the city of Rome at the beginning of the second century of our era. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Now more than 50 years old, this account of daily life in ancient Rome still manages to completely absorb the reader.
Carcopino has managed to avoid the trap of becoming overawed by his subject material. Showing clarity and even a love of his subject, he delves into the ordinary routines, habits and desires of the inhabitants of ancient Rome at it's peak. What was it like for a Roman to shave?!
This is a 'smells and sounds' book. Other publications may provide a more chronolgical/historical perspective on Rome notably Gibbons 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' but only Carcopino will leave you feeling closer to those men and women who lived under the rule of Caesers from Augustus [27 B.C - 14 A.D] to Trajan [98-117 A.D].
My own specific interest was in discovering how early Christianity made an impact on Roman life. I won't spoil the effect of Carcopino's closing line under the sub-heading 'The Advent of Christianity' but for a reader with faith it will never be forgotten.
I recommend this book more for those who want to understand 'what it was like' rather than simply 'what happened and when'.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
I loved this book. Even though there's a fair bit of detail on Roman dining, clothing, entertainment and so on, the text never becomes boring. Even what I consider the driest part of the book, a section on Roman clocks and timekeeping, manages to be breezy enough.
The book however, is badly in need of some illustrations. The author has done his best to describe things, and done quite well, but I DID find it a bit of a drag trying to visualize things such as buildings and clothing.
Even a few simple line drawings would have gone a very long way.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
If you are a fan of I, Claudius, and if you've ever wondered what life must have been like during his reign, then this book will tell you. Covering the era from the days of Claudius to the reign of Hadrian - and in some cases beyond; this book shows you what ancient life would have been like at the height of Roman power.
It was first written over fifty years ago by French scholar Jerome Carpcopino, who died in 1970. In all those years it remains in print, and in many ways its never been surpassed for its scholarship and readability.
This shouldn't be seen as a chronological tour through Roman history, instead its a thematic guide to Roman culture and society.
The book covers a diverse set of topics such as houses and streets; society and social class; marriage, woman and the family; and education and religion. In the second half of the book it even covers the typical day of a Roman, be he either rich or poor, from morning to night. It is here we learn about the little details of Roman life, from the pleasures of the bath (although sometimes it could be noisy and chaotic) to gambling and the theatre.
If you want a readable and erudite study of Roman life then this book has never been bettered. A brilliant guide to the period, although you might need some very basic background in Roman history to get the greatest possible enjoyment out of the book. That said, this book would be a great read for layperson and expert alike, and a must read for Classics students. Highly Recommended!
It was first written over fifty years ago by French scholar Jerome Carpcopino, who died in 1970. In all those years it remains in print, and in many ways its never been surpassed for its scholarship and readability.
This shouldn't be seen as a chronological tour through Roman history, instead its a thematic guide to Roman culture and society.
The book covers a diverse set of topics such as houses and streets; society and social class; marriage, woman and the family; and education and religion. In the second half of the book it even covers the typical day of a Roman, be he either rich or poor, from morning to night. It is here we learn about the little details of Roman life, from the pleasures of the bath (although sometimes it could be noisy and chaotic) to gambling and the theatre.
If you want a readable and erudite study of Roman life then this book has never been bettered. A brilliant guide to the period, although you might need some very basic background in Roman history to get the greatest possible enjoyment out of the book. That said, this book would be a great read for layperson and expert alike, and a must read for Classics students. Highly Recommended!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Mostly historically worthwhile
A book that delves into the reality of life within ancient Rome on multiple levels, and does so with a level of historical skill that it is a work that demands respect. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Joe
Absorbing
You've read the history, studied the personages, seen the architecture and marveled at the marvel that was Rome. But what was it like to live then and there? Read more
Published 17 months ago by demola
The glory, the gore and the grind of daily life, vividly presented
You might want to turn directly to the last chapter in which the gluttony and debauchery of Imperial Rome is most clearly spelled out. Read more
Published on 10 Nov 2008 by Dennis Littrell
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